During the PlayStation 5 showcase event back in September, we were shown many new games, but one of them, set to be released in 2022, stood out most to me (and many others). Of course, I am talking about Hogwarts Legacy; a new creation of Avalanche Software (responsible for making a large number of TV and movie tie-in games over the past 20 years) which promises to redefine the Harry Potter universe.
At this moment in time, there is not a lot known about the upcoming game. However, some of the details we do know are particularly exciting. First of all, Hogwarts Legacy is going to be an open-world game. Players will be able to explore halls of Hogwarts, attend different classes and fully immerse themselves into the life of a wizarding student. It was also confirmed that, in addition to exploring the magic castle, players will be able to visit other iconic places such as the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade. The only concern here is how much freedom will the character have? There is no point in a huge open-world if you need to move from mission to mission without many opportunities to explore by yourself.
Another great feature of the game is its separation from the story of its original universe. Even though Hogwarts Legacy is inspired by J.K Rowling’s Wizarding World, it should bring a unique gaming experience like never before. Again, at this point there is not much information even about the plot, but the story will take place in the 1800’s, much earlier than the events of the original universe. The playable character gets a late acceptance to Hogwarts and soon after arriving finds that they are not a usual student, and has the ability to master ancient magic which may have a detrimental effect on the wizarding world. The narrative of fighting against evil forces is likely to stay, but the approach seems to be a bit different.
Probably the most exciting thing about the game is its genre – an action RPG with personalisation elements. There are many hints that the story will be non-linear with many different paths, with personal decisions in controversial situations being highly influential. In addition, players will be able to choose what to focus their studies on: brewing potions, taking care of magical creatures, mastering charms or something else – all these things will also affect how the story turns out. Not to mention the customisation, choice of the faculty and possible freedom of an open world which the character may have, there is even a real opportunity to become an evil wizard, which has never been available before.
Quidditch will also be present in the game, although it’s unclear to what extent. The game’s trailer clearly shows Quidditch related animations and outfits, so it definitely will be present, though in my opinion it’s unlikely that we’ll be able to to freely play it, as it essentially means creating a whole extra sport game within the main game. Quidditch in itself is a complicated sport with many possible outcomes, animations and turns, and it may be extremely difficult to implement in an already packed game. It could be shown in cutscenes or implemented as in Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery, where the match looks like a sequence of mini-quests, outcomes of which impact the result of the game.
The game will be available on the computers, old-generation consoles and obviously on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. It is likely that the game will still be quite enjoyable on old consoles and computers, but it’s clearly aimed for the more advanced devices.
As for the trailer, it makes the game look absolutely amazing, with tons of colourful attributes, beautiful animations and different locations. It has the potential to be the game to actually showcase the magic of a new generation of consoles, something we’ve not really seen so far.
Overall, Hogwarts Legacy looks incredibly promising. An open-world, action RPG with personalisation elements in the Harry Potter universe looks very tempting. If it lives up to the expectations, it could become a fan favourite and one of the best games ever. Personally, I don’t tend to spend a lot of money on games, and I’m not a huge Harry Potter fan either, but Hogwarts Legacy made me very excited, and I can’t wait to give away my £59.99 and dig into the wizarding world. Imagine how the true Harry Potter fans feel right now and how much money they could rake in if the game has an online mode!
Hogwarts Legacy has a potential to become an amazing asset to the Harry Potter universe, but equally, it could turn out to be disastrous (overly hyped games haven’t been doing too well lately…). Regardless, I genuinely can’t wait.
Mischief managed!
Image: Avalanche Software & Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment