Wizarding World 2023 - Rumors & Discussion

[BacktoBricks]

8 minutes ago, strangely said:

Seeing some of these reviews has definitely improved my opinions of the sets. I think I might actually get the Hogwarts Express set at some point, it just looks so sleek and compact, I think the new design for that scale actually looks pretty good outside of the renders. All the new prints are nice too, I especially like Hermione's new face, the Galleon, chocolate frog box and photo album prints.

Weasley's Wizard Wheezes looks better in these reviews too, the compactness of the build is kind of nice, though I don't see myself buying it still.

I think the battle of Hogwarts looks a bit less impressive in the reviews. Seeing the backside of the set in entirety really shows how empty and bland the interior is.

I think I'll still probably wait for a sale for most of these though.

I have to say, Dobby looks even cuter on video to me.

And although I do find it odd that things like the weird colour roof choice for the Express's carriages just don't get a mention, I do love the train otherwise.

Like you, the Battle of Hogwarts seems less impressive in video; the interior is non existent!

[Alas_Earwax]

Just seen AshnFlash's review of TBOH & his overall connection of the sets together. Have to say, I don't think we'll get a version of Hogwarts that looks this great. Everything fits perfectly, and the interior spaces are so customizable that we can literally do anything with them. Really excited to get my hands on it.

They could honestly continue this current Hogwarts style and just keep expanding on it for me personally. I even think Bellatrix looks awesome (I know some people hate the face & no skirt print) in this particular set.

[Darth Shadowthrone]

14 hours ago, Alas_Earwax said:

Just seen AshnFlash's review of TBOH & his overall connection of the sets together. Have to say, I don't think we'll get a version of Hogwarts that looks this great. Everything fits perfectly, and the interior spaces are so customizable that we can literally do anything with them. Really excited to get my hands on it.

They could honestly continue this current Hogwarts style and just keep expanding on it for me personally. I even think Bellatrix looks awesome (I know some people hate the face & no skirt print) in this particular set.

A giant staircase tower or a version of the Bell Towers would be cool to see in this current style of Hogwarts - a giant version of the staircase GWP which also works as a tower from the outside would be so cool

[brickbride]

15 hours ago, Alas_Earwax said:

Everything fits perfectly, and the interior spaces are so customizable that we can literally do anything with them.

Meh. YMMV but I think it's kind of a mess. As others have pointed out, there doesn't seem to be much of a common line regarding design choices (i. e. the Hospital Wing has white windows and other sets have black ones). Plus many of the interior spaces are "customizable" only in terms of being underdesigned and empty (Fluffy Encounter and Sirius Black's Rescue are particularly bad offenders but the three office levels from Dumbledore's Office are hardly much better). I do like the Chamber of Secrets and the Polyjuice Potion Mistake a lot, but I think the quality went down after the first wave. I'm actually looking forward to what new system they'll come up with. Even though I won't buy it because my shelves are full as it is.

[krimimimi]

1 hour ago, brickbride said:

[...]the three office levels from Dumbledore's Office are hardly much better). I do like the Chamber of Secrets and the Polyjuice Potion Mistake a lot, but I think the quality went down after the first wave. I'm actually looking forward to what new system they'll come up with. Even though I won't buy it because my shelves are full as it is.

Eh, I was so pleased to have gotten a library (I mean, how improbable is that? Also? Pince! ), that I could forgive them a multitude of sins for Dumbledore's office. And his main office itself was alright. It's those stupid 6x7 (or less) mini spaces they've forced themselves into that they seem to have no better luck making use of than most of us do. 

PPM was rather brilliant. Play features! Humour! It was small (= affordable <- more of that please), versatile, easily MODed or MOCed. I don't understand why they didn't embrace the earlier series' use of small playsets, updating things like the Marauder's Map set, which was literally the same footprint. Give us 8x16 "corridors" with armour, tapestries and portraits! Places you can get up to no good. And where's the humpbacked witch statue with secret passage? 

"Even though I won't buy it"... We always say that, and they they come beckoning with lovely sets and lovelier minifigs and those scenes you've always ("Always!") wanted. The next iteration of Dumbledore's office - which is obviously coming, as we've had, what?, three already since the reboot - will have Snape and his doe Patronus and I'll be there cash in hand. And if not the next, the one after... And I still want the Forest of Dean set with the doe, so it'll be a worthwhile mould (or recolour if they used the friends / disney princess one). 

