Harry Potter: Spells Review

By , on November 17, 2009


Harry Potter: Spells
Download on the AppStore
5 out of 5

PROS

  • Amazing interactivity.
  • Great fun with friends.

CONS

  • Imprecise gesture recognition.
  • Computer opponents can be 'cheap'.

VERDICT

This might be more for the Harry Potter fans out there, but dueling friends can be great fun.  It's a guilty pleasure, but you might want to avoid the computer controlled opponents who do not suffer the same control woes as you.


  • Full Review
  • App Store Info

Harry Potter: Spells is an amazing experience from Warner Brothers for the iPhone that is probably worth getting for the sheer nerd factor of having a wizard duel with your friends in real time. Complex gestures will translate into spells that will harm your opponent and protect you from danger, making dueling a match of wits and accuracy that will have you waving your iPhone around till your arm hurts.

Spells are activated by holding the iPhone much like a wand, then holding your thumb down as you move your arm in one of 14 different paths specific to each spell. A lot of practice is needed to accurately pull off spells, but even after mastering each one it's not uncommon to have the iPhone fail to recognize the gestures, which is a death sentence in a duel.

As you'd expect from Warner Brothers, the graphics are all beautifully created for the menus and each spell effect is a unique visual explosion. As an added bonus it's possible to record your own voice announcing the spells and this gives the game a personal touch in duels which are available via wifi and bluetooth.

The gesture controls could have used more tweaking or in the least made simpler to ensure that they're not incorrectly read. It seems a shame they're not more accurate in a game dedicated to dueling, but at least against a real life opponent you'll be on even ground. Definitely a great grab for Potter fans and those after a unique multiplayer experience.

Screenshots

Screenshot 1 of 5 Screenshot 2 of 5 Screenshot 3 of 5 Screenshot 4 of 5 Screenshot 5 of 5