One night, while watching TV with Norm, a commercial for the LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 game came on. When the commercial was over I turned to Norm and said, “I don’t get it.” “Get what?” he asked. “Get the whole LEGO game thing.” I responded. We talked about it until our show came back on and he seemed to have some valid points but I still didn’t get it. The next day when I got home from work, a package was on my doorstep and inside it was a review copy of the LEGO Harry Potter game. “I guess I’ll find out.” I said to myself out loud.
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is a game based quite obviously on the first four years of the Harry Potter series which encompasses “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”, “Chamber of Secrets”, “Prisoner of Azkaban”, and “Goblet of Fire”. The game can be played as a single player game or as a co-op game either locally or through Xbox Live. We decided to play the entire game in co-op mode, one reason why it took so long to get this review out. The last few weeks, trying to find a few hours when we were together made it difficult for long marathon sessions or even a consistent amount of play. Since our site is about couples and gaming, we wanted to offer a slightly different review format. Both of us have played the game in its entirety and we are both contributing to this review. While we both may touch on some similar subjects, my portion is focused on the game play and the LEGOization of the game. Norm will focus on the story elements and how the game play focuses around the story of the films. We encourage your feedback as we hope to present more of our reviews in this fashion.
For those of you who have never heard of or played a “LEGOed” game, it’s exactly that. Everything and everyone in the game is a LEGO version and when characters “die” they break into a jillion LEGO pieces. The LEGOing also makes for a more family oriented game while still appealing to the child in all of us who remember playing with LEGOs when we were growing up. I have to admit that I was quite impressed with the overall graphics of the game. Despite a more child-like look (obviously due to the LEGOs), the graphics were crisp, clean, and impressive. I really felt like I was in a LEGO Harry Potter world. The character’s LEGO versions are also quite recognizable. You start out in the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley. This will become your main portal throughout the game. As you progress through the game, more things will open up. You can visit shops in Diagon Alley and purchase spells, outfits, characters, and more. You can also seek out the bonus levels which will open up as you start to collect Gold Bricks. As you gain access to the levels, you can play them for more Gold Bricks. The Bonus Levels aren’t influenced by the Harry Potter story or world but are puzzle levels which require more than one character to complete. Single players can jump from character to character and co-op players will have control of one character, however, if more are “live” in the level, you can switch to play them. Switching characters is an important strategy in the game as they may have a spell, ability, or familiar that is unique to them and is a key in solving a puzzle. Once you are done in Diagon Alley, you can exit the main doorway to continue your story.
Most of the game takes place within Hogwarts however, you will occasionally travel outside of the school. You will see just about everything that was featured in the films. One of the most noticeable things about the game play is the dynamic split-screen in the local co-op mode. Gone are the static player 1 and player 2 windows and enter the dividing line. The line splits diagonally across the screen and will stay still as long as the two player’s characters are within a particular area. As you travel the area, the line moves allowing players to see a little more of their world. While I liked it, it made me a little dizzy at first and if you got enough distance between the two of you, neither could travel any further. This leads to a lot of “Hey! Come over here…by me!” and if the other one isn’t listening, this could get frustrating. It also made platform jumping difficult especially if the other player is moving around a lot or is not close enough to you.
The game controls well, although I had some depth perception issues that made some of the platforming aspects of the game rather difficult. Performing jumps often lead to 10-15 deaths and coupled with the dynamic split-screen, that meant 10-15 deaths for the BOTH of us. While you have an infinite amount of lives, you do get docked Studs. But not to worry, there are more than enough Studs to collect and refill your meter. Once you collect a particular amount in a level, you attain True Wizard status which will earn you a Gold Brick. Apart from the main story line, a big part of the game is the collecting aspect. You collect Studs which is the game’s form of currency. You need Studs to attain True Wizard, you will lose Studs when you die, and you can buy things like spells, outfits, and characters with the Studs that you collect. Every level also has four pieces of the House Crest to collect. These are not easy as some will require more advanced skills, spells, or characters to even find. Some Crest pieces can be obtained by turning on a certain amount of lights or magically filling vases with flowers. There are tons of little secrets throughout the game and the further you progress, the more things and areas will open up to you. There are also Students in Peril which are just that – students you must save from danger or teasing or traps. You will get a Gold Brick at the end of the level for each Student in Peril you save so be on the look out for them.
The game also gives you a guide so if you get lost (and you will) and have no idea what to do or where to go next. Never fear, the ghost arrow and guide are there to help. A blue arrow will mark your path and a ghostly character – Nearly Headless Nick – will lead you to your destination. He drops ghostly studs that you can collect…there is a special Red Box that you will need to find and purchase so that collecting them will increase your regular Stud total. Red Box items unlock bonuses for the game like collecting Ghost Studs, Faster Digging, and so-on. The real key to this game is to explore, experiment, and play around with everything. Leave no LEGO unturned. As you gain new spells and abilities, try them out everywhere. You may find a secret doorway or a great Stud treasure box.
