Review: Lego Harry Potter

[Susan Arendt]

If you've ever once wished you could visit a Hogwarts made of plastic bricks, now's your chance.

Good review, sounds like I'd imagine a Lego Harry Potter game would. My question, though, is how the game's story handles cycling through four full years at Hogwarts. That's a TON of things to happen in one game.. is the game really long, with each year feeling like a definitive section of the experience? Or does the game use those events as a backdrop, and instead has Harry and friends more wandering around than anything?

I used to think that the best Harry Potter game would be one that could encompass all seven years, but now I'm not so sure.. giving each year it's due seems to work best in terms of narrative to me.

Great question. The main events of each book are covered, but naturally a lot of the nuance is lost. The game follows the movies pretty closely if you just consider the big sequences and ditch most of the dialog. (After all, there's no speaking in Lego games.) It's broad brushstrokes, certainly, but the game covers the most important events. You're not just wandering around doing whatever, you're definitely on a course working towards a goal....and zapping everything in sight along the way.

 

[Benjeezy]

Love the review, Miss Arendt, and I gotta ask: are you gonna be doing Crackdown 2? I'd like to see your thoughts on that game

 

[Susan Arendt]

Love the review, Miss Arendt, and I gotta ask: are you gonna be doing Crackdown 2? I'd like to see your thoughts on that game

Mebbe. We've got a bunch of neat games coming up, and I'm not entirely sure who's doing what just yet.

 

[sooperman]

+1 batman

I'm sorry...? +1 Batman what?

........../facepalm
lego batman? the game?

Yes I have it for the 360.
I suppose I forgot to count that one. Hmm... Well, our audible word count now totals zero, so I think we can agree here, yes? And please use more than two words. I do need a morsel of context.

 

[LiquidGrape]

Nice review, this may be the first LEGO game I'll actually buy, instead of just telling myself that I should.
Still Ms. Arendt I'm surprised: not a single mention of there being unicorns in the game???

I'm actually all about Hedwig.

"The Deathly Hallows" must've been a traumatic experience for you.

Spoiler: It certainly was for some of us...

TONKS! LUPIN! Oh, Joanne; how COULD YOU?!

 

[Tarrker]

Review: Lego Harry Potter


What kind of hub system do we have going on this time? The original or the Indy 2 or is it something completely different?

The Leaky Cauldron acts as your hub. From there, you can head back to Hogwarts to continue the story, replay levels in Freeplay, visit Diagon alley, or watch the cinematics you've unlocked. You start there when you first fire up the game, and can return there at any time.

That's interesting. You'd think they'd use the Gryphindore common room as the hub for this one? I haven't played it yet, but I'm guessing that the first real area you're in is Diagon Alley so I guess it makes sense.

Also, does anyone know what she said at the end of the review? Not like it matters a whole lot but I must have listened to the end of that twelve times now and I still don't understand? "No matter what character you play... mumble, mumble, gaffuddle?" Huh?

Well, either way, it certainly did NOT detract from the review. You're still my fave and I must say, my wife LOVES you Ms. Arendt! My wife is the local Queen of Nerd and, I suppose, that makes me the local King of Nerd? Sorry. Lost my train of thought there...

We both, eagerly await the next review from our fellow member of royalty

 

[Susan Arendt]

Review: Lego Harry Potter


What kind of hub system do we have going on this time? The original or the Indy 2 or is it something completely different?

The Leaky Cauldron acts as your hub. From there, you can head back to Hogwarts to continue the story, replay levels in Freeplay, visit Diagon alley, or watch the cinematics you've unlocked. You start there when you first fire up the game, and can return there at any time.

That's interesting. You'd think they'd use the Gryphindore common room as the hub for this one? I haven't played it yet, but I'm guessing that the first real area you're in is Diagon Alley so I guess it makes sense.

Also, does anyone know what she said at the end of the review? Not like it matters a whole lot but I must have listened to the end of that twelve times now and I still don't understand? "No matter what character you play... mumble, mumble, gaffuddle?" Huh?

