Put a hat on, Voldemort — you’ll catch cold.

As Harry Potter closes in on adulthood, his struggle to outwit evil Lord Voldemort grows ever more taxing. But who says fulfilling your destiny means you have to abandon your favorite childhood toys?

Years 5–7 benefits from the usual appealing LEGO trappings: you can bash snapped-together props to pieces, gather the studs that explode from them like confetti, and rearrange scattered remains to form new objects. Be prepared for a bit of disappointment, though. While Years 1–4 had something new hiding behind every doorway, much of this sequel feels too familiar.

To be fair, boss battles against the likes of Bellatrix and Voldemort are more exciting, even if they rely too heavily on tiresome button-tapping “dueling.” You’ll also fill containers with a watery new spell, carve construction kits out of red walls, and pull unexpected objects out of Hermione’s bottomless purse. But too many rooms have barely changed since the last game, and interesting puzzles are scarce, so Harry’s supposed adventures start to feel a bit rote.

What a wonderful surprise, then, when the final third of the 10-hour story grows a heart. Instead of attending classes and rearranging furniture, suddenly you’ll tramp through a sepia-tinged side-scrolling flashback, ride an underground rollercoaster, and fly atop a dragon. Why couldn’t the rest of the game be as exciting?

Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive  •  Developer: Traveller’s Tales   •  ESRB: : Everyone 10+  •  Multiplayer: 2 via dynamic split-screen  • Achievements : Laborious  •  Cost: $50

On Xbox 360

+ New spells and abilities; fun boss battles; familiar kid-friendly charm.

+ Long campaign saves the best for last; lots of characters and collectibles.

- Greatly diminished thrill of discovery; few puzzles require any thought.

? What happened to the first game’s Builder Mode?

7.5