As its name suggests, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two picks up exactly where the events of the previous episode left off. Sent in search of Horcruxes (objects containing fragments of Voldemort's soul and the source of his immortality), Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts to find the final pieces hidden in the ruins of his old school. First black point: at no time are the previous episodes summarized. It is therefore quite abruptly that the game begins in the basements of Gringotts (the wizarding bank) without anyone knowing why or how our heroes find themselves in this dangerous situation. The game is therefore not to be put in all hands, mainly those of neophytes who are not familiar with the universe of JK Rowling. The scenario, meanwhile, is divided into twelve linear chapters, in which the objective is simple: knock out with a magic wand the various threats that Voldemort's army constitutes. Like its predecessor, the title comes in the form of a third-person shooter, with the possibility of taking cover behind the elements of the decor. For this latest adaptation, the EA Bright Light studio has made only a few improvements to the gameplay. In terms of novelties, while the previous opus only allowed you to embody Harry Potter, it is now possible to take control of new faces such as Professor McGonagall, Hermione and even Neville Longbottom. Otherwise, the infiltration phases of Part One have been set aside, thankfully. Finally, the various places visited favor corridor levels, which means that the shooting phases are more nervous. All this gives rise to chaotic clashes, the fault of an AI opponents close to nothingness, the latter not constituting any challenge. The end-of-level bosses are also far from insurmountable, and even if they benefit from a higher life bar, their intelligence does not fly higher than that of the minions encountered during the adventure.
FORGOTTEN, AND QUICKLY!
On normal difficulty, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two ends in 3 or 4 hours maximum. To carry out this very short quest, EA Bright Light has provided us with a more or less exhaustive list of spells, each with advantages and disadvantages. To top it off, it's very easy to complete the game using only one or two magic spells. It must be said that some of them are not very useful, like Apparition, a form of teleportation, which turns out to be anecdotal if not useless in combat. The scenario is much too disjointed and it is not the many time ellipses between each chapter that will help the player to better understand the story. Worse still, we are forced to endure short and mediocre cutscenes, placed here and there without worrying about the chronology of the saga. Repetitive from start to finish, the title also offers some QTE phases, unfortunately not enough to diversify the general action. Despite the presence of a Challenges mode offering the possibility of replaying certain chapters in a limited time, paying the price of a new game remains difficult to justify. And it's not the few bonuses to unlock in the form of music or lexicons that can enhance the interest of the title. On the graphics side, certainly not breaking three legs to a duck, the rendering of the sets remains clean and sticks quite well to feature films. Small downside all the same: the game highlights certain special effects that are seriously starting to date or are simply unsuitable. This is the case, for example, with bursts of light as projectiles, closer to firing a laser pistol than a magic wand. Regarding the positive points, we appreciate, like any adaptation, the use of the film's music as well as the French dubbing. Unfortunately, the latter proves very quickly stressful, the fault of a synchronization of the voices and the characters really laborious. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two therefore does indeed suffer from the syndrome of failed adaptation, with its hollow gameplay, its very uneven realization and its much too short lifespan. A title to forget in the meanders of Hogwarts therefore.
