Short and Sweet Review: Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7

After watching the highly anticipated Part 2 of Deathly Hallows, I wanted to try this last Lego Harry Potter game and I got what I expected and more.  The magic of the Harry Potter franchise proved the perfect backdrop for Lego's eclectic gameplay and goofy puzzle solving, and Hogwarts Castle makes a cool HUB for the diverse world.  


Presentation:
If you've played any kind of Lego video game like Lego Pirates or Lego Star Wars, you know exactly how the game will look.  Its your standard Lego game presentation that consists of little quirky fun gestures that make up for lack of voice overs.  This is expected and doesn't detract from the game in anyway.  There are a lot of pre-rendered backgrounds to go with the diverse settings and cool destructible polygonal structures.    TT's take on locations like Hogsmeade, the Room of Requirement, and the Ministry of Magic are spot on and great fan service for hardcore fans of the games and movies.  You'll here the iconic subtle orchestral score that has been in the games and the movies we've all come to love.

Gameplay:
Players spend most of their time within the levels solving light puzzles, and blasting apart anything made of legos.   Its your basic standard fare of platforming and puzzle-solving.  The "puzzle solving" here is less about actual lateral thinking and more about exploring the environment and using spells according to what you see.  Its very simple and great for me since I hate outlandish puzzles in games that don't need it.  Most of the spells are the same from the previous game but there are a couple of new ones.


Traveller's Tales has thankfully made the hub world surrounding the castle even bigger this time around.  You'll be able to explore a portion of the Dark Forest, the Hogwarts observatory and a "muggle world" London scene among others.  The centerpiece addition to this sequel is undoubtedly the dueling system, however. It's a smart inclusion, given that combat has never been the Lego franchise's strong suit. At certain scripted times players enter one-on-one dueling circles with key opponents.   Its ok I guess, I found myself wanting to get back to the story and core gameplay, but its a cool addition.

Final Thoughts:
This is still your standard Lego Harry Potter game with a couple of cool new tricks and additions.  Its a great causal game, its great if you're playing with a buddy on the couch with you.  That has always been the reason for me playing these games, I loved playing it co-op and always will.  Simply, Lego Harry Potter is a light and breezy way for fans of all ages to experience the world of Harry Potter in a new way.

Final Score = 8/10