[Clone OPatra]

18 hours ago, Alas_Earwax said:

Have to say, I don't think we'll get a version of Hogwarts that looks this great.

What do you mean by "looks"?

Because sure it's cute that they managed to shoehorn these boxy sets together to approximate the shape/layout of the castle from the films, but in terms of actual visual design the 2018-2020 sets still look leagues better to me.

This new system, even when all combined is still a stylistic jumble, and has tons of very unpleasing things to the eye like big open arches and bland wall panels, blocky details, messy colours.

For kids I'm sure it's a lot of fun, and like I said it's neat that they managed a Hogwarts shape out of it in the end, but I wouldn't want this system on display. The older sets still have way more charm to their designs.

[brickbride]

6 hours ago, krimimimi said:

 The next iteration of Dumbledore's office - which is obviously coming, as we've had, what?, three already since the reboot - will have Snape and his doe Patronus and I'll be there cash in hand.

Even if it made sense to show the doe patronus in Dumbledore's Office, I'm pretty sure by now that both Snape and the doe would be on stickers. Sorry. ;-)

[krimimimi]

1 hour ago, brickbride said:

Even if it made sense to show the doe patronus in Dumbledore's Office, I'm pretty sure by now that both Snape and the doe would be on stickers. Sorry. ;-)

 Isn't that Dumbledore's office? (No argument on the sticker front.)

[NostalgicBricks]

While the combined castle certainly looks better than I could have anticipated building the sets separately, seeing the HD picture of it on Ashnflash's video makes it appear far less impressive for me personally. While it does (sort of) follow the outline that we know and love (with the great hall and grand tower leading across the viaduct and with the bell towers at the back, and even a hint of the boathouse), I'm afraid that it all looks rather messy to me. There are large arches on the outside of Dumbledore's Office showing, the entrance to said office should be inside, none of the windows match, the clock tower is just randomly there; and the RoR all seems very open. While it's definitely much better than I could have expected, and it's something 9-year old me would have been ecstatic for, it just doesn't look very appealing for adult-me. I will continue to display this version of Hogwarts interior-focused like a giant Hogwarts dollhouse. Even if the interior room structures aren't that amazing, either, I think the strongest part of this iteration of Hogwarts was the details: the stickers (the fat lady portrait, bed divider, Lockhart's portraits ) and the prints (the skel-e-grow, sweets, bottles, the pixies) and the small builds (the sinks, beds). 

While I love the 2018-20 sets, and I appreciate the 2018 D2C for what it was, I personally am still holding out for an amazing Hogwarts set (whether in separate sets or as one giant set) as I don't feel that any of the sets have ever captured that magic yet. Perhaps, if I ever get around to it, I'll start that project  I've been dreaming of where I build my own Hogwarts using all of the stickers/prints/parts/sets we already have to recreate it in my "image". 

Edited May 21, 2023 by NostalgicBricks

[brickbride]

8 hours ago, krimimimi said:

 Isn't that Dumbledore's office? (No argument on the sticker front.)

I think it is, but we've never gotten Snape's doe even when it would have made a ton of sense (such as in the EP Set over fricking Lupin's wolf) and I definitely wouldn't expect it to debut in a Dumbledore's Office set of all things when there are more iconic scenes with it, such as the Forest of Dean one.

They also tend to leave Snape out of sets where he really should be present, like the HBP themed Astronomy Tower. So I wouldn't expect him in a Dumbledore's Office set either.

Edited May 22, 2023 by brickbride

[MaxHeadroom]

21 hours ago, krimimimi said:

Eh, I was so pleased to have gotten a library (I mean, how improbable is that? 

The 2001 and 2010 versions included libraries, also the microscale 2018 set if you count it. 

21 hours ago, krimimimi said:

I don't understand why they didn't embrace the earlier series' use of small playsets, updating things like the Marauder's Map set, which was literally the same footprint. 

The Hogwarts Moments and later the Banner sets are to blame. Similarly those sets take the blame for this massive school ridiculously having only 2 classrooms. It seems like Lego realized they couldn’t do two “affordable” Hogwarts interior based systems at once and the modular rectangles were cut out of that under $50 pricepoint. 
 

In retrospect PPM was a mistake. The low price and focus on interior would never be repeated (even if you think the later interiors were good, they’d never make the front of the box). PPM was fluke which showed what this reboot should’ve been. 

