HARRY POTTER: DEATH EATERS RISING
Designers: Patrick Marino, Andrew Wolf
When thewizarding world meets the cube clearing Pandemic, Harry Potter: Death Eaters Rising is born. It would be very tempting to disregard this game as a cash grab, which overly relies on the core area-control and areamanagement mechanics that sees the Pandemic series still going strong. And an argument can be made in support of that statement.
The Ministry of Magic, Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley are under attack by Voldemort and his Death Eaters, corrupting locations (i.e adding bad cubes to the area) with each onslaught. Sound familiar? Players work together as members of The Order of the Phoenix, Hogwarts and Dumbledore’s army, to capture Death Eaters, clear corruption and defeat Voldemort. The theme of the licence just about fits the gameplay, but its seams can be easily spotted.
Yet, a couple of rounds into Death Eater Rising and the scepticism dissipates. The original criticisms are still there but fade away as you’re busy having fun with the game. The mixture of character abilities and dice rolling create fluid gameplay that is shaped by player decisions. Luck averse players can pick characters that can manipulate dice outcomes, while others can go for a bigger dice pool or abilities that combo for more high risk, high reward actions per turn. The game is still tough, but even though the bad guys hit hard, victory against the Death Eaters and Voldemort feels achievable.
Of course, the love for the universe plays a part: for fans of the franchise, it is hard not to rush to save Sirius in the Ministry of Magic from the next Death Eater attack. Even if parts of Death Eater Rising can feel derivative, the character power synergies elevate the gameplay, mixing strategy, luck and a dash of nostalgia to make an enjoyable experience.
ALEX SONECHKINA