That's Harry casting the spell, "Kinectaku!"

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I is an unexpected milestone for Kinect: it's the first title to be labelled as "Better with Kinect", rather than the usual "Kinect Sensor Required" tag on the box.

Whilst the main game is playable with a regular controller, the Kinect-specific content comes in the form of 22 challenges in which you make particular gestures to perform tricks, with no voice commands necessary. 10 of the challenges are playable in co-op mode with a partner, and there are dedicated online leaderboards for the Kinect modes too.

There's a handy FAQ below that should fill in most of the blanks. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I casts its shadowy spell over North America today and reaches Europe on Friday.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE KINECT MODE

What hardware do you need?
You can play the story mode with an Xbox 360 (without Kinect). You will need the Kinect Sensor to play the Kinect challenges.

Is it multi-player?
You can play Kinect challenges as single-player or two-player co-op, playing as Harry, Ron or Hermione.

How does single-player work?
You use gestures and poses to cast spells and throw combat potions, to defeat the deadly opponents that stand in your way.

How does two-player work?
In the two-player co-op mode, two people fight side-by-side to overcome the enemies. It's great fun, and can be quite competitive.

How does Kinect work? Does the Sensor read my hands, my arms or my entire body?
Kinect initially looks for your body and maps a skeleton to it. It then specifically reads your arm and body gestures to enable spell casting, and is constantly tracking your skeleton throughout the game.

Does Kinect use sound? Do you need to shout Stupefy?
The Kinect technology can pick up sound but for the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 videogame, the team chose to focus on physical gesture casting which fits in with the fiction.

What spells can you cast?
Stupefy, Protego, Confringo, Expelliarmus and Expulso. Each mission has different spells available to the player.

How do potions work?
You can throw Exploding Potions at enemies, which explode on impact.

How many challenges are there?
22

What are they?
There are 12 single-player challenges and 10 two-player challenges, such as Survive the Death Eater Attack at The Burrow and Defeat all Enemies in a Snatcher Camp.

Are there achievements?
Yes, there are achievements linked with the Kinect mode.

Are there online leaderboards?
Yes, there are dedicated online Kinect leaderboards, accessed via Xbox LIVE.