It seems that every game that is released these days is surrounded by a storm of controversy. And I can’t remember a game being anywhere as divisive as Hogwarts Legacy has been.
Which is somewhat unfortunate as underneath the debate, Avalanche Software have created what many fans have been crying out for for years. That is, a beefy role-playing game set in the witchcraft and wizardry world.
A Legacy Hogwarts
The game takes place in the late 1800s, a century before the events of the novels it’s based around. This is a good choice as you get to see this well-known world from a whole new perspective.
You start out by creating your witch or wizard in the fairly deep character creator. You then enroll at Hogwarts in the fifth year, complete with sorting hat moment. This is a challenge in its own right and then there is more afoot here than just having to hit the books.
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A goblin called Ranrok, who you run into early in the game, is trying to bring around a rebellion against the world of magic. You’re also ‘gifted’ with a power that lets you use and see an ancient magic. A brand of wizardry which just so happens to be linked to Ranrok’s end goal.
Falling By the Wayside
It’s a fair set up for your adventure but it never really has the impact you may hope for. Hogwarts Legacy aims for extraordinary but, given what it’s all based on, lands on just being pretty ordinary.
Gameplay is an interesting split between time at the school and doing quests. However, the school side of things never feels deep enough. You never feel like you’re forging friendships or rivalries with your classmates. And even the classes feel like a means to an end, just to teach you a new spell or two.
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The quest side fairs a bit better, delivering fast and fluid combat. You’ll blast through a number of spells as you battle everything. From evil wizards to giant spiders. The casting systems all handle well with a simple-to-learn battle scheme.
At first, it boils down to juggling an attack spell and a block one, but over time the options will evolve based on the new spells you learn.
Hogwarts Build Options
You’ll be giving it Alohomora , Descendo and Avada Kedavra like a pro. And the game even eggs you on to start combing spells to see what sort of devastating results you can create from them.
You’ll also get to tackle as few quests with a more stealthy approach, but Hogwarts Legacy is quote basic in terms of stealth mechanics. You’ll also get to level up as you play. And this is where the talent system comes into play, which works as a skill tree just with a magical-themed cloak on it.
The Star of the Legacy
The real star of the show here though is Hogwarts, which has been re-created down to the smallest detail, a fact that long-time fans will really get a kick from – as you never know what you’ll find around the next corner as you wander its grand corridors.
And this all really grounds the game, but it’s a bit strange how when not at school, the rest of the world feels a bit flat in comparison, with there being quests that will see you going beyond the school grounds on its fairly big map.
To its credit, from side quests to collectables, to just interesting things to see and do, you never go too long before having something to keep you busy. Like finding new pages for your field guide, that often sees you have to use different spells to collect them.
Hogwarts Sheen
Visually, the game looks the part and then some with a real old-world vibe in a way, but also feels like a place you know well. Audio is all fitting and carries the tones you would expect, full of magic. Voice acting is also good, if a little stiff at points, but has the likes of Simon Pegg and Lesley Nicol putting in a shift.
However, with being an open-world game, you get a lot of the issues that the genre is known for. Like long loading times, texture popping, object clipping and a host of other visual glitches. However, none are ever bad enough to pull you truly out of the world.
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There are a few pieces missing from the experience. The biggest missed turn has to be not being able to play Quidditch a truly odd move and maybe feels like content that was held back for future DLC. But only time will tell on that front.
Hogwarts Legacy is what a lot of fans have been crying out for. An open-world epic set in a land that they love and it’s just that. Sure, there are a few technical issues and a few odd choices. But overall, if you have dreams of being part of the Witchcraft and Wizardry world Hogwarts Legacy will do the trick and more.