Ever since the original novels and the films rose to popularity, everyone has imagined wielding a wand just like Harry Potter. Well, with the movies being mega-blockbusters, video game tie-ins were inevitable. As a result, there have been seemingly endless amounts of Harry Potter games.
As per usual with movie-licensed games, they were either really good or really bad. With Hogwarts Legacy making waves with its official announcement, it is the perfect time to reflect—which are the worst games of the Wizarding World? Which deserves the fate of the killing curse?
Updated February 28, 2021, by Thomas Bowen: With the release of Hogwarts Legacy having recently been pushed back until next year, now seems like a great time for fans of the series to dive back in and explore some of the earlier Harry Potter games. Unfortunately, many of them are so bad that no sane person would ever dare play them. Well, not unless they were under the influence of the Imperius curse, that is. There are, however, quite a few gems buried beneath these feeble offerings that are definitely worth checking out before Hogwarts Legacy finally arrives.
14 Worst: Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince
While the mainline Harry Potter games certainly improved visually over the years, they all suffer from the same fatal flaw. There’s just not enough solid content to justify either the price-tag or the long, drawn-out playtime required to complete them. Sadly, Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince is yet more of the same in this regard.
Where the book and movie were spellbinding thanks to the many twists and turns that the narrative takes, the video game is instead full of pointless and boring sections. Worse still, the developers didn’t even try to disguise the fact that they’re only there for padding. There are definitely some who would have felt cheated by a shorter game, but far fewer than those who felt let down by this bad one.
13 Best: Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
Following the huge success of Pokemon Go, many developers tried their hands at making their own augmented reality games. Some were good, some were bad and others were just downright terrible. Thankfully, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite falls into the first of these brackets.
It’s developed by Niantic, the very same developer that’s responsible for Pokemon Go. It may not be quite as popular, but it features many of the same mechanics and features and is arguably just as enjoyable as a result. Especially when compared some of the other Harry Potter games that are out there, it’s a fine addition to J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World.
12 Worst: Harry Potter For Kinect
The idea of being able to cast a spell with a swish and a flick of the wrist sounds like a fine one on paper. As was often the case with games for Kinect, however, the reality of Harry Potter For Kinect was a lot less magical than the idea itself.
Being able to create a custom witch or wizard was a nice idea in theory, but playing through the game as somebody other than the titular character was always going to be a tough sell. Add to this the needless changes to the narrative and the flaky controls and it’s easy to see why the game bombed so badly.
11 Best: Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup
Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup is not just a great Harry Potter game, but also a very enjoyable sports game in its own right. The game of quidditch is an exciting one and translates surprisingly well into video game form. Some may prefer the hyper realism of a FIFA or Madden, but those looking for something a bit more magical can definitely find it here.
The game controls well and still looks pretty decent despite being nearly two decades old. It even has commentary for certain matches and a story mode to link everything together in a fairly cohesive fashion. The computer A.I doesn’t provide the greatest challenge though, so it’s better when played with a friend. Also, the GBA version is terrible.
10 Worst: Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix
While it is certainly an upgrade over its predecessor, Order Of The Phoenix is still a major disappointment. At first glance, it appears to be a return to the classic style of gameplay from the original Harry Potter games. Yet, upon further inspection, it reveals itself to be a total mess.
The graphics are unappealing, and the analog stick movements to pull off spells get tiresome, and even the free-roaming manages to be boring. It’s just a mediocre adventure game with very little to offer.
9 Best: The Sorcerer’s Stone (PC Version)
What better way to start the best of the game than with that first? For any Harry Potter fan wanting to get into the games, it is best to start here. However, only play the PC version; the console version is a sluggish downgrade in every aspect.
From learning new spells, collecting Every Flavor Beans, and solving puzzles, The Sorcerer’s Stone is an addicting Legend Of Zelda-esque game. Just be ready for some awkward voice acting and character models.
