LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4

If you're a big fan of the Lego based games before it, Lego Harry Potter will be just the thing for you. A well crafted and entertaining cooperative mode, lots of content, easy to pick up gameplay mechanics and tons of items to gather you won't be lacking things to do in this game.

Because it's so similar to the previous games, we can't recommend this as a Must Buy to all - despite all of its cracking quirks it is just that bit too familiar. But if you're a Potter fan and/or looking for a game that both you and your kids can enjoy together, look no further.

If you've ever played some of the older Lego games, you know what awaits you, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is still fun to play though and is maybe the best Lego game so far and recommended to all gamers regardless of age.

Even though going to a school like Hogwarts is out of the question realistically, I can at the very least wrap myself up with LEGO Harry Potter and imagine my school to be one hell of a kick-ass playground. But I'll imagine playing in it without the A.I. and targeting system, thank you very much.

It's not overwhelmingly difficult – this is a good thing for younger audiences – and it doesn't tread new ground, so what could anyone take away from LEGO Harry Potter? Well, the ability to play as primary characters such as Ron, Hermione, Sirius, Lupin and the boy who survived, Harry Potter, is almost enough to recommend a purchase.

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is a fair bit more interesting than EA's most recent film adaptation, but I would've rather seen the developers tackle the project with the same level of creativity as a precocious kid with a pile of LEGOs, rather than squeeze the Potter universe into an existing and well-worn template.

Ultimately, any gamer who loves Harry Potter is going to enjoy themselves immensely with this game. While older gamers might not find many reasons to give it more than a good weekend's worth of play, the younger ones will have hours and hours of spell-casting fun.

More story driven than the previous episodes, more serious and guided as well, LEGO Harry Potter : Years 1 – 4 transcribes the JK Rowling universe well, and targets, as such, more the Harry Potter fans who will revive some of the best scenes of the four first novels/movies, than the LEGO games ones.

There's no denying it: the fun is very well here (especially with two players) if you like the Harry Potter world, the fan service required being obviously present, even though we were expecting a little more impudence from Traveller's Tales. Fans will enjoy exploring every corner of the school to gather points, solve minor riddles, save endangered students, buy new spells, etc. The LEGO formula works, and in this one in particular, there is a lot to do!