Genre: Action

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Rating: 12 (PEGI)

Platform: Xbox 360

A PRODUCT similar to its predecessor solely by name, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 casts a wave of magic on Part 1’s broken elements to create an adventure infinitely more spellbinding than ever before.

It’s an emotionally bitter-sweet time for many Potter fans as the famous wizard’s escapades come grinding to a halt. But what better way for the gaming series to disappear into a cloud of smoke than on the high note of its best video game yet.

Taking place from a third-person perspective, players are thrown head first into a non-stop action adventure that's relentless in its onslaught of enemy waves, as Harry and the crew battle against Death Eaters and Dementors.

The journey pulls players through fairly linear levels with a plethora of cinematic sequences spliced between the action. There's the occasional detour to take, but it’s usually only a minor one that will involve a dead-end and, and if you’re lucky – a collectible.

Each of the twelve levels on offer is home to a certain amount of collectible items which when found, offer a bonus to the player. Some give extra character art, some unlock music from the soundtrack, and some will open the challenge mode.

Challenge mode helps to pad the game out by timing players at each of the levels. The time is then taken into consideration and players are rewarded with a certain medal that reflects their performance. For kids, this latest instalment is perfect.

There’s never a moment where objectives are unclear, as key locations are always highlighted with a glowing aura.

The aiming is a cinch for people of most ages because of the auto-aim feature. This however, can be a little too automatic sometimes, and slightly annoying for the more seasoned player. Thankfully it can be easily adjusted in the menus.

There’s plenty of variation as players are constantly being rewarded with new spells to try out and each level requires the controlling of a different character from Harry’s posse.

Both visually and audibly, things are quite impressive. There’s nothing ugly about the game’s looks, in fact, the textures are particularly detailed.

The game is not without faults though – not by a long shot. We managed to finish it in one quick, four-hour sitting. Despite having the challenge mode and more collectibles than you could shake a wand at – there’s little to draw gamers in after that.

It’s a short blast that Potter fans will love, kids will adore and gamers in general will enjoy. All however, will find it far too short.

Rating: 6/10