LEGO Dimensions – Fantastic Beasts Story Pack

The wizarding world of Harry Potter is back in full force with a brand new movie in theatres – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – and some new LEGO sets for us all to play with. LEGO Dimensions has created a new Story Pack behind this new blockbuster hit, and we think it is FANTASTIC! Read on for more, and see why we had so much fund with the Fantastic Beasts set!

*Potential Plot Spoilers Ahead*

The Builds

I just got back from seeing Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on Sunday, and thought the movie was fantastic. Newt Scamander is one of my new favorite Harry Potter characters now, and his portrayal in the film was excellent. In LEGO form, he is also almost equally as great, although perhaps a mold of his hair that is more accurate would have added just a tiny extra bit of value to this set.

Overall, however, the new Gateway Build for this Story Pack is outstanding, and contains a number of never before seen bricks to the LEGO world. As of writing, this set through LEGO Dimensions is the only way to own a LEGO adaptation of the film, and the only way to get your hands on a Newt figure. That alone makes it worth the 49.99 price tag.

We recently reviewed the Ghostbusters Story Pack build, and while that one was fairly straight forward to put together, this one was a bit more difficult. My six year old son typically takes charge of putting my LEGO Dimensions sets together, and this one required a bit more help than most.

Structurally, the build is very sound, although like the Ghostbusters set, it easily falls off the base with even the slightest jolt. The look of the set, however, is top notch, with lots of subtle nods to the Wizarding World environments etched in the walls and railings within the set. There is an interactive element as well, allowing you to lift and lower the outside walls. In terms of physical playability, there is a lot to like about it.

Also included with the Story Pack is a Niffler figure that can be changed into a scorpion or a vulture. While the scorpion and vulture are pretty standard LEGO builds, the Niffler is really great, and even has moving arms and mouth. It is almost as cute as it’s in-movie counterpart.

The Gameplay

Grindewald is causing lots of problems in the Wizarding World, but Newt appears to be unaffected by this while on his trip to New York City with a suitcase of magical creatures. Through a variety of events, Newt losses a number of these creatures in New York, setting off a chain of events that has him in trouble with the Ministry for Magic in the United States.

From watching the film to working through the various levels, one thing is very plain – they recreated the movie, scene by scene, into LEGO form. It is brilliant, and incredibly well done. All the charm you expect from a LEGO game is on full display, keeping a lighthearted approach to story telling even during the films darkest times. Even the small things caused me to smile, like watching Newt walk aimlessly down the middle of a street, not paying attention to where he is going, but managing – by nothing but luck – to pass by speeding cars and through cable cars.

A variety of spells will be at your disposal – Diffindo, Reparo, and Lumos for example – which were previously only available through the Harry Potter Team Pack. What is new with this set, however, is the ability to also interact with a variety of mythical creatures with varying abilities and moves. It all comes together nicely scene after scene; the use of each spell and magical creature is varied throughout, so you are never relying heavily on one over and other. Everything feels balanced and useful, which hasn’t always been the case with LEGO Dimensions characters and vehicles.

This is a must purchase, if not for the LEGO pieces themselves, then for the gameplay. This is an excellent recreation of the movie in LEGO form, complete with the voices from the film. From top to bottom, the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Story Pack is worth every penny of its 49.99 price tag.

For more LEGO Dimensions reviews, please visit our LEGO Dimensions Gift Guide!