As you progress, characters will change their ability sets depending on where you are in the story. These abilities are not set in stone, though. On the other hand, Ron begins the game with the ability to call out Scabbers the Rat, who he can send into small areas to unlock doors and collect items. Harry can zoom up and down with ease, letting him get to studs and items otherwise inaccessible to the poorer riders. If you try to drag Hermione or Ron onto a broom, it flails around and is basically uncontrollable. For example, Harry is naturally a good broom rider. Most of these are based on powers the character gains in the series, so you'd have to be a little familiar with Harry Potter lore to understand them immediately. While magic is a big part of the game, various characters also have unique active and passive abilities. When in doubt, though, you'll find that Wingardium Leviosa will get you through most situations. There's no punishment for using the wrong spell, so it's perfectly fine to experiment from time to time if you can't figure out what to do next. The aforementioned Lumos, for example, can light up dark areas or make magical plants back off. You usually get a lesson of some kind beforehand that explains how the spell works, and it's a good enough tutorial that even young kids should pick it up quickly. There are other spells, like the light-summoning Lumos or the enemy-demeaning Riddikulus, but they're more puzzle-based. Your go-to spell will be Wingardium Leviosa, the "lift stuff" spell, which is used constantly. Each spell is basically a different way to solve puzzles. When you begin the game, Harry is a novice wizard and can't tell a wand from a stick in the ground, but you quickly gain new abilities as you progress through the story. While there are a couple of Muggle (that's non-magic users, for you Potter neophytes) characters, most of the available LEGO folks are various witches and wizards with amazing magical powers. Since LEGO Harry Potter is a game about wizards, a good portion of the gameplay to revolve around magical spells. Doing well earns you rewards, but even the youngest player will be able to get through the game with ease. It's a simple but rewarding system in that it allows you to play the game without fear. The only punishment for death is losing some studs. You earn studs by solving puzzles, defeating enemies or advancing the game. The primary rewards you'll find are studs, which are one-piece LEGO blocks that can be traded for new characters or bonus items. They're designed to be very accessible to players of all ages, so they forgo difficulty in favor of forgiving mechanics and constant rewards. The LEGO games are platformers based around co-op play and simple puzzles and combat. The basic gameplay in LEGO Harry Potter is very straightforward and almost unchanged from previous LEGO titles. A more casual Harry Potter-loving kid might be confused instead of amused, but if you and your child are die-hard Potter fans, there is a lot of funny stuff here. There are more than a few that seem almost incomprehensible without prior knowledge of the events. Harry Potter is a lot more dialogue-driven than Star Wars, so many cut scenes may be too heavily geared toward fans. These cut scenes are amusing and cute, but it's also difficult to say that they have the charm of some of the LEGO Star Wars cut scenes. Like most of the LEGO games, LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 tells the story of the first four Harry Potter movies with reimagined LEGO cut scenes, which are told through mime instead of words, often with a few silly alterations. Traveller's Tales has done an unparalleled job adapting the Harry Potter universe to the game. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is an adaptation of the first four Harry Potter books/movies, a franchise that seems ripe for the LEGO treatment. The low difficulty level and forgiving mechanics make it clear they're designed for kids, but they have enough fun and charm that I've yet to meet an adult who hasn't enjoyed them. One of the exceptions to this is the LEGO series, which adapts popular franchises into adorable LEGO form for gamers of all ages. It's a lot easier to point to something like Super Mario Galaxy for a co-op experience for all ages. There are exceptions here and there, but they're pretty rare. It's surprisingly difficult to find a good game for kids to play with their parents.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |