This confusion is found throughout the game and it is probably down to the fact that it is a Harry Potter game. In Star Wars, Indy and Batman you were able to play as distinct class types e.g. a small character, a woman who can jump high or a man with a whip. You and your co-op partner knew which type of person could do what puzzle. In LEGO Harry Potter they have to stick to the three main characters and give them nearly all the abilities. These come in the form of magic spells and you can carry up to eight of them. I liked the fact that you unlocked them slowly over the four films, but it was very confusing having to cycle through 8 similar looking spells to discover which one to use. I can imagine this will prove very difficult for children.
By giving the gamer more with each LEGO game Traveller’s Tales are on the cusp of losing the accessibility and simple fun that made the games such family favorites. People don’t want to be overly challenged by a LEGO game, but a fiddly magic system and confused level design will do just this. I still enjoyed the game as Traveller’s Tales are masters at taking established IPs and producing a fun experience. The core of what has made all their games entertaining is still apparent; evocative set design, fundamental 2 player co-op throughout, and wonderful cutscenes. On the 360 and PS3 there are few family orientated co-op experiences that can beat the LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 and for Potter fans this is a must. I would argue that LEGO Indiana Jones 2 has been the best balance yet of co-op and open gameplay, but Harry is still worth playing for families or more casual gamers.
Verdict
Co-Op Score
Overall
The Co-Op Experience: LEGO meets Harry Potter, what more can be said? The game has a dynamic split screen feature.
Co-Optimus game reviews focus on the cooperative experience of a game, our final score graphic represents this experience along with an average score for the game overall. For an explanation of our scores please check our Review Score Explanation Guide.