LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 for Xbox 360 Reviews by Gamers

Ever since I first played Lego Star Wars, I was hooked. The ability to seemingly create the world around you (in hilarious Lego style) captivated my mind. This newest entry doesn't disappoint. Lego Harry Potter is a great game. The player plays through the troubled early years of Mr. Potter (1-4). The graphics are stellar and the slapstick humor we've all learned to love about the franschise is abundant as well. The gameplay itself is pretty much unchanged from previous Lego entries. However, the player does gain the ability to perform various spells on objects throughout the game. The spells were a little confusing at first, since there is no real "tutorial". Once you learn how to use the spells, though, all is well. The soundtrack is ok, though it does get a little redundant after a while. If you're a huge Harry Potter fanatic, then you will love the extra playable characters that you can control in Free Mode. Everybody is there, from Cedric in his Maze Task outfit to Hermione in her ballroom gown. The story mode is challenging at times, but overall is easy. Each story mode (Year 1, Year 2, etc.) takes about 3-4 hours to complete. The one major difference I noticed when compared to other Lego games is the difficulty of collecting 100% of the trademark Lego credits. I only managed to ascertain 100% in four or five missions out of all four story modes. Also, if you're looking for easy achievements by simply completing the missions, you will be in for some heartache. Most of the achievements involve specific actions (like killing 15 spiders with Ron). Another difference in this game involves the exploration of Hogwarts. You can literally roam around for hours unlocking different areas as the game progresses. Overall, I gave this game an 8/10. I'm a big fan of the Lego games. I hope they continue this trend upward.