AFTER its tongue-in-cheek parodies of Star Wars, Batman and Indiana Jones, LEGO has decided to train its comedy guns on J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels.
AFTER its tongue-in-cheek parodies of Star Wars, Batman and Indiana Jones, LEGO has decided to train its comedy guns on J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels.
As you’d expect, Years 1-4 is based on the first four books in the series and follows Harry during his formative years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Key events from all four books and films have been lovingly re-created using LEGO-styled characters and Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest of the gang must travel through the game solving puzzles, casting spells and collecting various items.
While it’s tempting to play as Harry all the time, it’s necessary to swap between characters to solve some of the more complex puzzles. With 140plus playable characters squeezed into the game, it often feels like one big costume party, but Potter fans will lap up the attention to detail. And yes, before you ask, you can play as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named later on in the game.
Once a charming intro sequence has finished, the game begins with a fresh-faced Harry enrolling at Hogwarts. To make any sort of progress, you have to attend lessons, learn new spells and complete simple challenges that, in turn, open up different areas of the school for you to explore. In no time at all, you’ll be lifting blocks of LEGO into the air with a wave of your magic wand, flying around on a broomstick, turning fellow students into frogs, shooting electrical bolts at Slytherin and getting up to all sorts of mischief. Everything unfolds at a breakneck pace, but it’s worth taking your time to explore every nook and cranny as each level is stuffed with hidden areas, secret passageways and bonus items.
With an emphasis on collecting and exploring, rather than combat, LEGO Harry Potter is a game the entire family can enjoy together, especially as it incorporates a co-op mode so a second player can join in whenever they want. In our opinion, smashing bricks, casting spells and solving puzzles has never been so much fun.
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Price: �44.99
Format: Xbox 360 (also PS3, PC, Wii, DS)
Age rating: 7+
Score: 4/5 stars
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