LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 - Boxed - PS3

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is the first instalment of the Harry Potter series in LEGO form. Across the first four years of the Harry Potter series, players take control of a wide variety of characters and relive famous moments from the first four books: Philosopher's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire. Almost the entire game takes place at Hogwarts.

Story mode is divided into four years with six chapters per year. The first time you play Story mode, you have to play as specific characters who are part of the plot, and you can't choose a character from the whole series. However, once you've completed a chapter, Free Play is unlocked, letting you choose any unlocked character and replay the story. All story chapters and years are accessible from the Leaky Cauldron, which serves as the game's central hub. The entire environment allows for continuous play, and most locations can be revisited at any time. However, many of the characters' interactions change depending on the season or when certain characters, such as the Dementors or Gilderoy Lockhart, are introduced.

Outside the Leaky Cauldron is Diagon Alley. In Diagon Alley, you can visit other shops to obtain items and supplies. At Madam Malkin's Robes, you can spend all your hard-earned Studs (the currency) to buy new characters. At Eeylops Owl Emporium, you can climb the stairs and buy red bricks containing a kind of cheat code. And at Wiseacre's Wizarding Supplies, you can buy fun new spells that you can cast with any character. Casting spells is a key part of the gameplay and is controlled via a spell wheel, where you can choose from many, from Wingardium Leviosa to the dreaded Avada Kedavra (only the three versions of Voldemort can use this one).

LEGO Harry Potter increases replay value by giving you a range of collectables to obtain. If you want to reach 100%, you'll need to, for example, find and buy all 167 characters, rescue 50 students in peril, find 200 gold bricks and much more. The school of Hogwarts is open to you at all times, and you can search its many rooms and floors for all these collectables. However, you'll have to be patient if you try to get everything early on, as many characters have their own special abilities.

There's no online multiplayer in LEGO Harry Potter, but there is a co-op mode. At any time, another person can drop into the action, which is played on a single screen. Similar to LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues, the game automatically splits when one figure leaves the screen, and play continues like this until they're back nearby.