Hogwarts castle light show at the Universal Studio Beijing Resort Photo:VCG

A Harry Potter-themed mobile phone game has become a hit in the Chinese market following its launch on Thursday, with millions of players posting pictures of the Hogwarts castle and Sorting Hat on social media. But not all fans are satisfied, as some found the setting of the game had distorted the essence of the original novel. 

"Harry Potter Magic Awakened" is a game produced by NetEase and fans can try the Sorting Hat to see which of the four houses one belongs to, team up for potion and other classes, explore the wizarding world and compete for the House Cup. 

The design of the game impressed many, who left comments like "Finally admitted to Gryffindor" or "I knew I am a real Slytherin, I knew it." 

The gamer's offer is not delivered by an owl, but by Hagrid — exactly how Harry received his offer. And instead of encountering the Weasleys, the gamers meet Harry Potter at the 9 ¾ platform, who then offers advice about Hogwarts life. 

Harry Potter fans can find lots of memories inside the game, but some are disappointed that the Sorting Hat did not choose a house via a small questionnaire as is the case at Pottermore, but rather randomly sends gamers to Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. 

Photo: Screenshot of download site for Harry Potter Magic Awakened

Many gamers also said the producer only appropriated certain elements to make another game to encourage players to spend more money. 

"I've played NetEase's Onmyoji, which encouraged players to spend lots of money and time on the game. The new game was like Onmyoji at Hogwarts and I got bored very soon," a mobile game lover called Zhang Chuchu told the Global Times on Friday.

Another fan said some settings in the game run counter to the essence of the novels written by British author J.K. Rowling. 

There were three unforgivable curses in the Harry Potter world - Cruciatus, which causes unbearable pain, Imperius, which allows the user to control the actions of the victim, and Avada Kedavra, that causes instant death. 

But in the game, the killing curse is an easy-to-get card as long as the gamer is willing to spend a bit of money. 

"The setting ruined the essence of the books. It is unforgivable that something so evil was adapted to a card casually. If so, those struggling for years to fight Voldemort and the sacrifice of so many lives is like a joke," a fan told the Global Times on Friday. 

Photo: Screenshot of download site for Harry Potter Magic Awakened

Another gamer was dissatisfied, saying getting the card "makes me feel admitted not to Hogwarts, but to Azkaban prison." 

But despite the complaints, 15 million people signed up the day before the launch of the Chinese game on Thursday.  

If the game wants to keep attracting players, some of the scenes will not be enough to persuade people to stay, some industry observers said.