This game makes a number of significant departures from the previous games. The characters and environments more closely emulate the look of the films, dropping the somewhat cartoony look of the earlier games. The Wide-Open Sandbox approach is dropped as well. In fact, you select the level you want to play from a menu themed around Dumbledore's Pensieve, eliminating any possibility of exploring Hogwarts.
One element that does carry over from the previous game is that Harry, Ron, and Hermione are all playable, although you're obviously stuck as Harry for the Triwizard levels and the climactic battle with Lord Voldemort.
This is the first entry in the series to avert Reformulated Game, with the same game released on all platforms except for the handheld version. It's also the first game to feature one of the characters being voiced by their film actor, namely Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort. At the same time, it's the last Potter game to feature music by Jeremy Soule.
Tropes
- Anti-Frustration Features: If a character faints while under AI control, they will not expend a Chocolate Frog when reviving, so you don’t have to worry about losing the limited resource from the characters you aren’t controlling.
- By Wall That Is Holey: This happens in a cutscene of the game, where Ron is nearly crushed by a falling tower.
- Captain Obvious:
- "Oh look, a bean!" "Thank you for pointing out the obvious, Ronald." "Will you stop going on about beans, Ron!"
- "Ow, that plant has spikes!" "And I imagine they're quite sharp?"
- Final Boss: Of course, the game culminates with you, as Harry, fighting Voldemort in the graveyard.
- Gameplay and Story Integration: All the versions of the game doesn't let you face a Death Eater. In the PC, a Death Eater blocking the path is only defeated by dropping the boulder he is standing on. In the GBA and NDS, your spells will just be blocked by a shield and getting close will have the Death Eaters levitate and then toss you aside. While Harry and the trio do eventually gain the skill to take on and beat Death Eaters, along with other students, at that point, they are not strong or experienced enough to fight them.
- Marathon Level: Prefect's Bathroom in the GBA/DS version.
- One-Time Dungeon: The Quidditch World Cup Campsite level is no longer repayable after beating it. The same applies to both of the DADA classes.
- Player Character: You get to decide whether to play as Harry, Ron, or Hermione for the duration of each level, unless it's a Triwizard level, in which case you obviously have to be Harry.
- School Uniforms are the New Black: Inverted, after having been played straight for the previous three games. Harry, Ron, and Hermione never wear their Hogwarts uniforms, even when attending class.
- "Staying Alive" Dance Pose: The GBA and NDS versions have a Yule Ball minigame where Harry can strike the famous pose from Saturday Night Fever.
- Truer to the Films: From this point on, the video games stick closer to the movies with only a few references to the books like the appearance of Blast-Ended Skrewts.
- Video Game Cruelty Potential: You can drop boulders on people and push them into spiky plants.
- What the Hell, Player?: When you drop something on one of the other characters, you get a response along the lines of "Hey! Watch where you throw that!"
