Previous Potter titles have included virtual recreations of the mysterious school, but all of them pale in comparison to this one. In this game, Hogwarts is absolutely, positively enormous and you can walk or climb in most directions, whether that means traveling to the Gryffindor Common Room and beyond to don Harry's invisible cloak or to the Grand Staircase, Dungeon Corridor, Clock Tower, Viaduct, or even Hagrid's Hut.

These locations look more life-like than they ever have before and there are absolutely no load times separating walkways or rooms, a real feat given the scope of the world. This latter truth means that the entire school feels like one connected entity and not a series of rooms linked together by load screens. However, the completely streaming world does not arrive without any drawbacks. Unfortunately, the fluidity of the entire package is sluggish; this latest Potter runs between 20 and 30 frames per second and the motion is sometimes inconsistent.

The bigger problem is that despite the gargantuan make-up of the world and all the storylines the game juggles, you will too often find yourself on some random fetch quest. To the developer's credit, these quests are usually more interesting than the norm, but they aren't very original.

The dialogue is generally well delivered and the story-driven cinematics are well choreographed. However, for some unexplainable reason, the transitions from gameplay to cut-scene are jumpy and jarring, which is unfortunate. As the storyline advances, you will see that major book and movie plot points are mirrored within the game and you will eventually be able to play as the Weasley brothers, Sirius Black and even as Dumbledore as he fights Voldemort.

For me, this is one of those games whose faults are ultimately lesser than its strengths. I actually do sometimes become frustrated with the camera or the fact that my Marauder's Map footprints clumsily lead Harry, Ron and Hermione to some locations, but I find myself having a lot of fun with the complete package anyway. As a fan of the franchise, the school that EA has created is intoxicating, and you will want to explore its every nook and cranny, a feat that would surely take Dumbledore himself a considerable amount of time. I've rated The Order of the Phoenix 7.8 on Wii because it is a good game with some issues, but I suspect die-hard fans will be able to look past the inadequacies and embrace the accomplishments. If you like Harry Potter at all, give it a try.