Packing all of the goofy charm of its predecessor and then some, LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 is bursting with personality and plenty of lighthearted fantasy adventure fare set across the final three books (or four films) in the renowned series. While this latest playful jaunt to the wizarding world doesn't mess too much with the core foundation laid down in the previous installment, a few troublesome tweaks keep it from being a smooth journey.
Guiding Harry and his young cohorts through the halls of Hogwarts and beyond is still a fun exercise in thrashing environments to collect coin studs and using a grab bag of iconic spells and abilities to overcome light puzzle obstacles. And luckily, swapping characters to wield their special abilities and dueling rival wizards adds some variety to the mix. Working through the many creatively re-imagined scenes is delightful too, but the overhauled control scheme often gets in the way during combat or when navigating amongst busier scenes. A new virtual thumb pad interface replaces the tap-and-swipe controls from Years 1-4, but the convoluted cluster of small buttons used for handling spells, jumping, character swapping, and puzzle interaction makes it far too easy to slip and hit the wrong action.
Wrestling with the controls is awkward at best, but what Years 5-7 lacks in precision it mostly makes up for in content. With lots of unlockable characters, collectibles, mini-games, and clever stage designs that encourage high replay, there's a lot to stay occupied with beyond pushing through the main game. The campaign is lengthy too. It's broken down into bite-sized digestible bits that are a good fit for portable play, despite some repetitive stretches that recycle gameplay elements and ideas.
The bottom line. Puzzlingly designed controls prove problematic at times, but LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 still captivates with its humor and addictive smash-and-grab quest.
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