LEGO Harry Potter Years 1 to 4 is still my favorite LEGO game after all these years, despite its downsides. A lot is probably due to nostalgia, but I still believe this game has a lot of merits.
Hogwarts is easily my favorite hub world in any LEGO game. It’s very enjoyable to explore all the iconic locations from the films, along with the fabulous score from John Williams. Every room serves a purpose and contains collectibles to unlock, whereas following games introduce big open-world areas that are visually impressive but feel mostly empty.
Many of the puzzles you will encounter while exploring Hogwarts are wacky and unique and make use of all the spells you will unlock by progressing through the game. Unlocking those spells will little by little open up more of the castle, making the progression feel really rewarding.
Visually, it still holds up for a 2010 game and makes use of that fine “LEGO humor” to recreate iconic scenes in really funny and clever ways. 100% the game doesn’t feel like a chore and can be done in about 15 to 20 hours, which feels relatively short compared to newer LEGO games that are way too repetitive (looking at you Skywalker Saga).
However, most story levels often feel uninspired and boring, with some areas even reused multiple times. It’s really a shame when compared to the ones in LEGO Star Wars, which are more fun and engaging but also offer a lot of replayability with Free Play. Nevertheless, it doesn’t feel that bad because they are pretty short and you will be spending most of your time in the hub world anyway.
The character roster has way too much fluff, which isn’t really justified when most of them play the same. Even so, I will always find unlocking iconic characters such as “Milkman” or “Gryffindor Boy” funny as hell.
Initially, Hogwarts can feel like a pain to navigate as its layout is confusing, but you will quickly become familiar with it as you progress and the red bricks make it way easier to find missing collectibles.
At the end of the day, is it a perfect game? Far from it, but I still love it as much as I did when I first played as a kid, and it still feels like a worthwhile experience, especially when enjoyed with a friend.
Hogwarts is easily my favorite hub world in any LEGO game. It’s very enjoyable to explore all the iconic locations from the films, along with the fabulous score from John Williams. Every room serves a purpose and contains collectibles to unlock, whereas following games introduce big open-world areas that are visually impressive but feel mostly empty.
Many of the puzzles you will encounter while exploring Hogwarts are wacky and unique and make use of all the spells you will unlock by progressing through the game. Unlocking those spells will little by little open up more of the castle, making the progression feel really rewarding.
Visually, it still holds up for a 2010 game and makes use of that fine “LEGO humor” to recreate iconic scenes in really funny and clever ways. 100% the game doesn’t feel like a chore and can be done in about 15 to 20 hours, which feels relatively short compared to newer LEGO games that are way too repetitive (looking at you Skywalker Saga).
However, most story levels often feel uninspired and boring, with some areas even reused multiple times. It’s really a shame when compared to the ones in LEGO Star Wars, which are more fun and engaging but also offer a lot of replayability with Free Play. Nevertheless, it doesn’t feel that bad because they are pretty short and you will be spending most of your time in the hub world anyway.
The character roster has way too much fluff, which isn’t really justified when most of them play the same. Even so, I will always find unlocking iconic characters such as “Milkman” or “Gryffindor Boy” funny as hell.
Initially, Hogwarts can feel like a pain to navigate as its layout is confusing, but you will quickly become familiar with it as you progress and the red bricks make it way easier to find missing collectibles.
At the end of the day, is it a perfect game? Far from it, but I still love it as much as I did when I first played as a kid, and it still feels like a worthwhile experience, especially when enjoyed with a friend.