The game that seems to have rocked the gaming world, Hogwarts Legacy has done more than just well since its recent release on Xbox, PC, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation. Could we have a potential ‘Game of the Year’ on our hands?
First Impressions
Despite all the hype surrounding Hogwarts Legacy, I had an inclination that this game could be a flop, or more of a PG game for kids. However, I am happy to say that I was very much wrong.
There is the slight thorn in its side regarding J.K Rowling’s ‘interesting’ views on certain topics, however, unlike some other reviews by other websites, I am judging the game as it is – a wizarding RPG that provides endless hours of fun.
Hogwarts Legacy has got that perfect RPG feel that gets you glued to the screen for hours. With extremely satisfying combat mechanics, intriguing character storylines, an insane amount of detail and accuracy to the books, all topped off by beautiful graphics and landscapes, this game has the ability to please Harry Potter fans and hardcore RPG fans alike.
You get the Harry Potter nostalgia from the sorting hat to the cosy town of Hogsmeade, to even flyable hippogriffs, whilst Hogwarts Legacy also being able to be a solid RPG game that requires strategy when facing bosses, quick reaction times and pure skill, similar to what’s needed for an Elden Ring type of RPG game.
It’s safe to say my first impressions were excellent. I got sorted into my favourite house, Ravenclaw, with each house having their own themed common rooms and dormitories, designed exactly as described in the Harry Potter books.
Gameplay
Hogwarts Legacy shined in many different aspects of the gameplay itself, with the combat being my personal favourite aspect. It does have a few flaws that I will highlight, such as the occasional bug here and there and the lack of a quidditch mode or multiplayer, which will definitely be a disappointment for many.
Character Creation
Rating: 3.5/5
An underrated aspect of Hogwarts Legacy is the character customization and creation, which in my opinion is pretty solid. Unfortunately, you can only choose from templates for how your actual face is constructed, however there is a large range of templates to choose from, so I doubt players cannot find at least a slight resemblance to themselves.
The hair design is very good, with realistic textures making the hair look very detailed and you can see the developers dedicated time to making hair look good in this game. Same goes for the skin and blemishes, with freckles, scars and any other type of blemish being selectable.
Again, the main downside to this is that everyone will most likely look a bit like everyone else, due to the use of templates. Since the templates are high quality, it isn’t that big of a deal, however it would’ve been nice to have that extra depth to character customization.
Whether you choose to make a Harry Potter version of yourself or make a wacky abomination, Hogwarts Legacy seems to have it all covered for character customization. One aspect they could’ve added is possibly height and body type options, although sticking to a generic body shape is acceptable.
Combat
Rating: 5/5
As I said, the combat in Hogwarts Legacy is great, with a unique feel due to the usage of wands and spells, but also being a simple enough system for anyone to really grasp, with easy controls that can be combined nicely. Throwing dark wizards and evil spiders around with spells like Flipendo, Depulso and Descendo is barrels of fun, creating lots of opportunities for crazy eliminations and creative battles.
The variety of spells you can use in combat is sensational, with the ‘Unforgivable Curses’ like Avada Kadavra and Crucio being the more brutal spells, whilst simpler spells like Levioso or Accio are less aggressive; they all have their own special ways in damaging or affecting an enemy.
Additionally, the enemies are affected differently by whichever spells you use. For example, spiders are killed quicker with fire, whilst rock-based enemies like the Pensieve Sentries which you meet in the ancient magic missions are immune to fire.
Speaking of ancient magic, the ‘finishers’ that use such magic are rather brilliant. Turning your enemy into a chicken or making them vanish into dust is extremely cool after a long and epic battle, full of dodging and usage of amazing spells.
One thing to note, do not underestimate the difficulty of the battles in Hogwarts Legacy. Obviously, this point varies with which difficulty you select, but as someone who has tested each difficulty, don’t expect ‘normal’ difficulty to be a pushover. I recommend the ‘normal’ difficulty to anyone who has played games before, and if you are a person who plays many RPG’s like Elden Ring, then go for the max difficulty.
Free Roam and Side Quests
Rating: 5/5
An area that Hogwarts Legacy does not lack on whatsoever is side quests when roaming the surprisingly massive map. Many students, villagers and more have fun and unique quests that each have their own little storyline, apart from the occasional boring quest of delivering goods.
I enjoyed the small storylines as it made it feel like the map had more than just the main characters. It also made each village, that could usually get ignored by some players, to have a bit of their own content and making it actually interesting for you to visit them, with the incentive of a new spell, galleons, clothing or any other rewards being a nice bonus to the side quests.