A few technical points: the game save is tied to Player One and Player Two will earn none of the achievements for game progression although they can unlock circumstantial achievements. Players can jump in and out on the fly at any time and your game save will accommodate single player as well as co-op multiplayer.
Now to the real question: What’s the big deal about the LEGO version of a game? That was my biggest thing coming into it really. Why play a LEGO version when there is the real thing? Well…there is the suspension of disbelief – ANYTHING can happen in a LEGO world. Gamers have been pushing for more ‘realism’ in games and when that happens, games are more than often criticized for it because it’s not real enough. With the LEGO version, the sky is literally the limit. The entire game and the world it’s in become completely believable. There’s also the fun factor. We all remember playing with LEGOs as kids and trying to build the biggest, coolest thing we could construct. Being able to play in a fluid, living, breathing LEGO Universe takes that a step further especially when you marry it with the Star Wars or, in this case, the Harry Potter Universe. It also makes a game more family friendly. The game is easy enough and lighthearted enough for younger children to play but has every nuance and inside joke that a diehard or even casual fan of the LEGO’d series would pick up on. All of the music and the magic of the films are present in the game. After a while, I totally got it. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is a must have for Harry Potter fans. It’s also a fun game with a ton of replay value. The game is suitable for the casual and the hardcore gamer especially if they are a fan of Potter or LEGOs.
Norm:
As LEGO has taken a stab at some of the most beloved franchises, Star Wars and Indiana Jones, it’s no surprise that they are taking up a wand with Harry Potter: Years 1-4. What is nice is that by covering years 1-4 in one game, it makes for a fun and lengthy experience.
The LEGO franchise takes our favorite action movies and pays loving tribute to them in fun multiplayer games. It’s clear in playing the game that their goal is to stay fairly true to the source material while using LEGO characters and constructs to provide the backdrop. Without any actual dialog, they are able to spin the tale of Harry Potter’s first four years at Hogwarts and they are able to infuse a little bit of their own humor into it as well.
Through a few cut-scenes and a very interactive Hogwarts castle, they successfully transport you into Harry Potter’s world. From Hagrid’s motorcycle entrance in the first movie to the frightening duel with “The One Who Must Not Be Named”, the game covers all the important moments from the movies. They focus on the movie versions of the story, so there aren’t too many moments that weren’t in the film. If you are a fan of the movies, you will probably like this game at least for the ability to relive the stories in an interactive way.
Driving Arthur Weasley’s car away from Hagrid’s Acromantual, Aragog, and sneaking around inside the Whomping Willow are just a couple of great scenes you get to play through. You will also get to destroy Honeyduke’s Candy Shop in Hogsmeade, which is a blast. Just about every significant area is represented in the game. Gringotts Bank in Diagon Alley is where you can play bonus puzzle levels that will unlock special Gold Bricks.
You will get the opportunity to play as many different characters from the four films. By the time you are through the game the first time, you will probably have unlocked several more. Just to get through the story in co-op mode, you have to play as Harry, Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, Professor Lupin and more. There are over 100 characters you can unlock, and even more when you count different versions of characters. For example, you can unlock Hermione in her ball gown. if you know the movies well, you will get a chuckle out of the various costumes.
If you are playing a character with a familiar, such as Ron with his rat Scabbers, you can cast a spell that allows you to play as the familiar. In fact, you won’t be able to finish the game without using them. You will have to use Scabbers to climb through sewer tunnels and Hermione’s cat, Crookshanks, to dig up items. it adds to the variety of the gameplay and helps shape the atmosphere.
While the game doesn’t stray too far from the formula of collecting and unlocking that was introduced in the first LEGO game: LEGO: Star Wars, it’s still a lot of fun to cast spells, ride brooms, and solve puzzles. Casting spells essentially replaces force powers, and adds a few other spells such as the Patronis Charm. Unlocking new spells allows you to travel deeper into the castle and getting deeper into Howgwarts allows you to progress in the story. At the end of each chapter, the items you collected are tallied.
The main item you collect are LEGO studs. These small round LEGOs kind of act as currency to purchase new spells, outfits and characters. You will also collect Gold Bricks, which you must collect in order to score 100% for the game. You receive Gold Bricks by saving students, collecting studs, and finding Crest pieces. Their is a full Crest for one of the Houses in each chapter. By collecting the four pieces of the crest, you will receive a Gold Brick.
So essentially the game consists of collecting all these different items by exploring Hogwarts castle and its surroundings. This includes Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. All of the environments are completely interactive, and you will need to try your spells on everything if you want to unlock everything. This is less a chore than it sounds. It was a lot of fun running around flipping couches, lighting torches, messing with paintings, and just causing havoc around the grounds of the castle.
I suppose most of this joy came from enjoying the books and the movies so much. That’s the main thing with this franchise: you have to love the movies to really enjoy the game. You don’t have to be a hardcore gamer, and it’s not a huge gaming commitment. If you share a love of Harry Potter with a friend or loved one, this game will be a lot of fun for you.
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is rated E10+ for Everyone 10+ and is available now for the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, & PC.
A review copy of the game was provided but did not affect the outcome of this review. This review is based on the Xbox 360 version.
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