You remember the hype. 2011 was a massive year for the Boy Who Lived. The movies were ending, the books were long finished, and we all just wanted a way to stay in that world without it feeling too heavy. Enter Traveller's Tales. They’d already done the first four years, but Lego Harry Potter 5-7 PS4 (via the Collection) is where things got actually, surprisingly deep. It covers the grit. Order of the Phoenix through Deathly Hallows.
It’s weird.
Most "kids' games" shy away from the fact that the later Potter stories are basically about a wizarding civil war and teenage angst. But the Lego version? It leans in. You’ve got the dark, oppressive atmosphere of the Ministry of Magic, the desolate campsites from the final book, and the literal destruction of Hogwarts. Yet, there’s a plastic pig wearing a wig in the background. That contrast is why it works.
The PS4 Jump: More Than Just Shiny Plastic
Let’s be real for a second. If you played this on the PS3 or the Wii back in the day, you remember the screen tearing. It was rough. When the Lego Harry Potter 5-7 PS4 version dropped as part of the Lego Harry Potter Collection, the biggest upgrade wasn't just the 1080p resolution. It was the stability.
The frame rate actually stays at 60fps now. That matters when you're trying to nail those precise Wingardium Leviosa movements or dueling Bellatrix Lestrange in a chaotic finale. The lighting is the unsung hero here. On the PlayStation 4, the glow from a Lumos charm reflects off the shiny plastic floors of the Great Hall in a way that feels tactile. It feels like real Lego.
I've spent dozens of hours in this version. The loading times—the bane of the original release—are almost non-existent. You can hop from the Leaky Cauldron to London to Hogwarts without enough time to go grab a snack. It keeps the momentum. That’s vital when you’re hunting for that one last Gold Brick hidden behind a dark magic cabinet.
Why the Mechanics of Years 5-7 Changed Everything
The first game was about discovery. The second one, the Lego Harry Potter 5-7 PS4 experience, is about power. By this point in the story, the kids aren't just learning Alohomora. They are soldiers.
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The spell wheel is packed. You have:
- Diffindo: Cutting through red wall sections.
- Aguamenti: Filling buckets and putting out fires (crucial for those Year 6 levels).
- Focus: A mechanic specific to the later years where you look into a character's mind to solve puzzles.
It gets complex. Honestly, some of the puzzles in the Deathly Hallows segments are legitimately tricky if you aren't paying attention to the character swaps. You need Ron’s Deluminator to move light from one lamp to another. You need Hermione’s bag to pull out a literal giant hairdryer or a tractor. It’s absurd. It’s brilliant.
The dueling system also got a massive overhaul. In the earlier years, you just fired studs at people. In 5-7, you enter these stylized dueling circles. You have to match the color of the spell your opponent is casting. It’s a rhythmic, color-coded tug-of-war. Is it Elden Ring? No. But for a Lego game, it adds a layer of "boss fight" energy that the series desperately needed.
The Hub World is a Literal Maze (In a Good Way)
Hogwarts in this game is a beast.
It’s not just a menu. It’s a sprawling, interconnected map that changes as you progress through the years. In Year 5, you have Umbridge’s pink decrees plastered all over the walls. By Year 7, the school is gloomy, under the thumb of the Carrows.
What most people miss is how much the hub world actually tells the story. If you wander into the Divination classroom or down to the Hagrid’s Hut, the environment reacts to where you are in the timeline. The Lego Harry Potter 5-7 PS4 version handles this transition seamlessly.
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The addition of London and the Ministry of Magic as secondary hubs was a gamble that paid off. Walking through the streets of London, finding the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron, and then transition to Diagon Alley feels like you’re actually navigating the geography of the books. It’s the closest thing we had to an open-world Potter game before Hogwarts Legacy showed up a decade later.
The "Grind" for 100% Completion
If you’re a completionist, God help you. This game is a vacuum for your free time. There are 200 Gold Bricks. 24 True Wizard ranks. 200 character tokens.
