Harry Potter and The Order Of The Phoenix [Multi-platform]
By Joshua Ostroff

If you think it’s been hard for the filmmakers to keep the Harry Potter formula fresh through five iterations, imagine how hard it has been for the game developers, who can’t rely on Alan Rickman or Imax 3D for support. So Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix, the first Potter game on the current consoles, finally takes a new approach. Yes, you still have to attend classes and go on endless (and, more often than not, mundane) fetch quests but rather than a linear, action-based adventure like its predecessors, the new game uses a sandbox-style set-up, with a brilliantly recreated Hogwarts as its centre. Borrowing the actual blueprints from the movie, the expansive boarding school comes to obsessively detailed life with plentiful ghosts, rival classmates, talking portraits, house elves and mobile staircases. Exploring the campus’s nooks and crannies (with the aide of your trusty Marauder’s Map, of course) is by far the best part of the game and a genuine treat for franchise fans, even if the storytelling suffers from the non-linear nature. Though to be fair, the fifth novel is somewhat meandering and much of the bureaucracy-based plot doesn’t lend itself to fast-paced game play. Plus, be real, if you’re even contemplating playing this you already know what happens. The other big evolution is in spell casting. Button-mashing has been replaced by “gesture-based” controls — on the 360 version that means moving the right analogue stick in specific patterns but on the Wii edition, the motion-sensitive controller allows you to actually wave the Wii-mote like a wand and deliver an expelliarmus spell with a flick of your wrist. Which is about as close to magic as this series has gotten yet. (Warner)
Crush [PSP]
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer [Multi-platform]
Overlord [PC / Xbox 360]
Project Sylpheed: Arc of Deception [Xbox 360]
Project Sylpheed: Arc of Deception [Xbox 360]
Vampire Rain [Xbox 360]
Grizzly Bear - Vogue Theatre, Vancouver, BC October 14
Before the release of 2009's Veckatimest, Grizzly Bear stood at a career watershed of sorts. Critical darlings without much mainstream success, they could very well have continued in the direction set with 2007's Friend EP and become perennial indie overachievers, in the vein of the Li... Full Review
Hostage Life - Centre Of The Universe
It's unfortunate the words "maturity" and "growth" are stigmas in the world of punk rock. They would be the perfect descriptors for Toronto, ON-based Hostage Life's tertiary release. Maintaining the adage that a band never realize their true potential until their third album, the quintet prove thems... Full Review
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant Dir. by Paul Weitz
In an interesting twist of Hollywood fate, Chris and Paul Weitz have entered the final stretch of 2009 each in control of a major vampire franchise built from the pages of popular young adult fiction.

From one half of the brotherly team who brought us American Pie and About ... Full Review
Social Networking
• Be our friend on MySpace
• Be our fan on Facebook
• Tweet us on twitter
Viewing the September 2007 Issue: • Contents Page • News • Click Hear • Articles --> On the Cover  •  Front Five  •  Points  •  Questionnaire  •  Release Dates  •  Research  •  Timeline  •  Videogames  •  Web Exclusives • Music Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Aggressive Tendencies  •  Beats & Rhymes  •  Destination Out  •  Frequencies  •  Groove  •  No Future  •  Pop Rocks  •  Wood, Wires & Whiskey  •  Concert Reviews • Motion Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Dvd Reviews  •  Film Reviews  •  Music DVD Reviews  •  Videogame Reviews • Music School --> Label Life  •  Meet & Greet  •  Need to Know  •  What I Play • Contests • Contact --> About Us  • Advertising  • Distribution  • Getting Reviewed  • Getting Published  • Letters To The Editor  • Partnerships  • Subscriptions • Exclaim! Radio --> Aggressive Tendencies Radio  • Beats & Rhymes Radio  • Frequencies Radio  • Destination Out Radio  • Groove Radio  • No Future Radio  • Pop Rocks Radio  • Wood, Wires & Whiskey Radio • Exclaim! TV • Home & Latest Issue • Browse Issues