This is a good thread to post a little pro/con mini-review in.
I had to have this game because I'm a Harry Potter fan (but not a big enough fan to buy the non-LEGO HP games lol) and I have to say that it is pretty awesome. Anybody who is even a casual fan of the series will love this game (hardcore fans will absolutely adore it), Anybody who is a LEGO game fan will also adore it. I'd even recommend it to those who are not all that into either franchise, but in that case, I'd recommend a rental (just so that you don't spend 50 bucks on something that is unproven to you; this is the kind of game that one buys if they like the rental version because it's so jam-packed with content).
OK. So what's so great about this game.
Pros:
- It has one of the most vibrant, secret-filled game worlds I've seen this gen. It feels like there is ALWAYS something cool going on on screen. It also feels like there is always something to do or explore or discover. The developers really capture that sense of the unexpected that is integral to building a good school of magic. It the sense of the unexpected that makes even a simple stroll through a corridor not boring in the least. The creators of the non-LEGO HP games should take heed of what Travelers Tales did here. It's pretty remarkable. I've been playing for a pretty good chunk of time and I've never gotten bored of casting spells at stuff to see what will happen.
- I've played portions of some of the other LEGO games and I always thought the combat was really weak. I didn't see too much of a point in all that combat since there's not much to it. LEGO Harry Potter is extremely combat-light and the game plays to the strengths of the series while minimizing the weaknesses. Most of it is puzzle solving, (mostly environmental puzzles; there are a lot of puzzles where the player has to use parts of the environment to build stuff that allows for progression through the level) exploring and collecting.
- Your spell repertoire in this game is pretty amazing. It is huge and the ability to buy spells gives the player a good reason to collection as many LEGO studs as possible. The spells are put to use really well in regards to the puzzles and levels. The way the spells interact with the LEGO world makes me think HP as a series is most conducive to the LEGO formula. Its also very cool that the game is always giving you a new spell to learn via lessons. It gives the player more than enough motivation to keep playing.
- It's pretty amazing how often the game manages to be funny. Not many games can accomplish the feat of being consistently funny.
- This game has TONS of content. There about 160+ unlockable characters, tons of unlockable spells, there are bonus levels, tons of side missions, tons of little secret areas and what not. It has WAY more content than the average game. You would actually have a hard time coming up with more than a few games that have more content.
- The "4 year" design is pretty brilliant. You learn new stuff in different years and parts of the castle you couldn't unlock before become accessible in different years. It really makes it so that the game keeps it momentum and is constantly getting better instead of running out of steam like so many games I could mention. It also gives you an incredible sense of attending a school for 4 years. I feel that the non-LEGO HP games fail to make it seem like you are at Hogwarts for even a year, so that LEGO Harry Potter gives off the feeling that Harry is progressing through 4 years is pretty astounding.
- The game makes it seem like the creators actually cared about the license. The game really seems magical unlike the non-LEGO HP games which are painfully generic. And the sad thing is that even with LEGOs and even using a storytelling style that is basically all humor, Traveler's Tales has done a way better job of translating the story into a video game than the makers of the non-LEGO HP games.
- The world feels seamless. The overworld doesn't feel disconnected from the levels like so many other games. It all feels like one dynamic environment.
- The visuals are excellent. The LEGO characters look pretty typical for this franchise (though they are still simultaneously cute and cool looking), but the backgrounds are extremely crisp and vivid. Some things can look a tiny bit blurry, but this is an extremely sharp looking game.
- This game is excellent for kids. It's obviously a game targeted at kids, but it's not only a great kids game, but a great game in general. If you are a parent and want your kids to play games that are appropriate (in both content and difficulty) for kids but still have excellent game design, this is perfect. This game actually has a better design than most adult games IMO. Sure, there are tons of adult games that are superior for various reasons, but it's not often that a game offers so much for the player to discover, offers so much to do, and throws new things at the player so often.
Now though this game has enough good points to recommend, I feel I do have to mention the negatives as some of them are pretty problematic.
Cons:
- I don't know if this is true of the Xbox 360 and Wii versions since I'm playing the PS3 version, but my copy of the game has an inordinate amount of screen tearing. It actually gets so bad at times that it gets downright annoying. I don't see why this wasn't minimized before release.
- The game can be extremely easy at times. This is mostly negated by the other good design elements and there are definitely challenging segments, but the game's difficulty was clearly aimed at kids. This is minor, but I still thought I'd mention it.
- There are actually a surprising number of bugs. They don't make the game feel very unpolished overall (as there are too many polished elements), but it doesn't make it feel like the game was rushed somewhat and not nearly as polished as it could have been. And some of the bugs are pretty huge. One time I tried to purchase something at one of the shops in Diagon Alley and I was ejected out of the game. I was shocked when I was suddenly looking at my theme.
- A few of the puzzles have elements that seem a bit too "concealed", making them a bit harder than need to be. This is pretty rare however. Most of the puzzles vary between being a bit easy and being "just right" as far as difficulty is concerned.
- The controls are mostly good, but flying (though I'm happy they included it) can be a bit difficult to come to grips with and the targeting can be finicky.
Overall, a delightful game with an superb design. I would really appreciate it if more "adult" games that have deeper and more satisfying core mechanics than LEGO Harry Potter would take pointers from its overall design. It's also worth mentioning that the game is one of the very best games for kids on the market. I give it a well-deserved8.5. I might have given it a 9.0 if it was more challenging, the controls were tightened a bit and it had WAY less bugs and screen tearing.
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