Fight magical creatures, solve puzzles, and usher Harry through the Triwizard

The Goblet of Fire: HP War video game sticks strictly to the adventure aspects of the story, never touching upon the sticky relationship drama that makes up key subplots in the novel and the film. Guide the trio of young wizards through various locales, fight magical creatures, solve puzzles, and usher Harry through the Triwizard Tournament challenges just before a climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort himself. Though the collection aspects of the game are a drag at times, The Goblet of Fire still does enough to keep Potter fans engaged throughout.

The story of the Boy Who Lived and his trusty friends has captivated millions, whether the tale has unfolded on paper, on the silver screen, or on the boob tube in wholly interactive form. The worldwide phenomenon has of course been designed by Rowling, but both Warner Bros. and Electronics Arts have done their respective parts in maintaining the wizarding craze, WB with a series of blockbuster movies and EA with a stream of complementary videogames for all major platforms.

The Goblet of Fire: HP War titles have in previous years aspired to marry the magical themes, lovable characters and familiar storylines of the related books and movies with the proven play mechanics and level designs of games like Zelda. Harry-Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was the first title to exercise this strategy and ironically it remains far and away the best. Each successive entry into the series has for puzzling and disappointing reasons somehow gotten sloppier and in turn less enjoyable.

The Goblet of Fire makes a few departures from the last game in the series, The Prisoner of Azkaban. You still play as Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but the three don't have unique abilities anymore. You also can't switch between them during a mission in The Goblet of Fire. But you'll still solve plenty of environmental puzzles using each character's standard, context-sensitive charm spells. Cast a charm in the direction of a boulder and you'll lift it with a wingardium leviosa spell.