Back when the Harry Potter movies were releasing and taking theatres by storm, there were also video games based on the Boy Who Lived releasing at the same time. This was when movie tie-ins were a thing, with the genre somewhat dying since the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles came along.
So we're now going to use the Pensieve to take a trip down memory lane and pour over the eight installments in the series. Here's our view on the best and worst the Harry Potter movie games had to offer.
8 Goblet of Fire
For the most part, the first three Harry Potter games had stuck to the same style: an open-world Hogwarts to explore, packed with side quests and puzzles to make all the long trips around the castle - and lengthy loading screens - worthwhile.
But Goblet of Fire decided to mix things up, instead choosing to take away the exploring aspect. This took away from much of the immersion and freedom, limiting the gamer's choice of what to do. Sure, the spell-casting was improved and, graphically, it was the best in the series to date. But that doesn't stop it coming bottom on this list.
7 Deathly Hallows: Part 1
We thought EA would produce something impressive for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 when it released back in 2010. But, despite having the power of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 to work with, the game proved to be more of a Hufflepuff than a Gryffindor.
Since when did casting a spell feel like you're shooting on Call of Duty? That was the biggest complaint, with the spells simply not impressive or powerful enough. The graphics are dire when you consider the technology and some tasks, like sneaking around London when you're invisible and tidying Number 4 Grimmauld Place, just feel pointless. It's only redeeming feature is it sticks to the movie to a tee and the fight scenes at Malfoy Manor are actually pretty well-designed.
6 Order of the Phoenix
After fans had complained about being unable to explore Hogwarts in the Goblet of Fire game, the Order of the Phoenix game also sparked a change. Exploring was suddenly back in and the castle was designed to look exactly how it does in the movie.
This was great at first but a couple of things stop it from being better. Firstly, the missions are repetitive - you spend most of your time recruiting members for Dumbledore's Army. And, secondly, the spell-casting is stodgy and difficult to get right every time. The graphics were good, however, and exploring Hogwarts (which is huge) was still great fun.
5 Half-Blood Prince
Basically, a rehash of the Order of the Phoenix game. Of course, the story is different but, once again, exploring Hogwarts is the highlight.
There are other things you can do that you can't in EA's predecessor, however. You can make potions with Professor Slughorn, something that's strangely gratifying once you get it right. You can play Quidditch, something you haven't been able to do since the second game. And you can travel to more locations within Hogwarts itself, such as the Astronomy Tower where Professor Dumbledore dies. So, while it sticks to the same format as the game before, it's enhanced by these features.
4 Deathly Hallows: Part 2
While we ranked the first part of the two Deathly Hallows movies as second-to-last, this one scores considerably higher.
The combat is greatly improved, with your spells feeling far more powerful and worthwhile than they did before. And most of the game is spent at Hogwarts at a time where Lord Voldemort and his loyal Death Eaters are going for the kill. The game does a fantastic job of showing how high the stakes are while also taking you to several nostalgic locations. This, certainly, was far better than what we'd got just a year before.
3 The Sorcerer's Stone
Ah, what a time to be alive. In 2001, fans weren't just eagerly awaiting the first Harry Potter movie, they were also looking forward to the first Harry Potter game. And, while it's graphics have aged horrendously, it would be fair to say the Sorcerer's Stone game failed to disappoint.
Hogwarts is huge, packed full of things to do. It also stays so close to the book, rather than the movie, cramming loads of details that only hardcore Potterheads would be aware of. Collecting beans is great fun and the showdown with Professor Quirrell at the end is genuinely challenging. This game also gets bonus points because it's impressive to play on every console, from the Game Boy Color to the PlayStation 2.
2 The Chamber of Secrets
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's how the old saying goes and the Chamber of Secrets adopts this stance, producing a game of slightly higher quality than the first in the series.
It's better than the Sorcerer's Stone game because Hogwarts is even bigger this time around, with far more locations to explore. There are some scary and edgy stealth missions that involve creeping around and you get to see glorious and iconic settings such as Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley and the Chamber of Secrets itself. Tackling Aragog in the Forbidden Forest is terrifying, too, and this game comes so close to coming top of this list.
1 The Prisoner of Azkaban
The Prisoner of Azkaban movie is commonly regarded as one of the best the franchise has to offer. And the same can be said for the game of the same name, which released back in 2004.
It takes everything the first two games have offered and builds on it, putting together a gorgeous-looking package that results in the user having fun for hours. As ever, exploring Hogwarts is fun. But encountering such hard missions during school time – many of which contain unique level designs – is just as good. Casting a Patronus charm is another highlight, too. And we believe this was when the series peaked.