The Red Bricks are your best friends. Finding the "Score x10" brick early on is basically the only way to keep your sanity. Without the multipliers, buying the high-tier characters like Voldemort or Dumbledore (who cost millions of studs) feels impossible.
One thing that still bugs me? The "Student in Peril" locations. Some of them are so obscure you’ll find yourself blasting every single chair in the Library just to hear that tiny whimper of a trapped Hufflepuff. It’s frustrating. It’s also deeply satisfying when you finally see that 100% pop on your save file.
Misconceptions About the PS4 Collection
People often ask: "Is the PS4 version a remake?"
No. It’s a remaster.
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Don't go in expecting new levels or recorded dialogue. This was the era of "Mumble Acting." The characters don't talk; they grunt, sigh, and pantomime. Honestly? I prefer it. The humor in Lego games took a hit when they started using full voice acting. There is something inherently funnier about Voldemort and Harry having a final showdown where they just make "angry plastic noises" at each other.
Another misconception: "It's just for kids."
Tell that to the person trying to find all the Crest pieces in the "Lovegood Lunacy" level. The level design is sophisticated. It requires a genuine understanding of the Harry Potter lore to know which characters to bring into Free Play mode. You need a Dark Wizard for the red-sparkly objects. You need a Strength character like Hagrid for the orange handles. You need a Book character for the wardrobes. It’s a logic puzzle wrapped in a toy box.
Addressing the Glitches (The Elephant in the Room)
Let's be honest. TT Games are notorious for bugs. Even on the Lego Harry Potter 5-7 PS4 version, things can get weird. I’ve had characters get stuck in the geometry of the Room of Requirement more times than I can count. Sometimes a Gold Brick just won't appear even if you've done the task.
The fix? Usually just a quick exit to the Leaky Cauldron and a reload. It’s a small price to pay for the sheer amount of content packed into the disc. Just make sure you aren't relying on a single save slot. Cloud saves are your friend.
Is it Better than Hogwarts Legacy?
That’s a loaded question. They serve different purposes. Legacy is a wizarding world simulator. Lego Harry Potter 5-7 PS4 is a celebration of the story we already know.
If you want to live the "Harry Potter" story—the actual plot of the films—this is the superior game. It hits the emotional beats. Even in Lego form, the death of Dumbledore or the sacrifice of Dobby hits surprisingly hard. The music helps. Using John Williams’ and Nicholas Hooper’s actual scores is the "cheat code" for emotional resonance. You hear those strings kick in as you fly over the Black Lake, and you’re 11 years old again.
How to Master Years 5-7 Right Now
If you're booting this up today, do yourself a favor and follow this path. It saves hours of aimless wandering.
- Blast through the Story first. Don't worry about the collectibles. You literally cannot get most of them until you unlock specific abilities (like Dark Magic) that only come with late-game characters.
- Unlock a Dark Wizard ASAP. Once you finish the story, go to the "Tom Riddle" or "Bellatrix Lestrange" character token locations. You need them to open the red-glowing chests that hold the best Red Bricks.
- Prioritize the Stud Multipliers. Find the Red Bricks for x2, x4, and x6 studs. They stack. If you have all of them active, a single silver stud becomes worth thousands. This makes buying the rest of the 200 characters a breeze.
- Use the Map in the Leaky Cauldron. It tells you exactly which levels are missing True Wizard status or House Crests. It’s the only way to stay organized.
- Don't forget the "Weasley Boxes." In Years 5-7, the Weasleys have special boxes that only they can interact with. Make sure you always have Ron or Arthur in your party during Free Play.
The game is a massive, nostalgic, slightly buggy, but ultimately joyful experience. It’s the perfect "podcast game"—something you can play while listening to something else, slowly chipping away at that 100% trophy. Whether you’re a trophy hunter or just someone who wants to see Lego Voldemort lose his nose (again), it holds up. Grab a second controller, find a friend for couch co-op, and just enjoy the chaos. There's nothing quite like accidentally blowing up your partner with a stray Reducto spell in the middle of a library.