''Book of Potions'' (or ''Wonderbook: Book of Potions'') is an augmented reality video game developed by
London Studio
London Studio is a British video game developer based in London. Founded in 2002, it is a first-party studio for PlayStation Studios. The studio was most known for developing the '' SingStar'' series, as well as games for PlayStation's exter ...
in conjunction with
J. K. Rowling
Joanne Rowling ( "rolling"; born 31 July 1965), also known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author and philanthropist. She wrote ''Harry Potter'', a seven-volume children's fantasy series published from 1997 to 2007. The ser ...
and
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE; also known as Warner Bros. Games or WB Games) is an American video game publisher based in Burbank, California, and part of the newly-formed Global Streaming and Interactive Entertainment unit of ...
as a companion to the ''
Harry Potter'' series and as a follow-up to the
Wonderbook's debut title, ''
Book of Spells''. It was released in Europe on 15 November 2013
and North America on 12 November 2013, alongside ''
Diggs Nightcrawler'' and ''
Walking with Dinosaurs
''Walking with Dinosaurs'' is a 1999 six-part nature documentary television miniseries created by Tim Haines and produced by the BBC Science Unit the Discovery Channel and BBC Worldwide, in association with TV Asahi, ProSieben and France 3. Envi ...
''.
Story
The Book of
Potion
A potion () is a liquid "that contains medicine, poison, or something that is supposed to have magic powers.” It derives from the Latin word ''potus'' which referred to a drink or drinking. The term philtre is also used, often specifically ...
s was written somewhen in the 16th century by Zygmunt Budge, an exceptionally talented potioneer who, after leaving
Hogwarts
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry () is a fictional Scotland, Scottish boarding school of Magic in Harry Potter, magic for students aged eleven to eighteen, and is the primary setting for the first six books in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Pot ...
at the age of 14, moved to the
Outer Hebridean island of
Hermetray
Hermetray ( gd, Theàrnatraigh) is an uninhabited island off North Uist, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
Geography and geology
Hermetray lies in the Sound of Harris on the edge of the Minch. It is on the south side of the sound although it ...
where he lived alone, continuing his potioneering studies.
Approximately 500 years after his death, a Hogwarts student somehow comes into possession of the Book of Potions, finding that some of Zygmunt's personality lives on within its pages. Under his tutelage, the student begins their ascent to potioneering mastery. After successfully brewing an introductory boil-curing potion for Zygmunt's house elf, the student finds that they have somehow been entered into the Wizarding Schools Potions Championship, a septennial contest between students from magic schools across the globe.
With Zygmunt's help, the student brews various potions to overcome the obstacles standing between them and the Golden Cauldron, which, after brewing and imbibing Zygmunt's self-proclaimed finest work, Felix Felicis, they successfully obtain. Having done so, the student earns the right to use the cauldron to brew a new potion all their own. After finding some exceptionally rare ingredients, the student brews a potion which is revealed to be the "Potion of All Potential", which enables its drinker to reach their highest capability.
Zygmunt initially comes off as warped and slightly mad, thinking of little but the Golden Cauldron, but, as the student's potioneering skills improve, he finds himself warming to them, eventually revealing exactly why he left Hogwarts: as a student, Zygmunt asked the headmaster if he could enter the Wizarding Schools Potions Championship despite being three years below the minimum age for entry, but he was denied, being told that it was too dangerous. Unable to accept this, Zygmunt immediately left the school in protest, which disabled him from entering the Championship even once he had come of age.
Once the student wins the golden cauldron, Zygmunt's spirit finds itself at peace, and he congratulates them wholeheartedly for both obtaining it and brewing the Potion of All Potential. Saying that he'll no longer cause trouble for anyone else, he leaves the student to meet their "adoring public".
Gameplay
''Book of Potions'' is almost identical to ''Book of Spells'' in terms of gameplay; the
PlayStation Eye
The PlayStation Eye (trademarked PLAYSTATION Eye) is a digital camera device, similar to a webcam, for the PlayStation 3. The technology uses computer vision and gesture recognition to process images taken by the camera. This allows players to i ...
renders the book and its effects while the
PlayStation Move
is a motion game controller developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Initially released in 2010 for use with the PlayStation 3 home video game console, its compatibility was later expanded to its successor, the PlayStation 4 in 2013, its Pla ...
controller acts as a wand, as well as other instruments, such as a knife for chopping ingredients and a spoon for stirring the contents of a cauldron.
Like its predecessor, the game begins with the player choosing one of the four
Hogwarts houses
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry () is a fictional Scottish boarding school of magic for students aged eleven to eighteen, and is the primary setting for the first six books in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series and serves as a ma ...
and one of three wands. Alternatively, if the player has a Pottermore account, they can log into it through the game and the choices will be made automatically to reflect those made on the Pottermore website.
The game consists of seven chapters, each focussing on a particular potion. Each chapter follows roughly the same structure: an introduction to the potion and its effect(s), gathering ingredients, brewing the potion, a short story related to the potion (which features some multiple-choice fill-in-the-blank interactivity), and, finally, using the potion to advance in the Wizarding Schools Potion Championship.
Finding certain hidden creatures during the gathering of ingredients will unlock those ingredients in the Concoctions mode, where the player can freely experiment and create custom potions by combining up to four of any of their gathered ingredients.
Reception
In a joint review with ''
Walking with Dinosaurs
''Walking with Dinosaurs'' is a 1999 six-part nature documentary television miniseries created by Tim Haines and produced by the BBC Science Unit the Discovery Channel and BBC Worldwide, in association with TV Asahi, ProSieben and France 3. Envi ...
'', ''
Telegraph
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...
'' writer Andy Robertson (who also reviewed ''
Diggs Nightcrawler'') gave the game a positive review, noting the increased interaction with the Wonderbook itself compared to ''
Book of Spells'', as well as clearer signposting helping to make progression easier and more instinctive.
References
External links
PlayStation UK pagePottermore page
{{Portal bar, Video games
2013 video games
Fantasy video games
Harry Potter video games
London Studio games
PlayStation 3 games
PlayStation 3-only games
PlayStation Move-compatible games
Single-player video games
Sony Interactive Entertainment games
Video games developed in the United Kingdom
Wonderbook games