In India, this game is sold on the PC for Rs. 999, about $20 or so. Even after hearing the mixed reviews of this game, my mind didn't deter me from buying a DVD version of this game. And I apologize for that. It was a complete waste of money and time. Let's first see the good points of this game ( I'd to rack my brains to find some): 1) Hogwards is large: This, in one way, is good and bad. But as we are discussing about the 'good' points of the game, I'll tell that because it is large, there is a lot to see and discover. Even minute details and places are included in this game.
2) No loading time: Ah, this is one good thing about this game. In the second and the third parts, I got bugged and agitated when there was loading after every five minutes or so ( especially in the second). Here, there were no loading and you didn't have to bang your head against the wall to wait for the game to load after leaving every room or so.
3) Homely Hogwarts: This too has its pros and cons. Pros is that you feel as if you are at home and not at some military school where you are forced to do things. There are innumerable secrets to dig out at Hogwarts.
4) No bean or cards collecting: This is a good thing they've done. Collecting beans and cards becomes hectic and boring.
5) Open ended game: Advantage is that there are a lot many things to do even after completing the story mode and that takes some time to finish off. So, if you buy the game, you won't be able to finish it off in three days or so.
6) Excellent music: The background music was superb but it felt as if you wanted to hear more of that in the game.
5 pros! Think its a lot? Now lets review the cons of this game: 1) No lives: This is so dumb about this game. You don't have any lives. So, you either win or lose, depending on the storyline. I mean, if you are meant to lose, then even if you fight, there's no chance to win.
2) Bad voicing: Sometimes you wish that the main characters don't lend their voices for the game. I wasn't able to follow a lot many lines which the characters spoke.
3) Terrible duels: When you're in a fight, then you twist and turn your mouse and cast all sorts of spells. You don't even know what the others are casting.
4) Very less information given: Even in the manual, almost nothing is given about the game. In many of the places, you don't even know what to do.
5) Useless partners: You have two friends and it says that they can help you when you're puzzled or so. But they give such terrible clues and speak the same things over and over again that you wish that they weren't there.
6) It says that you visit many places from the book. But its so stupid to see that you spend only five minutes or so there and don't get to enjoy at all.
7) Horrible AI: Characters are so dumb that in some places, where you require more than one character to do the work, they help one in a blue moon and keep standing like dead logs.
8) Its boring to see the same place again and again. I mean, if you want to reach a place, you take almost five to ten minutes reaching there.
9) Terrible mini games: The mini games are atrocious, horrible and boring. No fun to play them.
All these factors contribute in making this game useless and intolerable. 3/10.
