Not a spell challenge but I have a soft spot for Dumbledore’s office in Chamber of Secrets on the PC. I’d love to browse the books and chill there. The colours in these first 2 games are amazing. They add so much to the magic feeling of these games.

@PhilOfGlimmer

2 жыл бұрын

Honestly my favourite section in any game ever of all time

The first three PC Harry potter games were just heavenly atmospheric. I'm with you here about Lumus being the best level, in Chamber of Secrets my favourite was the Spongify challenge, and in the third the Lapifors/Draconifors challenge. EDIT: rewatching this video, I also gotta praise Chanber of Secrets for developing Lumos even further by also allowing it to reveal hidden passages and redesigning the platforms to be actualy solid assets with a very low opacity and the glowing effect on the edges, it makes it much easier to tell how big and far is the platform. And the Forbidden Forest was such a delightful level where they decided to make Lumus "permanent" in that level.

I simply love the aesthetic of this level for me when I was a kid it was truly the definition of magical

One night as a kid I was dreaming of the Lumos challenge level while experiencing growing pains in my left arm. There were no Lumos spell effects or candles in my dream, just the cool grays of stone and blue lighting. My guess is that the pain influenced my sleeping mind to go somewhere cold to numb the pain akin to pressing an icepack on a bruise.

This version of Hogwarts truly feels like home. The visual design and the music are just perfect.

The first flipendo challenge always really stuck with me for some reason, probably because it's both my first big introduction to the game's almost mystifying design, and potentially my first introduction to games as a whole. Especially the floating platform jumping at the end, it ended up being both intriguing to young me and Insanely anxiety inducing. Especially the ghosts taunting you. Wouldn't change it ever

There's a window close to the end where you can see small particles of dust flying on the sunlight, and when i was playing, i remember stopping there for a moment to appreciate that nice little detail.

Oh my god, I love this level so much, it's definitely one of my favorite levels in both the 1st and the 2nd games for PC It's so dark, mysterious, very fitting for the kind of spell we're learning, but ultimately, not very dangerous at all, actually. There's just Peeves and a couple of Doxies; the Herbology level and Hagrid levels in the same game were probably more dangerous, not to mention the FILCH

Always thought Lumos Challenge was mysterious and strangely calming, Remember being afraid to play this portion of game because of Peeves, Would have been cool to see Peeves make an appearance in the movies.

Honestly, that got me curious. For me the most memorable thing about Lumos challenge is that unobtainable star* locked behind the gate in a room next to Peeves boss fight area... and maybe one soft locking glitch. *EDIT: Nevermind.

6:27: Wait, that part is actually accessible in the final game?! For a while I thought it was just a leftover from the chaotic developement: like originally that star at the center of that circular room was going to be in that locked room and opened by Peeves after he is defeated. But that also makes sense, considering the second entry. Anyway, very interesting video. My favourite level from this game is road to Hagrid's tut, mostly for the nature theme and beautyful and challenging secret areas.

@PMate001

2 жыл бұрын

That's a new secret for me too. Unbelieveable how this game is able to suprise us even after all these years.

@Ajzan1

2 жыл бұрын

@@PMate001 I probably would have discovered this sooner if I had enabled debug mode, like I did in CoS and thus discovered one obscure secret here too.

@leeserina

Жыл бұрын

i didn't know that either, and now i am wondering why quirrell still awarded 20 points for collecting "all stars" even though i never collected that one and thus definitely did not get all...

Channels like this are what I like about KZread. The theme is quite niche and not a lot of people are ready to dive into details of some videogames for children that were made 20 years ago - but those who are ready do it with passion. Thank you and wish you a happy new year!

One of my first gaming memories is playing this game. You articulate what made this game feel magical so well. It's a shame the light platforms were not part of the second game, but they found different ways to make platforming fun. I think the first two games really captured the magic of Hogwarts in their own unique way making them unforgettable. I wonder were the devs are now; hopefully they're doing great things somewhere. As a side note, for some reason the first one always seemed more mysterious to me. What do you think?

having played this game as a child you never truly appreciate the depth of such things at the time but your dive into the inspiration for the levels architecture was truly awesome !

