Since the first Harry Potter movie hit the screen in 2001, many dreams have been born. Today, children still dream of being able to roam the world of Harry Potter. Now, more than 20 years later, that dream is made possible thanks to Hogwarts Legacy, a game developed by Avalanche Software. The studio previously worked on the first Prince of Persia game from 1999 and Disney Infinity, but it looks like they’ve switched gear to Hogwarts Legacy.
Hogwarts Legacy is an open world game set in the fantastic world of the Harry Potter films. Whether you know the magical castle as “Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry” or simply “Hogwarts” it doesn’t matter: it will surely give you a sense of appreciation. The nearby town of Hogsmeade and its surrounding meadows have also been designed in detail. Anyone who has always wanted to walk in this magical world can take their chance for the first time.
Fortunately, there is more to do in Hogwarts Legacy than just explore the world. The game takes place about a hundred years before the events of the Harry Potter films and books. During the game’s introduction, it becomes clear that things aren’t quite right between witches and orcs. A situation you have to solve with the help of some Hogwarts professors and “Old Magic”.
Open world action game
So, at its core, Hogwarts Legacy is an action game set in the open world – the mechanics around wizard gear and some conversation options add some RPG elements to that. In the whole open world aspect, the game is close to other games of this type: you follow a main storyline and you have the option to take on a number of side missions. Overall, the main story is surprisingly engaging: you’ll almost ignore side quests until you can see what happens next. Side missions consist mostly of simple one-shots, though a little story creation is created here and there. Some worthwhile side missions span several chapters of the game.
Even if you have completed the story, there is still a lot to do. As the open world game genre dictates, there are also a lot of things to collect in the Wizarding World. You will undoubtedly come across many things while playing Merlin Trials And Old magic hot spots Against it can make your character stronger. You don’t have to collect them all to strengthen your character. Those who like to collect everything can easily stay busy for a while. The fact that progression is linked to a number of collectibles works well in Hogwarts Legacy – you just have to make sure you actually claim the rewards. If you don’t, your character will not improve.
Expiliarmus!
There are of course many spells at the foundation of the Harry Potter universe. You learn most of them while playing, with some [onvergefelijke] Spells that you can only learn during certain side quests. As a result, some parts of the Wizarding World – in Alohomora’s case even literally – are under lock and key, at least until you learn the right spell. Later you can come back and open the door after a mini-game.
Once your spellbook fills up a bit, you’ll start to notice that you’re learning a lot more spells – more than the buttons on your controller, even. Magic in Hogwarts Legacy isn’t difficult, whether you’re using a keyboard or a controller. On the controller, you can pull the right trigger to fire a basic spell. If you press the trigger, you can perform at least 4 different spells using the other buttons. Once you play a bit more and unlock the ability to unlock more of those spell decks, you can start manipulating opponents. Once you’ve mastered the spell system, you can continue casting spells almost to your heart’s content.
Anyone who expects magical battles and a beautiful open world from Hogwarts Legacy can only be happy. Those who, on the other hand, have the idea of retracing their school life in an enchanted world will unfortunately be very disappointed with this game and will have to adjust their expectations. Interactions with the Masters and other characters are often limited to the choice of “good” and “evil”, with the choices often being somewhat cartoonish. Then we forgive: Most of the time, interactions are limited to starting and finishing tasks. So friendships with other Hogwarts students or professors are not included. So those who really want to go back to school should play a real RPG like Persona 5 Royale.
Psychopathic characters
As far as the RPG elements are incorporated into the rest of the game, it’s rather mediocre. For example, the character generator at the beginning of the game is a bit disappointing: your character has a very good chance of looking like one of the other students. Plus, the options are somewhat limited, especially if you’re trying to create a character with longer hair. Also, the house you place your character in has only a limited effect on the (starting) of the game.
You also have the option to give your character a deeper voice. That throat beard seems to be made of metal: Siri usually seems less robotic. Overall, the voice acting is nothing to write home about. Fortunately, it’s not too bad during the cutscenes. But during the dialogues, it’s remarkable how absent most of the characters are: as if the words come from a computer and don’t mean much. Furthermore, the few lines that are explicitly included are repeated endlessly in the game. All roads lead to Hogsmeade and travel broadens the mind! One of my personal favorites that often comes back after a whole goblin camp massacre: “It’s your fault, fat hump!” – Or so it comes to. So much for the RPG elements in the game.
Conclusion
Hogwarts Legacy is not a perfect game, but it is a fun game that you can enjoy for many hours. Hogwarts really comes to life, so even just walking around the neighborhood is actually fun: there is something to discover everywhere. The same goes for the vast and well-groomed area around the castle. As an RPG, the game drops some serious stitches, but that’s a matter of setting the right expectations. As an open world game, Hogwarts Legacy certainly manages to shine and hold the player from start to finish. As a result, Hogwarts Legacy is definitely worth the registration fee, even if it’s mainly to keep you busy with extracurricular activities.
