As a child, there were two things I loved more than any others - video games and LEGOs. Both of these outlets for childhood activity allowed me to escape from my reality in ways that allowed me to be both mentally stimulated and comfortable with my often insular childhood. By choice, I would rather spend my days playing games and building magical castles out of tiny blocks than ever go out and bike around my neighborhood block. LEGOs in particular allowed me to create worlds of my own that mirrored the ideal lands I had in my head and did not, yet, have the words to put onto paper.
This is what I discovered when I first began playing LEGO Harry Potter
. A couple of days into the month of December, I had a $25 Gamestop giftcard, and was both unwilling and incapable of waiting to blow my money. I had been wondering about the game and figured I'd give it a shot. Rather than purchase it for cheaper on Amazon (but not use the Giftcard), I went to my local store and picked up a copy.From the first moment the game hit my screen, I was immediately impressed at the level of quality in the graphics - not the ADORABLE little LEGO characters whose every grunt, sigh, and laugh never fail to send me into spasms of inner glee, but the amazingly rendered and painstakingly detailed world in which the game takes place.
Rather than rehash what numerous other "paid" reviewers will tell you, my take on the game is one of sheer enjoyment. Perhaps my only issue of discontent is that there isn't more of this game to love. Being an avid Harry Potter fan (though not of the dressing up variety), I was more than impressed at the level of attention paid to recreating the wizarding world of everyone's favorite English wizard. From the Leaky Cauldron to Gringott's Bank to Hogwarts, LEGO Harry Potter
is everything that is right about a great game.This game has something for everyone:
For the RPG-happy, OCD, 100% Completion nut, there is a seemingly endless bevy of things to collect, from playable characters that must be both unlocked and purchased (giving you more bang for you stud, as it were), to Extras that can be found, purchased, and turned on to "enhance" the gaming experience.
For the Underage Wizard who's just making his first foray into the world of video games, the game play is simple enough for even my uncoordinated partner to make a successful run while still enjoying himself...and that's saying a lot for someone who detests video games.
For the Nihilistic Gamer who feels the need to destroy everything in site, this game gives you that opportunity. Almost everything that isn't attached to the walls (and even some that are) can be exploded into tiny little LEGO pieces, and when you finally unlock a playable character who has access to Dark Magic, you can, in fact, both torture and explode a character (which is only temporary...for the most part), and all in the name of collecting "studs" - LEGO Land's chosen currency.
For the Music Loving Gamer, Warner Bros. studios licensed the use of the original soundtrack, and each chapter of the game uses live recordings of the soundtracks from the film. The theme, however, does get a bit grating after a few hours, but the fact that this game actually has a real orchestra playing music in the background is amazing, as the music really is what makes the movies so fantastic. John William's original score is one of those few scores that reaches around the world, and when you hear the opening notes, you know you're watching Harry Potter.
For the Harry Potter collector, this game represents the very best of Harry Potter Memorabilia. It is an excellent addition to one's collection that retells in fantastic measure of Years 1-4, from Harry Potter's arrival at Number 4, Privet Drive to the resurrection of Lord Voldemort in the cemetery. There are only a few minor differences, here and there, that are there only for comic relief.
Perhaps the only major concern I have for this game is its lack of context. For anyone who hasn't either read or seen the Harry Potter series (though I doubt that includes anyone in the Western world), much of LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
will be something of a mystery. The main limitation of retelling this fantastic story in this medium is that the LEGO characters are incapable of speech, and must tell the story through a series of amusing, yet sometimes inarticulate gestures. When you encounter other characters in the game, they may or may not make sounds that aren't very clearly explained as to what they mean - are they saying "Hello, Harry!" or "You can't come this way, Harry!" If you are unfamiliar with the first four movies, even the story arcs may not make much sense. Why does Harry need to go to that first Charms Class? And what, exactly, CAN'T you do with the Leviosa spell? It seems that every sconce, torch, suit of armor, and student can be levitated, and really...why must you float almost EVERYTHING just to move on to the next screen, scene, or year? Without knowing the basics of the story, it is difficult to know what's going on around you, where to go, or who each character is.
After playing LEGO Harry Potter
, I was hooked... I HAD to have the rest of the LEGO games, so over the next couple of days, I went about purchasing LEGO Batman
, LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
, LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
, and LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
. By the way...can anyone tell that I'm something of a collector?I've only really had an opportunity to delve into LEGO Batman
, thus far, but must say that I am still massively entertained. Tt has gone out of its way to create worlds in which even curmudgeonly gamers such as myself can very easily get lost. The music and beautifully rendered background art (particularly in Harry Potter) really allow you to get sucked in...even WITH the LEGO characters inability to speak.While all of these things are wonderful, there is something to be said for all of these games. They can very quickly become repetitive, as the main task in the game consists of destroying anything and everything in sight in the hopes of collecting more studs to purchase upgrades, extras, and playable characters. For those unused to the wonderful world of level grinding so common in JRPGs, this can become tiresome sooner than not, and may lead other gamers to put the game aside after finishing the main game. I, however, revel in this kind of gameplay, and feel that the best part of the game is going back and picking up all of the extras I couldn't get during the first couple of times through the levels.
All in all, the world of LEGO video games is one that I am incredibly glad to have become a part, and I look forward to the release of LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
and LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean coming out in 2011.Until next time, this is Curmudgeonly Gamer signing off, and wishing everyone the Happiest of Christmases, or whatever else you celebrate.
Sincerely,
Marcus J. Hopkins
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