Wonderbook Book of Spells: PS3 Review

Wonderbook Book of Spells: PS3 Review

Released by Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform: PS3 and Move

For those who believe that a book can't offer as much fun as a computer game, stand by - as your minds are about to be blown apart.

Using the MOVE technology, Wonderbook gives you the chance to combine the two in a magical experience. You're basically the star in control of a wand and stand to join the world of Harry Potter and other wizards by learning how to cast spells - that is if you can master it all.

It's an interesting touch and one which its target audience will love.

As the game starts up, you have to choose a wand, a house to join and then must follow some instructions from the book which has been signed out to you from the restricted section of the library. As you go through the Book of Spells, there are incantations to learn and spells to test - all of which you see yourself do on screen thanks to the wonders of the MOVE technology. From the likes of Wingardium Leviosa to turning your wand into a hose and spraying everything with water, this is quite a neat touch and one which will enchant its core audience.

Occasionally, there are glitches - certain movements of the wand result in the MOVE Stick shining through and if you don't have the book on the right angle with its codes (which are similar to the Augmented reality codes for the VITA) then the book loses its story touch and ends up as a blobby mass of blue, destroying some of the magic.

But when it works, it works perfectly - from spells jumping off the page to giving you the chance to wave the wand and cast spells at the screen, this is an interactive experience like none I've fully seen before. You use the wand to pull spells off the page and stories come to life too - it's a sweet little touch which the younger end of the gaming audience will be spell-bound by (yep, am running out of magic puns). From levitating mandrakes around your room to unlocking doors, it'll be something which keeps the kids amused at Christmas - and parents can happily leave them to play, while pursuing other outdoorsy Muggles type activities.

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