3/5 ★ – AzulAzuril's review of Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7.

I adore the first Lego Harry Potter game, so I was incredibly disappointed in this sequel game. I found it a sharp drop in quality compared to the first. One of my primary reasons is I just think the game is not nearly as funny or enjoyable as the first. I think this can be chalked up to the whimsical humor of the first really aligning with the whimsy found in the first few Harry Potter stories, but as the Potter franchise gets darker and mature, I don’t know if Lego is the best format for telling that story. The humor doesn’t land for me nearly as much in this game. I also found the game to be less enjoyable in a couple other areas. First, the lighting in the game is just downright bad. I have to turn the game’s brightness setting up to see many of the objects I need to interact with to progress. The darker lighting filters work for films, but not for games filled with lots of intricate items. Second, the game is just much more obtuse and less clear on its puzzles than the first game is. This makes basic progression even more of a slog. I honestly am very sad that the first game is so much better, but ultimately, I find Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7 to be a less enjoyable experience than the first one.