After arriving at the station, we were picked up by a coach and taken to Epping Forrest. As we arrived the rain started to fall, it was definitely set as an eerie, Potter scene. We walked through a darkened trail in the forest along swamps and heavy trees until finally coming upon a clearing. There stood a marquee where the EA Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 event would take place. There was an open bar and some XBOX 360 playing stations/pods set up on the side lines. There was also a table presentation of Harry Potter action figures and toys from TOMY that are soon to be released.

There was a presentation area with a stage and a giant screen where the trailer to the game was shown (the one we've seen on the internet). Then Jonathan Bunney (executive producer) was introduced and he gave a brief introduction to the game saying how this game differed from previous installments since the setting was completely outside of Hogwarts and Harry was being hunted by everyone. He stated that this game installment has probably ten times the action of previous ones, it's much darker and he mentioned how the core audience for the games/movies has changed since most had grown up with the series so that now it was more geared towards a young adult market.

The game will be released on various platforms (Wii, XBox Kinect, PC, DS). The game also includes multiple forms of gameplay: there is a general game play (linear- storyline) and challenge game play (four different ways to play small challenges such as time trials, stealth, battles and timed attacks). Then we were told to mingle and get to know the game by playing on the pods/stations with EA staff.

From my experience at the XBOX pod/station: The game feels different from previous ones, as the challenge modes are very exciting to play. These are great for times when you don't want to get into the full storyline but want to either have a challenge (times and/or points) versus your previous scores or against your flatmates, etc. You can also post these scores against people online (league boards).

There is no map in the game (like before where we had the Marauders Map), Harry is in an unknown world and so are we, although he does have the invisibility cloak which helps in stealth missions (in one for example you mustn't get discovered at the ministry whilst trying to find Umbridge's office). I play games often and still found these quite challenging and fun, I particularly enjoyed the battle ones (in one I had to defeat 20 snatchers, couldn't get past 17!). In the linear story mode, which follows the plot of the film, we only get to play as Harry unlike other Potter video game installments.

I also got to play the Nintendo DS version of the game, which I greatly enjoyed. If you know someone else with a DS you can play a special combat/challenge mode in which one of you plays as Harry and the other as (dementors/snatchers/Death Eaters- cant remember which). If you're Harry your objective is to move your stylus in such a way that you avoid running into your capturers, if you are the baddies then you are three instead of one Harry and you move them all to try and intersect Harry in the area (think of it as PacMan Harry).

The other mode on the DS is the linear story mode, in which you follow the events of the story (I had to get away from the Death Eaters whilst running away from the Dursleys' house in the side car of Hagrid's bike).

After playing for a while, and watching other people play on the Kinect version of the game (which looks fantastic!), I got in a queue to interview executive producer Jonathan Bunney.

Which of the actors did the voice overs for their game counterparts?
Evanna-Luna
Oliver-George
James-Fred
Rupert-Ron
Warwick-Griphook
No Dan or Emma (their schedules were too busy)

All the actors were motion captured however, doing facial movements, etc. so the actions of the characters are what the actors facial expressions were when acting.

When did the actors voice overs take place? During or after they finished filming Deathly Hallows.

They do two sessions and because all the actors were finishing at different times it's difficult to say, but most have an initial 'bulk' session usually during Deathly Hallows filming time and another 'pick up' session for bits of audio they need to re-do or single lines.

As an example he mentioned lines the characters say in game that are exactly what they say in the movie and then the way they do the delivery of the line (as they did in the film) makes a difference into what they then do in the game (it would change the way they portrayed a certain thing in the game).

Which actors are new?
Griphook.

How was the recording with actors different from the previous instalments?
There was a sense of euphoria mixed with sadness; excitement over reaching the culmination of the series. They've grown up with us (for example people like Rupert Grint who have been with us (EA) for so long from 10yrs old to now) he's been a fantastic supporter of us all along.

He also said that one strange bit that sticks in his mind is that when the preparation for the games is going on, the actors get sent a video with him in it explaining bits of the game and how the format will be. When the actor who plays Fenrir Greyback (Dave Legeno) came in to EA he got off at an elevator on their floor and he recognised him at once and said 'oh you're the guy from the videos!'.

Did any of the actors record their bits together, aside from Fred & George?
No, all separate because of their hectic schedules.

What are the darkest scenes in the game?
Well it's rated 12, so not as gruesome as things may be in the film- obviously Nagini is scary.

Then I asked about whether we see it 'Nagini' coming out of Bathilda?
It is alluded not show because that would be an 18 rating.

How much is Voldemort in the game?
It's part 1 so he's in the beginning and you also feel his presence throughout since he's sending all these people after you 'Harry'; but he's not in it a great deal (they haven't invented bits)

Are there any explorable areas like Malfoy Manor for example?
I have to be careful how I answer because of all our WB embargoes, but yes, probably less exploration than in previous games, but you can still check out rooms at Grimmauld Place for example. I can't say much, but at Godric's Hollow you can go up to gravestones for example and their info shows up on screen (all verified by Jo, etc.)

In one of the presentations you mentioned how there is obviously no Hogwarts, no potions, no Quidditch; will this game be a purely battle game or will there be collecting challenges like the chocolate frogs one or the shields in HBP game?

It's combat very much; there are areas with stealth/invisibility cloak, but yes we do have lots of things to collect. Not sure if I should say but I will anyway (yay, spill please!), one of the things you will be able collect are clips from the wizarding wireless (of Fred and George) segments of them telling you what's going on in the wizarding world. From a fan point of view quite cool (they're quite long and very funny, they're very good and funny actors).