Review: Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4
by Sean Meakin-Bolderston | Wednesday 22nd July 2010
The Review
When Lego Harry Potter was first announced, I distinctly remember the first thought that jumped immediately into my head, it was 'F***ing
hell, they're making ANOTHER?!', and this was all due to the previous games in the franchise, and, when I say previous games in the
franchise, I am, of course, referring to Lego Batman, in the main at least.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love the Lego games, I find them charming and good all-round fun, but they have the problem that the games tend to become repetitive, the gameplay is too similar. So, when I inserted my Lego Harry Potter disk, I sat there expecting the game to have the same formula, to be just another game using the same dynamics, the same style. Oh how wrong I was.
I don't know about you, but I've seen the Harry Potter stories at least 60,000 times since they came out, so I knew that I had to sit through the story again, but this was no big deal. As I had thought, the story is the same, but what's excellent about it is the way the story is told. The original stories rely so much on speech, and to see Lego carry off the same using only hand signs, facial expressions and Lego bricks is fantastic. Then, the use of Lego as items just makes you laugh, like Dobby's sock, or should I say Dobby's square piece of plastic with a sock decal. Not comfy to wear, but very good for freeing your house-elf.
The gameplay remains pretty much the same as it used to be, obviously with the added features carried with the use of magic in the game, and this is where we hit the first major flaw. When you go near a few items that can be targeted by the main spell (which, 90% of the time is Wingardium Leviosa), the targeting system goes a bit haywire, and has problems locking on to the one thing you actually want to use the magic on, but even this has a fix, you can simply hold square and target it manually, eliminating the problem, I'm just too lazy to see that as a simply method.
Since there are many spells featured within the game, the use of a spell wheel is implemented, which can be quickly switched through by using the L1/R1 buttons, or you can hold down triangle and select your spells using the right analog stick. If you decide to purchase additional spells from Diagon Alley (which is this games equivalent of the Mos Eisley Cantina from Lego Star Wars), the hub of everything relating to your game, they all collect together into one slot, and, when this particular spell slot is selected, the spells rapidly switch around, which can cause problems, especially when a particular spell is needed, such as the transfiguration spell (technical name, I'm sure), you have to time it right to make sure you hit that spell in the oscillation, either that or spam the circle button until dumb luck helps you out.
Potion making is another integral component of the game. Throughout, you will have to make certain potions to advance in the level, and they will all do different things, some will make you stronger, some will cause explosions and some will transform you into Crabbe and Goyle. I know what you're thinking, but not every game can be all fun. Additionally, if you get the potion wrong, which, since the ingredients you need orbit the rim in such a way that you would have to be ignorant of the screen to NOT know the ingredients, would be difficult, the potion will go wrong, and most of the time will turn you into a frog. Bad times. Upside is that a princess might kiss you, but more than likely she will throw a stick at you and run away screaming.
Like previous Lego games before it, there are certain items that you have to collect throughout the level that will grant you gold bricks, which provide a pathway to ultimate 100% success. In this game, there are much more opportunities to gain these gold bricks, as I will describe now. Firstly, there is True Wizard, a title which can be achieved throughout each level by collecting studs, and, when you reach a certain stud total, you will attain True Wizard, which is worth one gold brick. The studs in the game remain the same, Silver Studs are worth 10, Gold Studs are worth 100, Blue Studs are worth 1,000, and Purple Studs are worth 10,000. Something worth pointing out is that, if you unlock a particular red brick, the 'Ghost Studs' that are used to guide you around the castle will also be worth 1,000, which is particularly generous.
Also, gold bricks can be achieved by rescuing students who have gotten themselves into a spot of bother (like getting wrapped up in a tapestry), which is handily dubbed as 'Student in Peril', and you will also collect four pieces of the House Crest, which can be found by entering secret areas, or completing various mini-tasks. These gold bricks then allow you to enter a fun mini-game when you go into Gringotts Bank.
Since the Hogwarts is a huge place (trust me, I've been there), Traveller's Tales had to improve the overall level design, and, let me tell you, it's fantastic. Anywhere that you've seen in the games is represented, and in good quality. In fact, I believe that seeing the locations made out of Lego pieces increases the charm of the entire game, since it just feels a lot more...child-like, but in a good way, like when you watch a TV show from your youth and get nostalgic, as opposed to when you sit watching the latest episode of Dora the Explorer just because you like it, which is weird if you're over the age of 10.
The multiplayer mode is probably the best aspect of the game, however the technology behind it is imported from Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues. This isn't a problem for me though, since the system is seamless, I see no reason to change it. If you are unfamiliar with the system, when the two players are in proximity to each other, then the entire screen is one, with no split, just showing both characters. However, if you both begin to stray, say one person is hell bent on collecting studs, and the other just fancies messing around in The Leaky Cauldron's walking chair, and then screen splits, and shows one character per screen, with the transition being seamless. Just like magic.
