Great game but it took me 2-5hours to complete so its quite short! (also if you read my review of tekken 6 the bit about the women i didnt mean)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
(2009, Video Games - Action/Adventure, Rated E10+, Play it on: Mac/Windows, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PSP, Xbox 360)
-
Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
-
Common Sense says
Dark themes handled with a light touch in this 6th game.
In this game kids can: battle others, become a hero, improve hand-eye coordination, live vicariously, play multiplayer games, solve puzzles
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 10 and Up
The good stuff
-
Ease of play:
-
Role models:
What to watch out for
-
Violence:
-
Sex:
-
Language:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was written by Jinny Gudmundsen
Parents need to know that this visually-exciting action adventure game is based on the movie and book of the same name. While the themes in J.K. Rowling's sixth book in the Harry Potter series are darker and more mature than those in the earlier books, this video game does not focus that much on those themes. While kids will fight the Death Eaters at the end of the game, those fights don't seem that frightening because they have been practicing dueling with other kids at Hogwarts throughout the game. Kids will see Harry being kissed. And while the video cutscenes at the end of the game show a main character being hit with a magic spell that causes him to go over the edge of the Astronomy Tower, it happens quickly and then the story moves on.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about why all things Harry Potter are so popular?
- How can game creators suck you into the game? Is it by presenting an emotionally charged story line? Or do they hook you by presenting fun activities to do. What happened here?
- Is this game different from the book? From the movie? In what way?
Do you play it? Review It!
More on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
What’s the Story?
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE is the sixth Harry Potter game produced by Electronic Arts. This time around, Electronic Arts provides kids with the ability to openly explore a beautifully rendered Hogwarts castle and grounds. The retelling of the story of J.K. Rowling's sixth Harry Potter book is shown through video cutscenes that are triggered by the accomplishment of various tasks. As Harry, you will attend class, help others, practice making potions, go to Quidditch practice and play in matches, and practice dueling. The game culminates with your fighting some Death Eaters. Throughout your castle explorations, you will find Crests to collect which unlock new and bonus content, including the ability to duel with a friend.
Is It Any Good?
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a good game for kids and casual gamers who are fans of Harry Potter. Because it is an easy game and relatively short (about 8-10 hours in the story mode), it is not a good fit for video game enthusiasts. Because the story is compacted, it might not make sense to those who have not read the source book or seen the movie on which it is based. It is not as deep as previous games; in this one you will basically be brewing potions, dueling using magic, and flying during Quidditch.
What the game does well is provide realistic animations of all of the actors from the movie – you can even see emotion on the characters' faces. And many of the actors have lent their voice talents to the game including Rupert Grint as Ron and Bonnie Wright as Ginny. The wizard dueling is easier than in earlier games because the controls are more responsive (especially on the Wii) and you can now move Harry while he is casting magic spells. Likewise, the navigation is easier because you always have an option of calling up Nearly Headless Nick (a ghost) to lead you through the castle. We also found that flying on a broomstick had improved from previous games.
Publisher’s Details
Developer: Electronic Arts
Released on: 6/30/2009, Price: $29-$50, not online enabled
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
Released on: 6/30/2009, Price: $29-$50, not online enabled
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
Our Members Say
See all 11 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
-
I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Easy to play
Good short game for children
-
I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
- Easy to play
Good Game; though, Short, However.
This is a good game, but it is way too short. I suppose they put those clubs on there make it a longer game; however, I do not know.
-
I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Easy to play
Nine and older
I played this with my sister, who was nine at the time, on the wii. It was fun to play, but we were often stuck on one task for hours on end. The inferi are scary for really little kids, but should not be to anyone over eight. The only problem was that it was only one player.
-
I rate this title iffy for age 9 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Negative role models
- My highlights are:
- Easy to play
ok game
i got this game for my b day and it was not the best game ever but it was pritty good. kids under 8 wont really understand the game and plus the game is inaproprete for there age. but if your child is 9 this is a good game for them to play with some iffy content. if your child is older than that then this game is ON for them.
-
I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
- Easy to play
its a good game if you are trying to get them all
I liked this game there was some stuff in it that could have been twecked i like the dolling the only thing i didn't like about this game was the story stops just like the movie dose
Give Recommendations, Get Them, Too!
Become a member and get recommendations from other parents based on your child's age.Tell us your child's age:
Already a member? Log inOur Members Rate It
Ratings at a Glance
| 67% | of parents say there are good role models |
| 33% | of parents say it gives kids positive messages |
| 33% | of parents don't feel there are good role models |
| 33% | of parents say the sexual behavior isn't age appropriate |
| 33% | of parents say it's too violent |
Do you play it?
For Your Family
Get age-based recommendations for your kids:
Customize based on your child's age
banksmom recommends:
LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
for kids age 10
See more from banksmom
LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
for kids age 10
See more from banksmom