From what I'm reading it seems that myself and many others was thinking about it the same thing about that one star and chest locked behind the gate. God that made me angry as a kid for not getting that one star.

What I enjoyed the most about this level is all these small soundtrack tunes whenever you enter the next room or when you are running through a small hallway between two rooms. Sends nostalgic shivers down my spine !

This one and the Winguardian Leviosa challenge were my favoriteI from this game. Diffindo in COS and Glacius in POA were my other favorites! I’m also very happy I came across your channel-seeing someone who loves the games as much as I did growing up warms my heart.

I loved this level until I played the game a few times and then realize that it was the level before sneaking through the library. And the library level scared the absolute Jesus out of me. I started to not like the Lumos level after that.

@PhilOfGlimmer

2 жыл бұрын

Omg @ this

Oh my gosh, the nostalgia this brings, and the happiness that some people still take these games so seriously to create such an awesome analysis. To me, Fireseed Caves is the best level in this game in terms of visuals / atmosphere - I really love the cave atmosphere, and the waterfalls. But the best gameplay is in the Library stelth section, those two levels were a lot of run, and really creative. I would love to see more videos covering the HP1-3 PC trilogy, if you ever make those :)

I love the appearance of nearly headless Nick as well as the lost student in this level (I know another student appears in the Incendio challenge as well). I can't really put to words why exactly I think it's so great, but it really brings the game to another level for me, for some strange reason.

@Ajzan1

2 жыл бұрын

I've mixed feelings about these, honestly. On one hand it's nice to see that other students also are doing these challenges and, together with Nick, they are making them like actual parts of the school and not some pocket dimention. On the other, however, aside from stars for house points that don't really matter, they are no different from normal levels and thus seem more like a pointless filler. Because of that I like how they did spell challenges justice in CoS.

i loved this level too, theres something so captivating and immersive about the soundtrack, sound design, the lighting and ambience (that goes for the whole game though i think!). the soft yellow and blue light was really nice and it was also kind of complicated and scary, like the stress of trying to not fall into the abyss was real lmao even at 5 years old. great video!

The first two games feel the best Like, I don't know how to describe them but there's something special about them both The third pc game feels very rushed The 4th is just button mashing with absolutely no open world And the 5th one and further feels just Like, running around and casting spells and doing boring missions for people

Great video, and one of the coolest levels of all the trilogy indeed! And please do an analysis on the Filch levels!

I've always thought of the Lumos, Wingardium Leviosa and Incendium challenges as the most beautiful/comfy ones in all HP games, dunno why. Chamber of Secrets is such a major improvement on Philosopher's Stone in every way yet the first game still wins the cake when it comes to those levels

1:20 Quirrell makes a pun joke here in the finnish version; Lumos is called Valois and he remarks "aika valoisaa" after Harry uses the spell 😆. I really like the sneaking levels and the room where is the Mirror of Erised.

@PhilOfGlimmer

2 жыл бұрын

Oh really, that's fun! What does the joke mean?

I like how you put emphasis on the architecture, such as the chapter houses you see in churches and monasteries. I always like how the gothic style is richly implemented in these games, and I think it's why I love these spaces today, not just because I am a history student!

0:29 haha that got me!

This level, along with the one preceeding it, are probably some of my favorites from the early HP games on PC.

I had a feeling that you were going to make a video about this level, ever since you briefly mentioned the beautiful atmosphere of this level in the "out of bounds secrets in HP&PS" video ! And yeah it is great, thank you!

@PhilOfGlimmer

2 жыл бұрын

Haha you can definitely see into the future! 👀

@Sami-rt7hm

2 жыл бұрын

@@PhilOfGlimmer I guess I can! haha 😁

This Lumos level and some other parts of the game (eg Sneak levels) were eerie and unsettling for me. Darkly lit medieval corridors devoid of other students really give me the sense of forgotten and abandoned sections of the castle. The choice of medieval church architecture with candle-lit alcoves also give it solemn religious vibes. The absence of music and the background low frequency rumble add even more to that feeling of eeriness and abandonment; for me, the musical moments feel dissonant with the overall tone of the level. I guess that we have the KnowWonder developers to thank for making this memorable level, who likely weren’t informed about the cheerful and hopeful tone of the movie, but were nonetheless given the green light by EA. Btw, a custom level inspired by the Lumos challenge also gives the same vibes: kzread.info/dash/bejne/g2GBpctynqmcm6g.html

I also adore the detail put into the building designs in this game. Really makes it stand out.