Overall, I think that Lego Harry Potter is one of the best Lego games to come out for a while, a delightful reboot to the franchise that keeps the old formula going, and adds more to it, keeping it evolving. The characters are funny and charming, the story is retold in a fantastic way, and, in many ways, I think this game exceeds the quality of the actual Harry Potter games, it's just more fun, and you can play with the whole family, which is good since the kids can play the boring characters. In short, Lego Harry Potter is fantastic, and I think you should buy it. Buy it now.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love the Lego games, I find them charming and good all-round fun, but they have the problem that the games tend to become repetitive, the gameplay is too similar. So, when I inserted my Lego Harry Potter disk, I sat there expecting the game to have the same formula, to be just another game using the same dynamics, the same style. Oh how wrong I was.
I don't know about you, but I've seen the Harry Potter stories at least 60,000 times since they came out, so I knew that I had to sit through the story again, but this was no big deal. As I had thought, the story is the same, but what's excellent about it is the way the story is told. The original stories rely so much on speech, and to see Lego carry off the same using only hand signs, facial expressions and Lego bricks is fantastic. Then, the use of Lego as items just makes you laugh, like Dobby's sock, or should I say Dobby's square piece of plastic with a sock decal. Not comfy to wear, but very good for freeing your house-elf.
The gameplay remains pretty much the same as it used to be, obviously with the added features carried with the use of magic in the game, and this is where we hit the first major flaw. When you go near a few items that can be targeted by the main spell (which, 90% of the time is Wingardium Leviosa), the targeting system goes a bit haywire, and has problems locking on to the one thing you actually want to use the magic on, but even this has a fix, you can simply hold square and target it manually, eliminating the problem, I'm just too lazy to see that as a simply method.
Since there are many spells featured within the game, the use of a spell wheel is implemented, which can be quickly switched through by using the L1/R1 buttons, or you can hold down triangle and select your spells using the right analog stick. If you decide to purchase additional spells from Diagon Alley (which is this games equivalent of the Mos Eisley Cantina from Lego Star Wars), the hub of everything relating to your game, they all collect together into one slot, and, when this particular spell slot is selected, the spells rapidly switch around, which can cause problems, especially when a particular spell is needed, such as the transfiguration spell (technical name, I'm sure), you have to time it right to make sure you hit that spell in the oscillation, either that or spam the circle button until dumb luck helps you out.
Game Images
Potion making is another integral component of the game. Throughout, you will have to make certain potions to advance in the level, and they will all do different things, some will make you stronger, some will cause explosions and some will transform you into Crabbe and Goyle. I know what you're thinking, but not every game can be all fun. Additionally, if you get the potion wrong, which, since the ingredients you need orbit the rim in such a way that you would have to be ignorant of the screen to NOT know the ingredients, would be difficult, the potion will go wrong, and most of the time will turn you into a frog. Bad times. Upside is that a princess might kiss you, but more than likely she will throw a stick at you and run away screaming.
Like previous Lego games before it, there are certain items that you have to collect throughout the level that will grant you gold bricks, which provide a pathway to ultimate 100% success. In this game, there are much more opportunities to gain these gold bricks, as I will describe now. Firstly, there is True Wizard, a title which can be achieved throughout each level by collecting studs, and, when you reach a certain stud total, you will attain True Wizard, which is worth one gold brick. The studs in the game remain the same, Silver Studs are worth 10, Gold Studs are worth 100, Blue Studs are worth 1,000, and Purple Studs are worth 10,000. Something worth pointing out is that, if you unlock a particular red brick, the 'Ghost Studs' that are used to guide you around the castle will also be worth 1,000, which is particularly generous.
Also, gold bricks can be achieved by rescuing students who have gotten themselves into a spot of bother (like getting wrapped up in a tapestry), which is handily dubbed as 'Student in Peril', and you will also collect four pieces of the House Crest, which can be found by entering secret areas, or completing various mini-tasks. These gold bricks then allow you to enter a fun mini-game when you go into Gringotts Bank.
Since the Hogwarts is a huge place (trust me, I've been there), Traveller's Tales had to improve the overall level design, and, let me tell you, it's fantastic. Anywhere that you've seen in the games is represented, and in good quality. In fact, I believe that seeing the locations made out of Lego pieces increases the charm of the entire game, since it just feels a lot more...child-like, but in a good way, like when you watch a TV show from your youth and get nostalgic, as opposed to when you sit watching the latest episode of Dora the Explorer just because you like it, which is weird if you're over the age of 10.
The multiplayer mode is probably the best aspect of the game, however the technology behind it is imported from Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues. This isn't a problem for me though, since the system is seamless, I see no reason to change it. If you are unfamiliar with the system, when the two players are in proximity to each other, then the entire screen is one, with no split, just showing both characters. However, if you both begin to stray, say one person is hell bent on collecting studs, and the other just fancies messing around in The Leaky Cauldron's walking chair, and then screen splits, and shows one character per screen, with the transition being seamless. Just like magic.
Overall, I think that Lego Harry Potter is one of the best Lego games to come out for a while, a delightful reboot to the franchise that keeps the old formula going, and adds more to it, keeping it evolving. The characters are funny and charming, the story is retold in a fantastic way, and, in many ways, I think this game exceeds the quality of the actual Harry Potter games, it's just more fun, and you can play with the whole family, which is good since the kids can play the boring characters. In short, Lego Harry Potter is fantastic, and I think you should buy it. Buy it now.
Overall Score:
8.8