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An immersive Hogwarts experience in mobile format | Full Review - Harry Potter: Magic Awakened

2K View2023-06-06

Harry Potter: Magic Awakened

8.5

RPGCasual

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Harry Potter: Magic Awakened is a free-to-play third-person and deck-building game for mobile devices. It features a live-service game format and stylized graphics that magically recreates the wonderful Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

🟩Pros

+Immersive Hogwarts experience

+Compelling storyline set shortly after the events of the series

+Deck-building combat system with a unique twist

+Familiar spells and creatures for Harry Potter fans

🟥Cons

-Immersion-breaking character inclusions for some of the companion cards

The story follows shortly after the end of the Harry Potter series, with the player taking on the role of a newly accepted student. Giving us a rare look at the aftermath of the series, with occasional flashbacks that transport us back to memorable events, allowing us to relive those moments as they are told by various characters.

The story is impressive for a mobile game, featuring fully animated and voice-acted cutscenes instead of the usual visual-novel style approach. Nevertheless, you still have the option to fast forward or skip these cutscenes if you prefer to focus solely on the deck-building and combat gameplay.

Harry Potter: Magic Awakened re-introduces us to the world of wizarding once again, following a similar path to the one Harry Potter took, with Hagrid guiding us and leading us through Diagon Alley for school supplies. It allows us to customize our appearance and attire, introduces us to the deck-based combat system, and lets us choose owls as companions, among many other features.

The characters featured in the game embody the traditional Harry Potter tropes that we are already familiar with: grumpy, intelligent, comic relief, quirky, and eccentric. However, some of them are presented as mashed up variations of the original Harry Potter characters. For example, there is a nerdy version of Ron Weasley, a forgetful Hermione, a female Draco Malfoy, and even twins with now a grumpy attitude.

The initial gameplay format offers a third-person exploration experience, faithfully recreating the wizarding world in an artistic and stylized format. While the visuals may not be as realistic or awe-inspiring as the AAA title Hogwarts Legacy, they still capture the essence and feeling of the Harry Potter universe.

Players can freely roam around a simplified version of Hogwarts, explore the castle premises, visit their dormitory, and even enjoy the thrill of riding broomsticks and flying around Hogwarts. However, for those solely interested in the deck-building aspect, there is an option to fast travel and completely skip the third-person free roam gameplay.

The game presents a main story that takes players on an adventure similar to a proper narrative-driven game, offering a compelling experience that almost mirrors the original series in terms of premise where a group of new students embark on an adventure in Hogwarts. In terms of overall presentation, it could actually give Hogwarts: Legacy a run for its money.

While the game features third-person gameplay, the main combat element revolves around a deck-based combat system utilizing cards called Charms. This system differs from traditional approaches as it incorporates movement cards, allowing players to navigate the 3D battle arena. It isn't purely turn-based or tactical in nature.

At the start of battle, a random deck of cards is drawn, and additional cards are drawn as the battle progresses. Players can use these cards by dragging them from the deck and applying them to the arena. They can be used on the ground for area-of-effect effects or directly on enemies. The resulting battles are visually satisfying and tactically engaging, providing a well rounded experience.

The cards range from magical spells Harry Potter fans would find familiar, to summoning creatures like spiders or trolls. You can even have companion “cards” that can call for characters to aid you — including characters from the series like the Malfoy gang. While this inclusion may be slightly immersion-breaking, it is a deliberate aspect of the game, likely intended to make the card collecting feature more appealing to Harry Potter fans.

As a live service game, it includes familiar features like login bonuses, weekly events, cosmetics, and premium currency. There is also a gacha system in the game that features a very transparent drop rate, which can be seen before opening.

These live service features are all seamlessly integrated to the Hogwarts experience and feels just like part of it. For instance, the daily login bonuses are designed to make players feel like they are attending Hogwarts on a daily basis, adding to the immersion.

The PvP game mode on the other hand is presented as a dueling club, allowing players to engage in competitive battles with other players .There are many other features as well; such as a guild system called clubs, the ability to set your friends as actual dormmates, and even invite them into your game world.

These features contribute to the game's immersive engagement and provide players with a sense that you exist within the magical world of Hogwarts and not just another mobile game.

Conclusion:

Harry Potter: Magic Awakened is a free-to-play mobile game that offers an immersive experience in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It features stylized graphics, a deck-building combat system, and a compelling storyline set shortly after the events of the original Harry Potter series. The game successfully recreates the magical atmosphere of Hogwarts in mobile game format and allows players to explore familiar locations, customize their characters, and engage in thrilling battles.

Mentioned games

Harry Potter: Magic Awakened

8.5

RPGCasual

Get

Experience the world of MAGIC! - Harry Potter Magic Awaken Review

Wow, 2 Harry Potter games in one year which is very weird; we last had a Harry Potter game in the longest time before the recent one. The last Harry Potter game released before Legacy, and this one was back in 2013, was " Book of Potions, but anyway, back to the review! We are looking at a new Harry Potter Game for Android and iOS. Today's review of Harry Potter Magic Awakened Summary: You will enter Hogwarts as a new student at the Magic Academy and start a mysterious adventure with other companions. At Hogwarts, you can see familiar characters, learn all kinds of magical lessons, experience thrilling wizards, and write a new chapter in your own magic world.

IndieVoice2K2023-07-04