If you've had the misfortune to play any of this summers film tie-ins - Pirates of Caribbean, Shrek the Third, Spiderman 3 - you may not be expecting too much from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. But you'd be wrong. While Pirates, Shrek and particularly Spiderman felt like cynical marketing merchandise, Potter, released today, feels different. Yes it still suffers from the lazy collect-a-thon gameplay that bedevils Pirates and Shrek but the difference here is you don't mind. And this is mainly because of the setting - Hogwarts. The school is wonderfully depicted - the way the shallow sun glints off the stone is reminiscent of PS2 classic Ico - and players are finally allowed free-rein to roam. It's not quite GTA: Potter but there is a level of freedom here that will make fans very happy. I've been playing the 360 version - those achievements are just too tempting - but the Wii may be an option. Casting spells with a wiimote is likely to be far more fun than fiddling with a pad. Of course, there are bound to be issues of accuracy - some of the spells are a little fiddly to pull of on a pad let alone the wiimote - but the Wii could be the version to get.
Potter refuseniks needn't worry - there are a pile of new releases today. Top of the list are More Brain Training and The Darkness. If you have spent time shouting at your DS - blue, blue! - then you'll know that More Brain Training is a must. I can't make my mind up about the Darkness though. The comic book/long trenchcoat thing is instantly alienating to anyone who prefers My Bloody Valentine over My Chemical Romance but it's been a while since a decent story-led shooter and this is one of the better ones. So, what game are you buying this weekend?