[brickbride]

1 hour ago, MaxHeadroom said:

In retrospect PPM was a mistake. The low price and focus on interior would never be repeated (even if you think the later interiors were good, they’d never make the front of the box). PPM was fluke which showed what this reboot should’ve been. 

PPM was necessary, if for nothing else then to correct the intentional design flaw in the CoS (slide with no trap door). The alternative would have been the CoS costing EUR 20 more with three Harry figs. (And the HP theme getting only one somewhat affordable EUR 20 set in three years instead of a whopping two.)

But yeah, it made us expect the wrong things. Initially it looked like "The modular system will have sets ranging from the small PPM to the middling FE to the big CoS". When really it was "We split the CoS into two sets and aren't planning on doing any other small sets in the modular system."

The modular system could have been so much better than it was/is.

Edited May 22, 2023 by brickbride

[Alas_Earwax]

With regards to my last post - I'm kinda baffled as to why people continue to defend the 2018-2020 sets. Aside from having grey roofs and accurate exterior's, the interior space was almost non existent. Majority of rooms had barely any room to place minifigures most of the time, some of them were also located in very weird places (the Gryffindor common room being in the Whomping willow set is an example). Don't get me wrong, they look great from the outside. But The Great Hall for example - it may have been a HUGE great hall, but the tower had some pretty pointless rooms, and even with some moc attempts, it was still way too small to fit more than 2 minifigures inside.

I think one of the reasons I do prefer the newer system is because they focus on specific scenes from the movies, which imo allows them to focus on making that moment playable, and thus you get more overall room to place characters into the specific scenes. I mean based on the modular system alone, they've covered a massive amount of Hogwarts already, in comparison to the previous line. As I said in my last post, now that they've allowed the sets combined to be this huge, exterior/interior-accurate Hogwarts, I genuinely think this is the superior line compared to the 2018-2020 line.

[Clone OPatra]

23 minutes ago, Alas_Earwax said:

Don't get me wrong, they look great from the outside.

Precisely. This is why.

I enjoy setting up displays with official sets, and the 2018-2020 sets are great to display. The newer ones are not. The design team has managed to mash the new sets together into a shape that if you squint, it kind of approximates the "official Hogwarts layout" by the end of the film series. But open your eyes fully and it's ugly, unseemly, full of gaps, a mishmash of colours and design elements. The 2018-2020 sets are elegant by comparison, and I'm not saying that off the top of my head. I'm looking at my display of them as I type.

[brickbride]

2 hours ago, Alas_Earwax said:

which imo allows them to focus on making that moment playable, and thus you get more overall room to place characters into the specific scenes.

Really? I only own CoS and PPM and even though I do like them they look completely crowded. You can barely fit in the figs. Thanks, effing studless lattice plates! It's made worse by the short legs. In both sets together, only 3 out of 15 (!!!) figs have posable legs that would allow them to run or fly or sit. And you can't exactly have Nick and Tom Riddle sitting at breakfast or in class, either.

Edited May 22, 2023 by brickbride

[Darth Shadowthrone]

Can we all please stop using acronyms for sets?! I understand for the books/films when they’ve been called OotP or HBP for almost twenty years but shortening set names is silly and makes my head hurt aha 

16 hours ago, NostalgicBricks said:

While the combined castle certainly looks better than I could have anticipated building the sets separately, seeing the HD picture of it on Ashnflash's video makes it appear far less impressive for me personally. While it does (sort of) follow the outline that we know and love (with the great hall and grand tower leading across the viaduct and with the bell towers at the back, and even a hint of the boathouse), I'm afraid that it all looks rather messy to me. There are large arches on the outside of Dumbledore's Office showing, the entrance to said office should be inside, none of the windows match, the clock tower is just randomly there; and the RoR all seems very open. While it's definitely much better than I could have expected, and it's something 9-year old me would have been ecstatic for, it just doesn't look very appealing for adult-me. I will continue to display this version of Hogwarts interior-focused like a giant Hogwarts dollhouse. Even if the interior room structures aren't that amazing, either, I think the strongest part of this iteration of Hogwarts was the details: the stickers (the fat lady portrait, bed divider, Lockhart's portraits ) and the prints (the skel-e-grow, sweets, bottles, the pixies) and the small builds (the sinks, beds). 