The free roam was much more engaging than I expected. Chests are scattered everywhere you look and it is very easy to veer away from your original objective, spending a good hour or so purely exploring the map.
Small tasks such as Formidable Foes and Merlin Trials gave you something to do when travelling across the huge map, with Formidable Foes testing your combat ability, whilst Merlin Trials tested your IQ by giving you brain-boggling puzzles.
Additionally, Hogwarts Legacy is a game that actually makes travelling pretty fun. Speeding around on your very own broom or Hippogriff is what Harry Potter fan’s dreams are made of.
Don’t worry, there is fast travel in Hogwarts Legacy, for those who aren’t too excited by broomsticks and flying beasts, although I must say some of the views when flying across the map are breath-taking and I highly recommend doing a few trips without using fast travel at least once or twice.
One aspect that I’ve seen players be disappointed by is no romance options with characters, which isn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but when you look at the dialogue between characters, it does feel like the game definitely could’ve had this aspect.
How you respond to each character does affect your friendship with that character, however this could’ve been more in depth, with maybe a relationship meter of some sort like in Stardew Valley for example, which would give each dialogue choice more weight and meaning.
Another aspect they could’ve added to really make Hogwarts feel like a school would be curfews like in the ‘Bully’ game from Rockstar, sleep and general life necessities such as a need for food or a tiredness meter. This is used in games like Red Dead and State of Decay 2, and although it can be annoying, it would definitely make Hogwarts feel more immersive from the eyes of a student.
Storyline
Rating: 4/5
RPG’s can sometimes get away with a simple storyline by having such good gameplay and combat, however, a great RPG does well at combining the two. Hogwarts Legacy’s storyline of a transfer student joining 5th year Hogwarts students after never attending a wizarding school previously is a bit Wattpad-feeling.
There are a few instances regarding dialogue with fellow students or teachers that give off a classic teenage fantasy Wattpad story vibe, along with a disappointing talking animation that isn’t amazingly synced or expressive.
Despite this, I am a fan of the vast spider web of storylines that are somehow weaved to be part of the main story, which to me makes up for the lacklustre talking animations.
The quests do vary from house to house, with Gryffindor having the most quests whilst Ravenclaw has the least, however in general, whatever house you pick out of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Hufflepuff, the storyline stays in the same realm of a new student who is in tune with ancient magic, tasked with taking down Ranrok the evil goblin.
I love the way the main characters stories and backgrounds are a part of the main story, such as Sebastian’s tragic story involving his family, the whole Rookwood connection and the links back to the founders of Hogwarts.
There are also many parallels with the Harry Potter stories, such as the professors being similar to those in the books and films. Notably, Professor Sharp having a similar demeanour as Snape, and of course, the many familial links such as Deputy Headteacher Weasley and Headmaster Black being ancestors of the more recognizable Ron Weasley and Sirius Black.
Graphics
Rating: 3.5/5
Hogwarts Legacy definitely isn’t the most visually crisp game out there, however, when we’re talking about how beautiful this game is, well that’s a different story. Being genuinely stunned by a landscape on a game, especially these days, isn’t too common.
Walking around the house dorms, the endless halls of Hogwarts and the great plains surrounding the huge wizarding school is simply magical. Obviously, this will hit home more to Harry Potter fans, but I think for anyone who plays this game, you will get goosebumps when seeing Hogwarts in all its glory from your flying broomstick.
The late 1800’s style design on the inside of Hogwarts and the nearby villages is beautiful, with a gothic, cathedral-like patterning mixed with the humble and jolly feel of the Scottish countryside. Overall, the game manages well to capture what Hogwarts in the 1800’s really would of felt like visually.
Conclusion
Rating: 4.5/5
The main impression I get when playing Hogwarts Legacy is a feeling of immense depth, with a jam-packed world and endless quest options, but also a fresh sense that this game is straight-up fun. At around £60 for Hogwarts Legacy: Standard Edition, and around £74.99 for the Deluxe Edition, this game is rather pricey, however I think it is definitely worth your money.
Yes, there are games with better graphics and cleaner animations, however Hogwarts Legacy has that vintage RPG element of endless exploration mixed with an intriguing storyline and unique combat, that is a recipe for a Game of The Year candidate.
Hogwarts Legacy doesn’t do too much, whilst also not having too little. This game will no doubt have you looking up at your clock and realising many hours have passed, which to me is always a good litmus test for how good a game is.
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