8 Worst: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1
Have any fans wanted to play a linear third-person shooter like Gears Of War about Harry Potter? No? Well, too bad. EA games decided that’s what Deathly Hallows would be. Okay, in concept this is not the worst idea since the final entry of the franchise is all about a war against Voldemort.
The problem is in the execution. There’s very little deviation from running and shooting enemies with spells; there’s a regular spell attack, a ranged sniper-like attack, and various alternatives to guns from other shooters, but what really kills the already repetitive gameplay is the downright broken camera.
7 Best: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
Want to experience being a student at Hogwarts but don’t want to wait for Hogwarts Legacy? Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery is a mobile game that should do the job until, then. Obviously, since it is a mobile game, it won’t have the greatest gameplay in the world, but it is fun to experience the Wizarding World this way.
It does have one major drawback, and that is the energy system. It is too easy to run out of energy, thus forcing the player to stop playing for a day or two or pay to keep playing. So, that might turn off some gamers, but Hogwarts Mystery is still a solid mobile game to play that’s undeserving of all of the negative feedback it garnered at launch.
6 Worst: Harry Potter For Kinect
For every decent game that came out for the Kinect, there were also five stinkers. Harry Potter For Kinect is part of the latter category which is disappointing. It’s not aggravatingly broken like some Kinect games were, and it comes so close to greatness, but it just misses the mark.
With a bit of fine-tuning, Harry Potter For Kinect could have been a decent gem for the system. However, in the end, it is just another entry in the list of bombs that came out for the Kinect.
5 Best: Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets
Chamber Of Secrets does what any sequel game should do; it takes everything that was great about the first, expands upon it, and does everything better. From fighting Aragog the spider to solving puzzles in the castle, Chamber Of Secrets is simply better in every way.
There’s not much else to say other than those gamers who loved the first game will enjoy Chamber Of Secrets. So, in a way, it follows the same pattern as the movie: more of what fans already enjoy.
4 Worst: Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire
EA Games was on a high pedestal when it came to Harry Potter games, so fans were excited to see how they handle Goblet Of Fire. Unfortunately, it pained gamers everywhere when it turned out to be one of the worst movie-licensed games ever made at the time.
Instead of challenging puzzles and open-world exploring, it was a generic action game. It resembles Gauntlet or the Ultimate Alliance games, which could have worked. However, it’s just a mindless game that gets very boring very quickly.
3 Best: Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban
The original trilogy of EA games reached the absolute peak of perfection. It couldn’t possibly get better than Chamber Of Secrets, but, surprisingly, The Prisoner Of Azkaban is pure gold. Rather than just playing as Harry, the player could control all three main heroes including Ron and Hermione.
This allowed for more puzzle-solving as some characters had specific spells and abilities. Prisoner Of Azkaban also features the most live and expansive open map of Hogwarts; Buckbeak is ridable, there’s more to collect, and the main missions are a blast. The entire original trilogy of games deserve their own remakes.
2 Worst: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2
Since every gamer complained about the first Deathly Hallows games, one would think EA would have improved, correct? Well, they managed to make Deathly Hallows Part 2 even worse. Somehow, this sequel has even less variety in the gameplay and is even shorter.
The graphics might be a little prettier but that’s just eye-candy. When the gameplay is a total slog and the player is bored out of their mind an hour into it—which is close to half the game, by the way—what point are pretty graphics?
1 Best: LEGO Harry Potter: The Collection
Why settle for one of the LEGO games when there’s an option for both combined? LEGO Harry Potter: The Collection is like most LEGO games; tons of stud collecting, puzzles, and fun missions. In many ways, they are very similar to the early EA Harry Potter games.
So, for every LEGO games fan or Harry Potter fan, The Collection is obviously the perfect addition to the library of games. The Harry Potter-specific mechanics are well-done, the LEGO depiction of the Wizarding World is beautiful, and, as per usual, the jokes are hilarious. Plus, it goes through all seven years of Harry Potter in one game without feeling rushed.
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