Well, either way, it certainly did NOT detract from the review. You're still my fave and I must say, my wife LOVES you Ms. Arendt! My wife is the local Queen of Nerd and, I suppose, that makes me the local King of Nerd? Sorry. Lost my train of thought there...

We both, eagerly await the next review from our fellow member of royalty

I know exactly "what she said" a the end of the review: I made a joke about "well...you know", implying that since I'd already told you twice to just "shoot everything," you'd probably have figured out by then that I was going to tell you to do it again.

 

[Spaceman_Spiff]

Is there any way I can buy this without having to look the clerk in the eye?

 

[Tarrker]

The King of Nerd now feels like the King of Stupid. I admit everyday humor tends to go right over my head, so, it's no fault of yours. Thank you for responding. LoL! I'm sure my wife will revel in the fact that there's another woman as skilled as she is at making me feel as stupid as I look and sound :-D

 

[Susan Arendt]

Is there any way I can buy this without having to look the clerk in the eye?

Dude, there's no shame in loving this game, and if anyone treats you otherwise, that's a them problem, not a you problem.

Good gaming is good gaming, whatever wrapping it comes in.

 

[Spaceman_Spiff]

Is there any way I can buy this without having to look the clerk in the eye?

Dude, there's no shame in loving this game, and if anyone treats you otherwise, that's a them problem, not a you problem.

Good gaming is good gaming, whatever wrapping it comes in.

Yeah, I'm still going to proclaim as loudly as possible that it's for my little sister when I'm buying it though. It's my tactic whenever I "accidentally" wander into the childrens section of a book shop.

 

[Kelethor]

Is there any way I can buy this without having to look the clerk in the eye?

Dude, there's no shame in loving this game, and if anyone treats you otherwise, that's a them problem, not a you problem.

Good gaming is good gaming, whatever wrapping it comes in.

Strong words miss Arendt, Strong words.

*rolls up the world in the biggest Katamari ever* I feel no shame!

 

[Catalyst691]

Six Star Wars movies, three Indy movies, and four Harry Potter films. Total word count: 0.

Well, I've got every other Lego game so far, so I might as well pick this one up. This one looks like it's bigger and better than Indy, which was also crazy fun.

+1 batman

Isn't the fourth Indy film in the second Lego Indy game?, and there is also a Lego Rock Band, but nobody wants to remember it exists XD

 

[Tharwen]

This looks a lot like Lego Star Wars. I can't imagine how Lego Indy played without any force or magic to solve puzzles with.

 

[Catalyst691]

This looks a lot like Lego Star Wars. I can't imagine how Lego Indy played without any force or magic to solve puzzles with.

It was more like using the different abilities of each character (ie Shortround could climb into small crevices) to obtain the items needed to build something, rather than just playing around with the items already at hand, until you've figured out the puzzle

 

[Susan Arendt]

This looks a lot like Lego Star Wars. I can't imagine how Lego Indy played without any force or magic to solve puzzles with.

It feels very much like it, yes. Of course, it helps that Star Wars was also set in a very rich world, with loads of fun supporting characters.

 

[Dexiro]

I might pick this up sometime if it's cheap, the other Lego games were surprisingly fun and this one seems to have a little more to it. The demo was fun too, I'm just worried that the fun might not last.

 

[Ed.]

Is there any way I can buy this without having to look the clerk in the eye?

Yes get it from steam no human interaction involved

http://store.steampowered.com/app/21130/

or order it on-line if your a console person

 

[putowtin]

Is there any way I can buy this without having to look the clerk in the eye?

wear sun glasses?

This game rocks by the way.... as did the review!

 

[wonkify]

The look of the Lego games is so charming that I can't help but smile at them. The combination of that with the additional charm of the Harry Potter universe seems like a perfect match.

I am so grateful that the PC is included in the platforms so I can buy this and enjoy it first hand, not just via a youtube walkthrough.

Wish the video game hating contingent could see that it's not all close quarters combat kills. Not that there is anything wrong with that either, but it's not the whole universe of videogaming.

This could not possibly be more wholesome if it tried, and we adults can and do still enjoy it!