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Inside Mac games has posted a preview of Aspyr's upcoming action-adventure game, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Although the first Harry Potter game was a bit of a disappointment, the second game promises to be a whole lot better.

Here's a clip from the preview:

As in the first game, HPCS is very much a 3rd person platformer. Harry spends a lot of time running, jumping, and climbing as he works his way through various levels, while the camera hovers just behind his head, similar to games such as Tomb Raider. In a nod to the younger crowd, the control scheme is simplified to the point where Harry can simply run into most obstacles in order to climb over them, and grabbing a faraway ledge is as simple as running and jumping at it.

Of course, being of the wizardly persuasion, Harry also has plenty of spells at his disposal. As he's no longer a rank novice, he starts the game fully equipped with several spells that players of the first game should remember, such as Flipendo and Lumos. Spellcasting is accomplished by holding down the mouse button and moving the resulting cursor around the screen. If there's something that Harry can cast a spell on or at, a graphic icon unique to a spell will appear, and releasing the mouse button causes the spell to be cast.

IMG Preview: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Westlake Interactive

Aspyr Media

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Buy Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

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