It doesn't stray much from the formula, but LEGO Harry Potter is still good lighthearted fun.
As the name implies, LEGO Harry Potter takes you through the first four years of the young wizard's life at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You'll play through iconic moments such as the troll battle in the Sorcerer's Stone, the Basilisk fight in the Chamber of Secrets, Harry's lone stand against the dementors in Prisoner of Azkaban, and all three tasks of the Triwizard Tournament in Goblet of Fire. As par for the course of all the LEGO crossover games, the entire game, especially the cutscenes, is injected with a bit of silly humor that can bring a smile to the collective face of both young and old audiences. Unfortunately, if you aren't already familiar with the narratives in each book, you'll have a hard time understanding what's going on, as it's hard to decipher some of the details in each cutscene.
If you've played any of the LEGO crossover games, then you'll know what to expect in LEGO Harry Potter. Your goal is to simply make it to the end of each level either alone or with a second player and fight the occasional boss here and there. The levels contain a plethora of simple puzzles to solve and LEGO objects to build, some that are key to advancing, and others for getting the many collectibles or just for goofing off. As usual, the difficulty remains very light; you have infinite lives and the punishment for dying is almost nonexistent. Where this installment differs from others is the inclusion of Hogwarts as a hub world between levels. Here, you'll go to classes to learn new spells and brew different potions (like the famous Wingardium Leviosa spell or the Polyjuice Potion brew), as well as find plenty of secret rooms and items. Almost everything in each area can be destroyed or interacted with to get studs, the in-game currency that lets you purchase new characters, spells, cheats, and other goodies in Diagon Alley. LEGO Harry Potter also focuses more on puzzle-solving than previous installments, as several levels have few, if any, enemies to fight.
The gameplay has changed little from past installments but is well complemented by the great choice in licensing. The Harry Potter universe is filled with magic, fantasy creatures, and other unexpected things lying around each and every corner, and the game reflects that quite nicely. You never quite know what will happen when you put a bunch of LEGO pieces together or shoot at something with a particular spell, but odds are it will be something lighthearted and silly enough to make you smile. This innocent unpredictability gives the game an undeniable charm, perhaps more so than in previous LEGO games. Add Danny Elfman's solid compositions from the movies into the mix and you have a game that feels like an authentic Harry Potter experience and not just a game that just so happens to have Harry Potter in it.
Unfortunately, LEGO Harry Potter shares many of the same flaws as its predecessors do. In general, the game still suffers from the same lack of polish found in the other LEGO games. At times, the controls and camera sometimes work against you, blocking your view of the characters with the scenery and walls. Issues with the game's targeting system may also arise as sometimes your character just won't target a certain object even with the manual targeting unless you happen to be standing in just the right spot. Granted, these issues are mostly alleviated by the game's forgiving nature, but you would think that after making so many games, Traveller's Tales would have addressed these issues by now.
It's difficult to complain for too long, however, because the end product is just as charming and fun as its predecessors. Although it doesn't deviate much from previous games, the simplicity in LEGO Harry Potter still works well enough to offer an instantly satisfying experience. Those who prefer more complexity to their games or just aren't interested in Harry Potter won't see much reason to give this game a try. On the other hand, if you enjoy Rowling's classic series or are just looking for a quick lighthearted gaming experience, then you're bound to have a good time at your first four years at Hogwarts.