This video was great! Please make more of these to help me appreciate my favorite games a little more!

Beautiful level, beautiful game in general. I miss it

This reminds me why I love the PC games so much, the console ones may have better gameplay but every spell challenge is set in the same dark dungeon and it gets tiresome after a while

I never really cared for the Lumos challenge as a kid, as an adult, I'm more appreciative of how well designed it is. My favorite level was always the stealth section with Filch. It's probably because I'm a huge fan of stealth in video games and growing up, my older sister could never get past the part where you sneak down from the tower and you have to get past Mrs. Norris jumping on the book cases. So when I passed that part for the first time and encountered the mirror of erised it felt really good. I also really like the level before it which is where you get the potion ingredients and then battle the troll. I think that might be why I overlooked the Lumos challenge because I was rushing it to get to the potions level and the stealth level.

Oh yes, I love when you record videos on the Harry Potter series!

Really cool video, it's kind of crazy to be honest how good the lighting and the graphics in general look here. I used to play this the PS1 version and I always loved that game.

Holy hell I had no idea there was a channel like this out there. I absolutely loved the PC games for Harry Potter 2-4 as a kid, and I picked up the first one online when I was a bit older. I still love the first 3 to this day, with 4 being a bit tricker to truly enjoy but still kinda fun. My favourite challenges have to be Lumos from the first, Spongify from the second and Glacius from the third.

Preach, brother! Dumbledore's office in CoS is also a lovely designed room

The menu music makes me feel safe and happy, every time I hear it.

All right, as much as I love this game and respect the whole team, as a musician I guess it's my duty to share a piece of trivia that had my mind blown when I discovered it... The man who made this soundtrack was Jeremy Soule, better known for the Skyrim soundtrack! I'm not kidding, the guy who made Skyrim's awesome music also scored the first four HP games! And about the Hogwarts theme that plays in this level, you're right on both instruments, the main melody plays on a clarinet (woodwind) while an accompaniment is played on a french horn (brass)!

5:42 The double circular room has candles alcoves right in front of the stained glass windows in the outer room, so I have a feeling those are what is causing the illumination inside the inner circular room. Excellent detail by the devs.

This was such a nice watch, would 100% watch more of these!

The one level which always glitched on the last part just before finishing the level. Damn, these games were so good. There was a certain charm about them, the atmosphere, the music that really immersed the player in

The first two HP games are so nostalgic for me. I thought they looked so real as a kid, lol. I still think they look beautiful. This level in particular is soo good. I'm a fan of this era of 3d, and I kinda want it to make an indie comeback like 2d sprites and some ps1 style games have, lol. Also, this randomly appeared in my feed, so I'm gonna watch some more of your vids. Good stuff. :)

@PhilOfGlimmer

2 жыл бұрын

Pre-baked lighting hits like nothing else❤️

When I first played the game I found a secret behind the circular window by accident! I just stood on the lumos platform and something inside of me didn't let me go. Just like I had to do something, but everything seemed pretty normal. I click the left mouse button just at soo random and the secret revealed. I was SHOOK. But the second secret behind the bars was revealed only many years later. For many years I thought it was just one of those areas that only give the appearance of large Hogwarts but aren't ever accesible. I was watching some gameplay on the KZread and saw that the wall can be opened with Alohomora spell in the previous room and i was like WHAT?? I wonder how many secrets are still left undiscovered...

Nobody asked, everybody needed. You are talking about all the stuff I am usually rambling to my friends about and then they are reacting with "huuuh?". Huge thumbs up! We need more levels analysis!

