Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Critic Reviews

The greatest test of a licensed game is to ask yourself if the game would still be compelling without the license and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban passes with flying colors.

It entertains, it excites and it's easy to follow so no need for cheats, and sometimes that is all that matters.

Derivative but fun and the EyeToy support is a great bonus. Won't win over Harry-haters but fans will be willy, er, wand-waving into the wee small hours.

A genuinely good third-year romp for Harry. Accomplished and absorbing, it's not quite magical but it's certainly no muggle either.

Offers a deeper, more mature experience than the previous titles.

Adds real depth to familiar characters and locations.

Some scenes do not look quite right — the scale of the characters against the width of the Hogwarts Express clearly do not tally. But these minor disappointments are quickly outweighed by stunning visuals in the later levels.

It is by far the best Harry Potter game made to date.

Being able to explore Hogwarts as not one, but all three of your favorite characters is, as Ron would put it, brilliant. But older gamers will find little challenge in the game's simplistic block puzzles.

8 / 8 / 7 / 7 - 30 silver

As a companion to the movie, it certainly serves its purpose. But as a game that sparks new magic in the genre? That might need to wait for the next film.

A by-the-numbers movie-licensed game that makes pretty good use of its source material without really doing anything too surprising. It's perfect for kids.

The tri-character gameplay really adds some depth, but Harry Potter newbies will still be left in the dark when trying to follow the narrative.

The combat difficulty level is forgiving, and the game guides you through the puzzles with helpful clues and hints from the other characters. Less experienced gamers -- who, let's face it, are really the ones the game is aimed at -- will find its light touch very rewarding.

There's still nothing here that amazes, just a fun game that is worthy of a Potter fan's attention.

It's a fine tie-in game, but it's over rather quickly, offering little in the way of challenge.

Although Prisoner of Azkaban is still aimed at the tween set, it’s more interesting—visually and interactively—than previous Potter games. And yet, Harry’s still got a ways to grow.

If you’ve never seen the draw of Harry Potter, then perhaps this game isn’t for you, although with nothing too complex to get your head around and the ability to out-magic Malfoy and his troop, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban spells more fun than a lot of movie-to-game conversions.

Fans of the books and films will enjoy the chance to explore the Hogwarts grounds and do things like ride Buckbeak the hippogriff and collect all of the Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, but there's not a lot in this game to appeal to your average Muggle.

The game is very linear and hopefully one day the EA team will expand this title with a bit more freedom.