LEGO Harry Potter a Spell for Printing Money

Echoing what we spoke to yesterday with Crackdown 2's revamp of the original Crackdown, LEGO Harry Potter too looks to capitalize on its franchise's proven formula by changing the exterior, without modifying the core:  this is still an adventure for the whole family focused on collection, action and exploration. The general feel is the same as what you've come to expect from previous iterations like Batman and Indiana Jones.

Here's what is new and what makes this a uniquely Potterian adventure:

-         The spell system: Using a radial menu, the player can select spells from 8 slots on the fly. There are, of course, more than 8 spells; they can be assigned to these slots from a larger management system.

-         Brick by motherf*ckin brick: Finally, the player can use LEGO bricks to build LEGOs. No longer will the AI be an omniscient builder on the player's behalf, for sometimes the player will be master of his own domain!

-         The hub is a brand new world: Hogwarts isn't just a hub, but the game's world. As you grow, the world expands. Levels are like closets within this world. You enter, follow a relatively linear path and exit upon completion. But to reach these closets, the player must explore.

-         Familiars: The animal companions of the Potterverse can be controlled by the player. Manning a hoot owl is perfect for collecting those hard to reach blocks.

-         Peril: For side-quests, Hogwarts is littered with "students in peril" - boys hanging precariously from the top of bookshelves, girls stuck in mud - that require a helping hand. Favor will be reward accordingly, natch. 

-         Advanced platforming: Thanks to an improved physics engine, the player can use the brick building system to create platform and reach places otherwise unreachable.

LEGO Harry Potter has our inner bookworm excited. It's LEGO. It's Harry Potter. If there was a spell for a money printing device, it would produce something like this.