Dude, I replayed this game last year, but you had me sighing with nostalgia as if I hadn't played it since 2001! My relationship with this level was mixed at first. I was a somewhat cowardly kid, so when I played the game for the first time I was initially scared due to the cavernous interiors and cold lighting. But the calm soundtrack and beautiful architecture soon made me appreciate it a lot. That iconic blueish corridor stayed in my imagination for years!

Thanks for doing such a great job with analyzing this; I always loved how gorgeous and atmospheric the environments in this game were, with their excellent use of color and lighting. I’d love to see you do more reviews of levels from these games!

Lumos exercise reminds me of the cathedral St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague

This kind of lighting and the architecture not only makes the Lumos challenges in Stone PC the best looking, but it's also what keeps me coming back to Chamber of Secrets on PS2 (as that's where I feel its at its best).

Fantastic analysis. Finding the individual parts and bringing them together enhances and reignites the wonderfully magical feel of the level from an aesthetic and mechanical perspective. You can really feel the love from the designers. Not at all shabby for a licensed game. It's interesting you find the level relaxing. I always found its appeal the foreboding tone. Dark intermittent lighting, rushing wind, alone surrounded by little more than cold stone walls, silently watching gargoyles, and of course being suddenly ambushed by Peeves.

@PhilOfGlimmer

Жыл бұрын

Ah yeah I can understand why you'd see it as foreboding too! Thanks for your kind words ❤️

this is absolutely fascinating! the medieval architecture and overall visual design of the early games is one of the biggest nostalgia factors in this series for me and i really enjoyed watching this analysis. the game's visual elements (combined with jeremy soule's immersive music) really made me feel like i was in the castle. looking forward to more!

Greetings from Sweden Phil! I have been binging your videos and I'm really glad I found you channel, great content:)

This video awoke memories I didn't know I still had. Back then I didn't really notice the beauty of that lumos level, but I can certainly appreciate it now. I really enjoyed this game as a child, and even more the Chamber of Secrets on PC. I was obsessed with that game lol.

I agree!!! Lumos is the most beautiful from 1st game! In 2nd game, Riktisempra & Scorge also used dark atmoshpere, but it wasn't nice & elegant like Lumos!!! In 2nd game, my faves were Dumbledore Office & Gold Cards challenge From 3d game, Dragonicos & mini games across Hogwarts 😇🥰🙂

This video made me so happy and nostalgic! Such a beautiful level :)

This video is SO GOOD! How it only has 12k views is beyond me

That was a very good video, I really liked the comparison to the real life architectures. I have to admit it was my favourite level too in this game, it was just perfect. I think the music could have been more continuous however or more frequent at least, because sometimes it was just a bit creepy because of the sudden silences (although I guess it works well with the atmosphere too in an odd way but still) I also really liked the wingardium leviosa outside part. It was a bit bland I know but the music and exploring outside at the top of the castle, too bad it was just a little section of that level. Again great video, I'm looking forward to see similar videos like these 😁

Nice review. I love this level too, especially coming after the most free exploring time you get round Hogwarts- always enjoy this bit!

I have never appreciated this level before. Interesting point of view, thanks!

This video was absolutely poggers bro

One of my favourite levels too, it's soo calming

I liked the level where you had to take norbert to the astronomy tower and sneak pass filch and i noticed where you pass filch in certain areas you can hear the wildlife in the possible forbidden forest/grounds of hogwarts such as werewolves,dogs trullymagical. ✨

That huge blue window in the first hall is so pretty. I have it as my desktop background =)

phil you have excellent taste. this was always my favorite level too

The classic games will always be my favorite.

Thanks Phil this has got me thinking about what areas around a home or a fun nice looking place you go to to add in a game including how you said the Lumos challenge is mostly like a church from the candles, the windows and the way some areas of the way a room in this challenge is set out including adding the picture of a real building of the medieval and churches pictures throughout it it mostly also makes me think a bit about the level Outpost 3J from Unreal 1 because that level is mostly based through a church too

I would love to see videos on the road to Hagrid's hut and the fireseed caves from this game, too. So many pretty caverns that I just loooove.

amazing how this game still looks so good

For the area Peeves surprise boss-fights you in, one of the other sources of light for the double-sided windows might have been the candles now that I look over the section again. Magic (and game designing) might not have been the only source for the lighting given for that specific section.

