While I like to give every game a fair chance, I’ve been a bit skeptical about the Playstation 4’s Lego Harry Potter Collection. It’s only releasing on one aforementioned console, was announced a mere month and a half before release, and is a remaster of a LEGO anthology that never really clicked with me. However, with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them releasing quite shortly, maybe the game shines brighter with new relevance. Let’s see.
Gameplay:
If you’ve played any LEGO game in your life, you’re aware that each level has a specific formula, that’s broken by funny cutscenes, expansive puzzles, and even boss battles. Both LEGO Harry Potters were released before this ambition was fully explored but playing the seemingly rudimentary series again isn’t in vain. The unlockables here are probably some of the best in modern LEGO games, as it’s intriguing to get a new spell.
Disappointingly, these unlocks don’t always work in practice. Floppy controls haven’t been fixed from their 2010 debut’s, and there is even some repetition when these problems aren’t brought up. It’s an interesting world to be in, but these negatives don’t properly cement that feeling.
Story & Design:
I have a lot of nostalgia for the old LEGO games, but one thing I’m not thankful to see when returning is the nonexistent dialogue. While funny at first, it’s particularly hamfisted, even when the game isn’t trying to paint a serious picture. While this isn’t something that could have been fixed in a remaster, it’s reinforcing when the game falters in other fronts.
LEGO Harry Potter also contains a staple that made some old LEGO games nearly unbearable, and that’s finicky camera angles. In the levels that require lots of jumping, some players might get so frustrated they’d consider it a lost cause. In other games these could be minor issues, but the LEGO gameplay structure only makes it worse.
Presentation/ Visuals & Audio:
Nowadays, the LEGO games have open-worlds, and a general ambitious feeling, so dumb glitches are more understandable. But in LEGO Harry Potter Collection, these are far worse, and require an application restart to fix. With things like these kept, it’s clear that LEGO Harry Potter Collection may have been shoved out the door.
I would also comment on LEGO Harry Potter’s great replay value, but this is less apparent among other serious issues. One of the most offensive instances is when your stud counter will suddenly disappear, so you don’t know if you should go the extra mile to unlock new things. It’s a whole new level of distraction.
Conclusion:
The LEGO Harry Potter games are some of the weakest in the LEGO library, and the newest remaster doesn’t help it’s case. It could have been a road to redemption, but with such a busy Holiday season in the works, there are much better titles to be playing, even if you’re looking for something more kid-friendly.
LEGO Harry Potter Collection gets a 5/10 (Flawed)
We’d like to thank Warner Bros Games for giving us a code!
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