Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
For Harry Potter fans, July is going to be one very busy and exciting month. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 will be released to the big screen on July 15th, 2011, and on the same day, gamers will be able to raise their wands as well as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 comes to DS, PC, PS3, Wii, and Xbox360. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 hit shelves last year, also coinciding with the release of the movie version.
Part 2 starts where Part 1 ended. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are still on the mission to destroy the Horcruxes and track down the mysterious Deathly Hallows. The Deathly Hallows are three objects that can make the user the most powerful wizard/witch of all time. Naturally, these items would come in handy when going up against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
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The Wizards and Witches of Deathly Hallows Part 2
As in the first game, Harry is the main playable character. However, for the first time in the series you will be able to play other characters as well. This could make the game a little more interesting than Part 1, as you will now have the opportunity to play as your favourite character if it happens to be someone other than Mr. Potter. The ability to switch characters looks as though it can only be done during the last battle at Hogwarts.
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You will now be able to play the following characters:
- Ginny Weasley
- Neville Longbottom
- Molly Weasley
- Seamus Finnigan
- Minerva McGonagall
- Ron Weasley
- Hermione Granger
- Harry Potter
Ginny looks like she will be an amazing character to play. Throughout the books/movies, she has proven to be tough, feisty, and very stubborn. Those are all characteristics which will lead to a Death Eater’s demise.
Molly is another playable character that sticks out to me. She has always been a very protective mum, but we will see a whole new side of her when she takes on Bellatrix Lestrange.
Neville should also be a character that will provide entertainment, as this book is where he gets his shining moment.
Ron and Hermione both have some pretty epic battles in the book, which I hope make it to the game. It should be a very intense battle between Hermione and Fenrir Greyback.
The character that looks most promising is Minerva McGonagall. Since the first days at Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall has been someone you do not want to mess with. Besides the late Dumbledore, McGonagall is one of the most powerful wizards/witches at Hogwarts; with her as a playable character, gamers should be able to cause some serious Death Eater and Giant damage.
The only character that does not stand out is Seamus Finnigan. Although he held his own during the final battle at Hogwarts, there were other characters that stood out more. For example, Luna Lovegood would have made an excellent playable character; she also played an important role in Part 1.
Where in the Wizarding World is Harry Potter?
The locations in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 are very true to the books/movies. The only disadvantage present in Part 1 was that the locations were not explorer-friendly. If you did not need to go into a room, you were not able to. There was also a lot of furniture to block off areas, so there seemed to be a lot of restrictions. Part 2 will probably have the same locational restrictions.
The locations themselves are consistent with the journey; the first trailer highlights familiar areas from Part 1 and 2 like the Forest of Dean, Godric’s Hollow, the Ministry of Magic, the Forbidden Forest, Gringott’s Bank, and Hogwarts. Hogwarts is where the final battle will take place, and a lot of areas must be explored. Players will have to search the castle for the Room of Requirement, and prepare to battle in The Great Hall.
The Story
The plot of Deathly Hallows Part 2 seems to be consistent with the book and movie in some aspects. In others it combines events and locations, perhaps to save gaming time. The first part of this series cut a lot of corners when it came to plot development. Here’s hoping that Part 2 will not do the same.
While the search for the Horcruxes continues, the wizarding world is falling to pieces. Innocent witches and wizards are being slaughtered in the name of the Dark Lord. It is a very dark time in the wizarding world, and paranoia is high as many wizards and witches are under mind-control enchantments. Others are turning their backs on their own friends and families to preserve their own lives. There are a few who fight against the Dark Lord under the Order of the Phoenix, allies of Harry Potter. Some wizards and witches have gone into hiding in fear of their lives. Throughout the game, news updates are available to listen to through Potter Watch, a secret radio station used by Potter's allies to track his whereabouts and relay information. Sadly, Potter Watch is also used to broadcast the obituaries of brave witches and wizards who lost their lives. It is up to Harry, Ron, and Hermione to defeat Voldemort while maintaining order around them.
The final battle seems to be the focus of the game. Harry must recruit friends and allies to help defeat the Dark Lord once and for all. In the final battle you will see many Hogwarts allies coming to its rescue in its time of need, including the suits of armor. To defeat Voldemort, he must find and destroy the Horcruxes, each of which contains a part of Voldemort’s soul.
Parseltongue Anyone?
One of the great things about the Harry Potter gaming series is that the majority of the voices are done by their silver screen counterparts. The following is a brief list of who will be providing voices in Deathly Hallows Part 2:
Daniel Radcliffe – Harry Potter
Emma Watson – Hermione Granger
Rupert Grint – Ronald Weasley
Bonnie Wright – Ginny Weasley
Warwick Davis – Flitwick/Griphook
Allan Corduner – Filch/Severus Snape *
Alfie Enoch – Dean Thomas
Matthew Lewis – Neville Longbottom
Evanna Lynch – Luna Lovegood
Devon Murray – Seamus Finnigan
Tom Felton – Draco Malfoy
All in all, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 does not seem like a strong contender for Game of the Year; however, it will give Potter fans an opportunity to get even with the Dark Lord.
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