Common Sense Media Review
By Jinny Gudmundsen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Cast magic with a Wii remote in best Potter yet.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 5 parent reviews
Based on 12 kid reviews
Kids say that the game offers an immersive experience in Hogwarts, providing elements that are missed in the movies, though it struggles with overdramatic dialogue and inconsistent voice acting. While some enjoy the engaging aspects and deem it fun, many find it difficult to play due to unresponsive controls and an unclear objective, leading to mixed reviews regarding its overall quality and value.
- immersive experience
- overdramatic dialogue
- unresponsive controls
- mixed reviews
- low value
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's It About?
HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX closely follows the story of J.K. Rowling's book and is based on the movie version. Most of the time, you play as Harry Potter, but occasionally, you become the Weasley twins, Sirius Black, and even Headmaster Dumbledore. The game incorporates a series of missions (tasks) into the story line, which is moved forward at various times by video sequences known as cut-scenes. But this is not a linear game. You are free to explore the castle and grounds of Hogwarts and pick up or change tasks at will. The first part of the game is spent finding and helping the 28 students who signed up to take a secret class from Harry about Defense Against the Dark Arts. Only when you have assembled all 28 members can you move on in the game.
Is It Any Good?
While the past four Harry Potter games have been great, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix far exceeds those built-up expectations. Available in a number of versions but best played on the Nintendo Wii, this enormous game gives us the Hogwarts the previous games made us long for, with a sprawling layout and endless nooks and crannies to explore. A fully orchestrated soundtrack, realistic animation, and original voices from the movie all add to the rich experience.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a vast, gorgeous, and superb game. It creates a powerful gaming experience by immersing kids into the world of Harry Potter. It delivers the wish that many kids share: the ability to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and do magic.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how playing this version stacks up to the book or movie. How did it feel to be a wizard? Can you imagine how you would use this kind of magic and how that would change your life? Did you feel like you got a better sense of the Harry Potter world by experiencing it firsthand? Was this what you had imagined when you were reading the books?
Game Details
- Platforms : Xbox 360 , PlayStation 3 , PSP , Nintendo Wii , Nintendo DS , Windows , PlayStation 2 , Game Boy Advance
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : Electronic Arts
- Release date : June 27, 2007
- Genre : Role-Playing
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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