Customer Reviews

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

First, let me say that I am unfamiliar with the LEGO video games. LEGO Harry Potter is the only one I have played and, surprisingly, it wasn't too bad. I'm a fan of Harry Potter so this is coming from someone who can appreciate the franchise. What I really liked about this game is the graphics/locations. The settings have really nice detail even though the LEGO theme loses its novelty pretty quickly. The spells are great, too. All of the popular spells from the books are present here (wingardium leviosa, expelliarmus, lumos, riddikulus, etc.). This game reminds me a lot of EA's Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets because it is more cartoonish. Personally, I thought those two were the best EA came out with, so I really like the resemblance. Unlike those games, however, you are allowed to be different characters throughout the story. In each level, you can switch between different characters because each one has his/her own strengths that will get you to the next phase. You can earn enough points to gain new characters as well (you earn points by casting spells at LEGO blocks and making them explode into little pieces that you pick up. Kind of like the Every Flavor Beans in the EA Harry Potter games).

Something that I thought was great are the "side missions" (the unnecessary, but fun, explorations). For me, that increases the replaying value because it could take hours to complete everything in the game. I especially love these types of games because you can go back to them a few months/years later and still be able to find new things that change the overall experience each time you play from the beginning.

It took me a while to get used to the controls. I can't quite put my finger on what was wrong. Something is slow and lagging or unergonomic, but I got used to it soon enough. The multiplayer is straightforward and basic while still fun, but unfortunately there is no Xbox LIVE co-op (yet...I've heard it was supposed to have it. Maybe an update will come later).

Something worth mentioning is that, since this game covers four years at Hogwarts, it is condensed. The climatic and important parts are present, but some of the minor events from the books (that could have been quite entertaining) are left out. I can't say I was surprised by that, though. One thing that I found nice was how the game was organized. It doesn't get confusing navigating your way through each of the four years; they don't blend together.

All in all, LEGO Harry Potter will definitely be entertaining to all of the Harry Potter fans out there like myself. In fact, I wouldn't doubt it if a non-fan enjoyed this game just as much. This game really allows the player to fall in to the whole experience.

This game is a lot of fun to play and by far my favorite Lego game of the series, and I've played quite a few. However, I would wait until they have released a update/patch for the game as there are some major glitches.

The worst one in my opinion happens if you quit a level the first time playing it. If you get stuck in a level and want to retry or if you experience another glitch in a level and quit the level the game will then continue on in the story mode and skip the level altogether. The level doesn't even show up on the storyboard with the other levels that you can replay, it's just gone. So to complete the game you need to start over completely.

To me this makes the game unplayable right now as I don't want to restart and this is not the only glitch in the game.

Again, this is an awesome game, but if you're considering buying it, you should wait until they release a patch to fix the issues.

I love all kinds of video games, and I've always liked the LEGO server because you just play them. They don't require a ton of thought, but they definitely have their own challenges that everyone from adults to kids can still have fun playing. If you've played any of the other LEGO games, this one follows the same formula and uses the same techniques - collecting lego bits for "money", gold bricks for those who try to complete everything, red bricks to enhance your gameplay, the ability to play a level in a "free roam" style after playing it though during the campaign, and so forth. It's still variation on a theme, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

But if you're a "completionist" like me, you might find this game frustrating. I've already run into several bugs that have prevented me from getting all of the gold bricks and, based on a few quick searches, I'm not alone. Apparently, many people have run into instances where the triggers to make a gold brick appear are missing or all of the triggers are activated but the bricks never appear.

It's still a nice change from fast-paces shooters, senseless button-mashers, or immersive RPGs; but those who love to get full trophies/achievements might end up being frustrated in the end.

This is a really fun game. They did a good job of presenting the story in LEGO form, and it's got the same goofiness present in previous LEGO games. If you aren't intimately familiar with the source material, there are some parts that may be confusing, but that's always been true.

First, I would like to tell all Lego video game fans, that this is far different from any other Lego game. It has magic, which as you have probably guessed, functions just like The Force in "Lego Star Wars", but the downside to this is that, you almost completely rely on that in levels, as opposed to fighting enemies, or solving fun co-op puzzles. A good thing is that the story has been excellently translated into the world of Lego. This is the best Harry Potter video game, despite minor flaws, so, I recommend it highly to all Potterfans, and Legomaniacs alike!

I purchased this as a game my wife and I could play together, thus far we've played through every Lego game (aside from Rock Band) that has come out. We enjoy the games but the format for each one doesn't change. The controls get a little tighter with each one, a little more fluid and a little easier, but overall, it's just a reskin of the last one.