While I love the 2018-20 sets, and I appreciate the 2018 D2C for what it was, I personally am still holding out for an amazing Hogwarts set (whether in separate sets or as one giant set) as I don't feel that any of the sets have ever captured that magic yet. Perhaps, if I ever get around to it, I'll start that project  I've been dreaming of where I build my own Hogwarts using all of the stickers/prints/parts/sets we already have to recreate it in my "image". 

My Hogwarts is mostly a mix of the 2010 and 2021 sets with the 2019 Clocktower looking great in the background.
 

I agree with you that the new combined 2023 design might warrant some moc alterations to make it more cohesive - I’ve very heavily modded my 2010 sets and out a green roof on the 2020 Astronomy tower so it fits in 

[BacktoBricks]

I have to say that after seeing more reviews I think I'm going to have get Dobby. I don't go for the buildable creatures normally, but he is very cute and I think he and Groot will get along nicely. 

The fact that Dobby gets a heart of gold also really shows some designer love to me.

The train on the other hand doesn't look so good to me now so think I'll be skipping it, and I still can't fathom why no one is mentioning those light grey rooves.

Edited May 22, 2023 by BacktoBricks

[NostalgicBricks]

4 hours ago, BacktoBricks said:

I have to say that after seeing more reviews I think I'm going to have get Dobby. I don't go for the buildable creatures normally, but he is very cute and I think he and Groot will get along nicely. 

The fact that Dobby gets a heart of gold also really shows some designer love to me.

The train on the other hand doesn't look so good to me now so think I'll be skipping it, and I still can't fathom why no one is mentioning those light grey rooves.

Dobby is my most wanted set this wave - isn't that sad? Hehe.  

[BacktoBricks]

8 hours ago, NostalgicBricks said:

Dobby is my most wanted set this wave - isn't that sad? Hehe.  

Well it is in one sense as a reflection of the wave overall, but then why shouldn't Dobby come out on top for once, 

[BrickBob Studpants]

I get the criticism, but it‘s still a decent wave overall. The BoH comes with great minifigs, new wands, magic effect pieces, and a useful castle extension. The HE gives us Lee, new faceprints for Harry and Hermione, and chocolate frog card as well as galleon 1x1 prints. Then we have a ton of Weasley products in the WWW set, plus Romilda Vane. The Quidditch trunk comes with a variety of faceprints and those hoods are a cool addition too. The buildable figures are on par with the ones we had before IMO

Sure, the wave could‘ve been better (e.g., by adding a $20 set, replacing one of the buildable figures with a playset, and/or replacing one or both remakes with new stuff), but it still includes a lot of worthwhile additions to our collections

[MaxHeadroom]

23 hours ago, brickbride said:

PPM was necessary, if for nothing else then to correct the intentional design flaw in the CoS (slide with no trap door). The alternative would have been the CoS costing EUR 20 more with three Harry figs. (And the HP theme getting only one somewhat affordable EUR 20 set in three years instead of a whopping two.)

But yeah, it made us expect the wrong things. Initially it looked like "The modular system will have sets ranging from the small PPM to the middling FE to the big CoS". When really it was "We split the CoS into two sets and aren't planning on doing any other small sets in the modular system."

The modular system could have been so much better than it was/is.

The strange CoS entrance without PPM would’ve been the least of this system’s worries and considering the official 2023 layout doesn’t have it above the CoS set think even LEGO would agree.  So much for them planning the whole this castle in advance like some people were speculating. 

My point was just that it’s an anomaly. No other retail set had its interior on the front of the box or was at that pricepoint. No other retail set had such a simple and unobtrusive exterior design. PPM even has a complete floor without lattice plates which I’m not sure any other retail sets have. It follows most the rules of the 2021+ castle redesign but it feels like it’s in a totally different language. 

[BrickBob Studpants]

Just got notified that I‘ll receive some of the sets tomorrow (BoH, Dobby, EP, and QT to be precise)  

[brickbride]

1 hour ago, BrickBob Studpants said:

The buildable figures are on par with the ones we had before IMO

YMMV is all I'm saying.

 

Edited May 23, 2023 by brickbride

[Lion King]

Do we have a polybag this year?

[krimimimi]

@Lion King, Cho Chang in the Ravenclaw Quidditch uniform, in a forced perspective build with miniature pitch. 30651

Edited May 23, 2023 by krimimimi