 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
- Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS
- Price: $29.99-$49.99
- Genre: Action/Adventure
Common Sense Media says
Darker story is lightened by humor and fun exploration.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5–7 covers the darker and more violent last half of the Harry Potter saga. While the game's focus feels more on the side of puzzle-solving and exploration than it does on fighting, there are still plenty of wand-zapping wizard battles taking place throughout. Keep in mind, though, that all the characters are portrayed by plastic-looking LEGO mini-figures and that pretty much everything -- even the deaths of major characters -- gets a dose of humor added to it here. That being said, there are still some scary moments, including an extended boss battle against a rather frightening dragon made of fire.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn about solving problems and puzzles while collaborating with others to explore and understand new environments. Kids entering this magical world must use a keen sense of observation and logic to figure their way out of story-based predicaments. As kids learn to use the magic, they work out the rules of a new system and learn how to survive and thrive within. For kids who thrive in open worlds, this is a magical way to learn about logic and collaboration.
Skills
- Thinking & Reasoninglogic, problem solving, solving puzzles
- Creativity
- Self-Directionachieving goals, work to achieve goals
- Emotional Development
- Communication
- Collaborationgroup projects, meeting challenges together, teamwork
- Responsibility & Ethics
- Tech Skills
- Health & Fitness
What's it about?
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 covers the plot territory of the final four Harry Potter films: Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows Parts I & II. Colorful LEGO mini-figures act out retellings of the evil Lord Voldemort's return to power and the resistance movement against him by heroic students of Hogwarts.
The game is linear, where you start in Harry Potter's fifth year and you can't access the next year until you've completed the one before it. Players will attend classes at Hogwarts to learn magic, practice dueling, and solve hundreds of environmental puzzles. There are also many things to collect, including LEGO studs, students in peril, crests, items to help others, and more. Each movie is represented in 6 levels, and when you've completed a level, it becomes available for replay in an open play mode.
Is it any good?
All the LEGO video games have been graced by great humor, creative level design, and the sheer joy that comes from collecting tons of unlockable characters. But what makes LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5–7 a real standout is the parts of the Harry Potter story that the developers decided to dramatize. They could have gone for a blast-heavy shoot-em-up (like LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars), but opted to put the focus on exploration and puzzle solving. In a game that depicts the final four Harry Potter films, you might not have expected levels where the goal is to explore Professor Snape's childhood memories or convince Horace Slughorn to come out of retirement and become a teacher again. But those levels are incredibly fun and fresh-feeling -- perhaps even more so than the (admittedly also great) levels devoted to the Battle of Hogwarts. There's so much to experience here, that the only real complaint is that you can't save your game mid-level -- so before you start a new play session, make sure you've got the time to work your way through to the next autosave spot.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about the violence in the game. Does the fighting and death in the game have less of an impact because it is depicted with LEGO toys?
Does the humor help to alleviate some of the darker and more frightening aspects of the story?
Parents can also talk to kids about marketing synergy and product placement. Does playing this game make you want to buy LEGO Harry Potter toys?
What kids can learn
Kids can learn about solving problems and puzzles while collaborating with others to explore and understand new environments. Kids entering this magical world must use a keen sense of observation and logic to figure their way out of story-based predicaments. As kids learn to use the magic, they work out the rules of a new system and learn how to survive and thrive within. For kids who thrive in open worlds, this is a magical way to learn about logic and collaboration.
Skills
- Thinking & Reasoning: logic, problem solving, solving puzzles
- Creativity:
- Self-Direction: achieving goals, work to achieve goals
- Emotional Development:
- Communication:
- Collaboration: group projects, meeting challenges together, teamwork
- Responsibility & Ethics:
- Tech Skills:
- Health & Fitness:
How kids will learn
Kids solve puzzles by exploring their environment and experimenting with using magic. They may need to find hidden or lost items, or reach inaccessible areas. To solve these puzzles, players will need to experiment with tools or spells, or remember things seen in previous areas. Sometimes, kids will need to watch the dialogue-free animated scenes and infer from those scenes what they need to do next. When playing with a partner, kids can cooperate to get past obstacles that are designed specifically with two-person solutions in mind.
How parents can help
- Play with your kids. LEGO games are always more fun in two-player cooperative mode. Talk out and plan your moves together.
- Encourage kids to build their own creations with real LEGO blocks.
- Read the Harry Potter books with your child for a shared literary experience.
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- Teens & kids
Teen, 15 years old
December 15, 2011
AGE
Sequel is awesome
This is an extremely good game for your younger gamer but it is dark. Be careful with 6 & under.
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Teen, 17 years old
December 4, 2011
AGE
AMAZING, AMAZING GAME
Probably the best video game of '11 AND '12. Hardly any glitches, great screening, and amazing humor and characters. There's a laugh every second, it seems like. Bravo for the LEGO creators!
What other families should know:
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Kid, 10 years old
December 20, 2011
AGE
Harry Potter
great game!!!
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Kid, 11 years old
November 26, 2011
AGE
Possibly the best lego game yet.
Harry and his friends are nice to each other, although Harry can be pressured into being a brat at points. The game contains little violence, such as characters getting killed, but the death is lightened up by childish lego humor. Characters kiss, but since it is lego, most of it is lightened. Lego ties in with Harry Potter, making extra product placement.
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Kid, 8 years old
January 12, 2012
AGE
AAWESOME but creepy
this game is my have game EVAH but I'm stuck on the 1st level in deathly hallows part 1 where u have to make the polyjuice potion probably the most creepy moment is during the halfblooded prince when ur with dumbledore searching for horcrux then these creepy fairies come out
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Kid, 10 years old
August 19, 2012
AGE
This deserves to be played on your console!
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Kid, 10 years old
April 10, 2013
AGE
It's not that bad except for a little cartoon character mischief.
I think this is okay for a mature 6 year old and above. The reason I'm saying this is because the violence is definnitly modified from the movie and books and they are cartoon characters. Nothing gruesome because like I stated, this game is all cartoon characters. It's and interesting and fun game with a problem solving learning experience and its a cute game! Hope this helps!:-)
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| Topics: | magic and fantasy |
| Platforms: | Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Developer: | Warner Bros. Games |
| Release date: | November 11, 2011 |
| Price: | $29.99-$49.99 |
| ESRB rating: | E10+ for Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief (Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360) |
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