This time around it's Harry Potter and the story, pantomime and wandering around Hogwarts make the game a lot of fun for any Harry Potter fan. Being able to play so many of the characters makes for a fun experience, and making Ron beat on Hermoine was a weird, cathartic experience for me.

If you're a fan of the series, get the game. If you love the Lego games, get the game. If you're one but not the other, maybe stay away.

Pros:
More Lego!
Harry Potter

Cons:
More Lego!

My boyfriend got me this game for Christmas as I am a huge Harry Potter fan and I expected to play most of it on my own. However, he picked up a controller somewhere around level 3 in Sorcerer's Stone and has not stopped playing with me since. The amount you can do (learn new spells; unlock extras; become werewolves, giants, and rats) and the detail placed in each level is really amazing. Also, this game gets you thinking: there are plenty of puzzles and mysteries to solve.

In addition, something that is much better about the multi-player option in this LEGO game than others is the split-screen option. You and your partner can be on opposite sides of a large room instead of always having to be together (in LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Indiana Jones, if one player got too far away, he would either drag the other along or the game would make him appear in a spot next to the stationary player).

As with the other LEGO games, though, it is almost a requirement to have seen the movies first. There is little instruction (and no verbal instruction at all) so you must either figure it out by blowing everything up or remembering how the characters solved their dilemma from the films.

There is also at least one glitch (we once had to start the game over because we exited a level before finishing it), but I did not encounter as many as I was warned about online. Perhaps we got lucky, but it was still fun even if we had to start again.

However, overall this game is very good and tons of fun. I just recommend you have a Potter fan in the room to help you out.

My husband and I rented this game to play during a span of cold, rainy weather a couple of weeks ago. We are in our 30's with no children. We had so much fun playing the co-op mode that we played each night we had it for hours and hours, not even realizing how much time had passed. When the time came for us to return the game, I went and purchased it. If you or your gamer is a fan of the Harry Potter movies, this is suprisingly fun. Goes well with the movie plots for years 1-4. If you've ever played a Lego video game before, you know what to expect. Great fun, good challenge, and loads of laughs. I don't think you would be disappointed!

I have spent the last few days playing this game endlessly. As an avid fan of Harry Potter and Harry Potter Lego, I was beyond impressed with the story line and how it was arranged. I also found myself laughing at a lot of the scenes (and slapstick comedy) that were snuck in! This game has a lot of re-playibility as it has about 150 characters to unlock, and many other goodies too. I found the time-turner levels particularly interesting, and quite 'sentimental'. I also love the fact that you get to play a lot, and I mean a lot, of characters. Some gamers might also love the fact that Harry Potter Lego lets you express your creativity as it has a build-your-own level aspect to it.

I got the X-Box 360 version and encountered only two glitches throughout the whole game, just freezes. Although, I do hear that people are getting stuck in the Dungeon below Prof. Flitwick's Classroom. The way to get out from there is by jumping on the Dragon's snout. (If that helps!)

This is the first time I've ever played a lego game on any gaming console but if all the games (Star Wars, Indiana Jones etc.) are like this, then I'm definitely giving them a try.

CONS: Cannot wait for years 5-7 to be released. (Umbridge is my absolute favorite!)

There is one more thing that I feel that I must say (point out, stress, talk crazily about) The soundtrack of the game was AMAZING! I can't put into words the rush of emotions of playing the game while listening to the orchestra. Again, Amazing! Buy it if only for the music.

All in all... This game was just plain fun. I'd recommend it to younger people as the levels are straightforward to get through. Especially for youngsters who are also fans of HP as they'll anticipate what's going to happen next (My younger cousin found it exciting). Still, to achieve 100% and unlock all the stuff, you'd have to be pretty hardcore.

Well as hardcore as any lego game will be!

My family owns ALL of the Lego games, and by far, Lego Harry Potter years 1-4 is the superstar! tt games has obviously been working to perfect their product and design throughout Lego Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Batman, and Indiana Jones II, and all that work has paid off in Harry Potter. The puzzles, the characters, the challenges, and the adventures all exceed our expectations of a tt game, which are rather high. Plus the graphics are outstanding; the details, right down to the itty, bitty splashes the water droplets make as they fall to the campus grounds outside Hagrid's hut, are completely amazing and immerse you in Harry's fantastical world.

Additionally, my family plays as a trio - my husband, myself and our tween son - and unlike other games, where the player who must watch and get antsy to have a controller in his/her hands, Lego Harry Potter is a thrill to simply watch, which makes it truly group/family play friendly. That, I believe, is a HUGE accomplishment for the game designers, creating a "social" video game for a variety of ages.

I highly anticipate the "patch" that is going to make this game xbox live friendly, although I did expect that to be happening sooner.

Buy this game; you will NOT be disappointed!