Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 as the name suggests adapts the first four Harry Potter films. As mentioned in my review of Jurassic World, the Lego series has well constructed formula which hasn’t seen much change since the first Lego Star Wars in 2005. Years 1-4 sticks well to that formula though there are a few changes. The clearest of these changes is that all of the limited combat sequences in the levels are conducted via magic spells and the same goes for building sequences. Another difference is the introduction of platforming sequences where the player is given limited reign to build platforms to traverse gaps or to access inaccessible areas.
Like the Jurassic Park films, the Harry Potter films get darker as they go on. Years 1-4 follows this change in tone well as like the films, the game gets darker, well as dark as Lego can get, when adapting the Prisoner of Azkaban and the Goblet of Fire. If it’s not obvious, Years 1-4 adapts the first four Harry Potter films, Philosopher’s Stone, Chamber of Secrets and the previously mentioned Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire.
Years 1-4 drops the mainstay of Minikits for House Crests, which is more of an aesthetic change more than anything major as it serves the same function. Years 1-4 was the last of the Lego games to not have voice acting and this allows the game to be funny for succeeding games as it relies on slapstick more heavily than those games. The films are adapted into six levels a piece, giving a total of 24 levels. Though this isn’t entirely true as the game also includes lessons, which allows the player to learn new spells and touch on smaller events from the films. There are also ten bonus levels which can be unlocked by collecting the requisite number of gold bricks. These ten levels are small quick puzzles which if completed reward the player with a gold brick.
Speaking of these lessons, they do have an impact on gameplay design as many of the characters play similarly to each other as there is only minor differences in what spells or special skills characters have access to. This leads differences to be reduced to mainly being if a character has the ability to dig via a pet or can access certain puzzles as the majority of puzzles or platforming can be solved by any magic character. Like many Lego games, there are certain parts of the levels and the game world can only be accessed by dark wizards.
Years 1-4 includes a semi open world as players can explore Hogwarts to unlock new characters, find gold bricks or red bricks. Like Jurassic World, the levels are accessed through the open world rather than going to the correct room like in the initial games. New areas are able to be accessed through new spells or tools, though the most important spell to access these areas is only learnt after the second level of year 4. This means that many areas or characters are not unlockable until into so late in the game.
Another gameplay tweak is characters are only unlockable by finding the character tokens during the levels, of which there are three in each level or through the open world. Completing a level doesn’t unlock a character unlike in other Lego games, which despite being a negative tweak is understandable as the majority of time is spent playing as Harry, Ron or Hermione. Years 1-4 also introduces a new way how changing character is handled as you can only change character by using cauldrons which allow this, there are also cauldrons which allow the player to access a super strength and old age potions. Though in free play, character switching is back to normal, so the character changing cauldron is only for the story mode and world exploration.
One key area which Years 1-4 gets right, helped in part by the more varied nature of the source material is the variety in the levels. Unlike Jurassic World which leaned heavily on chase sequences and stealth sequences due to the little changes in what occurred in the events of each film as plot beats and locations are retread. Years 1-4 has no such problem as each Harry Potter film (and book) introduces not only new locations and characters and spells and most importantly new story beats. This helps ensure that gameplay doesn’t get stuck in a still fun if repetitive gameplay loop as the events of the films lead to new gameplay scenarios.
While I enjoyed my time with Years 1-4 more so than Jurassic World, proving newer titles aren’t always better. The game is slightly let down by the lack of a Quidditch level, which seems a bit of an odd omission. The a map of Hogwarts would have been nice as I did occasionally find it difficult to find the right route to where I wanted to go. As Years 1-4 is a very enjoyable game adapting a once popular film and book series. This explains why Years 1-4 and its sequel Years 5-7 are the only Lego games to be rereleased for newer platforms outside of the first two Lego Star Wars games. Being rereleased for PS5 and Xbox Series X and S consoles is certainly an interesting choice, considering the PS4 and Xbox versions are compatible.