I hope Cloud Spires from Spyro pops up in a video because that level and music are permanently marked on my mind - especially the minigame with the sun.

My god, This was such a trip down memory lane.

I never knew I needed this video, but my 8 year old self would be very happy. 😌

2:36 is that a photo of lincoln cathedral that you used! Looks highly familiar as i go past it everyday on the bus to town.

@PhilOfGlimmer

2 жыл бұрын

It is! I've actually visited, amazing cathedral! 😁

@G.reviewz

2 жыл бұрын

@@PhilOfGlimmer ohhhh when the sun comes round on the stained glass its fucking gorgeous in there and its always so quiet a nice place to walk around and clear your head in my opinion also the architecture is just mwah!!!! I thought i recognised that photo anyway inused to attend the art college near the cathedral on steep hill so i had to go past it everyday for college XD

This is RTX before RTX.

I also remember that i loved the lumos challenge, it felt very quiet and very nice Same as the dungeons, I loved them even if they scared me when i was a kid, that and professor Sprouts' gardens For some reason they scared me

I always thought this level was so pretty when I was a kid.

This level scared me a bit when I was little 😅

i really liked the hermione lockpicking level, its so pretty and just chill, similar to the lumos one

3:24 I missed it initially... and the no backtracking has always been a PITA (Pain in the ass)

It's me or its PS1 counter parts is a lot better. At the start you get to play the Weasley family farm section and the train chase. But the gameplay in general feels more polished, maybe because it uses the analog for camera relative movement and camera movement and the PC version is like your playing Max Payne.

6:40 plotted against her? That’s one way to put it from the anti-catholic anti-papist perspective of the time. Maybe they were hiding because Elizabeth wouldn’t let them practice their religion in public; Catholics were discriminated against in England for centuries , and what Elizabeth did is an example of that.

@immagonko4261

Жыл бұрын

They did try to kill her several times, so well deserved.

Just so you know, he's using a better-movement mod

How did you get the game to look so GOOD

@PhilOfGlimmer

2 жыл бұрын

Magic 😏✨

do you know how to download this on windows 11

Perhaps a very strange question, but ... is Harry able to walk sideways in the first game? XD some special version of the game?)

@PhilOfGlimmer

Жыл бұрын

Very observant of you! He's not no, I put in a fix someone made that gives him the movement from HP2 PC as its obvs so much better (and makes it look better too!)

@_Tiref

Жыл бұрын

@@PhilOfGlimmer Oh, wow, I didn't even think about the existence of such a thing. It will be necessary to look, because it sounds like an excuse to go through the game again with pleasure :D

@PhilOfGlimmer

Жыл бұрын

@@_Tiref do it! If you find JokerAlex21 video on fixing the first game for PC in the description there is an up to date fix

I cant pass mark on Lumos spell,get 30% maximum,does someone knows whats the problem?

@PhilOfGlimmer

2 жыл бұрын

There seems to be some kinda bug on modern PCs, I'm not sure how to get rid of it though. I remember in the past I was able to do the lessons no problem, then there was a period where I could barely get through them, and now it seems to be ok again, not sure why! :o

so ahhh.IF... lets say if you were to pick... one level...one favorite level... which level from the shrek 2 games would you pick.lol.

@PhilOfGlimmer

2 жыл бұрын

🤮

@FARDEENKHANQWE123

2 жыл бұрын

@@PhilOfGlimmer you knew somebody would asks,now didn't you.

Hey, I tried to join your Discord server, but the link expired. Could we get a new one soon?

@PhilOfGlimmer

2 жыл бұрын

Ah yes, thanks for letting me know! I'll get it sorted

@PhilOfGlimmer

2 жыл бұрын

Ok it should be back again now, let me know if it works

Like everyone in this comment section, this is undoubtly my favorite challenge in the entire Hp game franchise.

Please stop with the loud as hell sounds! It annoys me so much and hurts my ears :(