After a long wait and a few delays, Hogwarts Legacy is finally hitting PC and consoles with one of the best video game recreations of Harry Potter's wizarding world ever made. As a new fifth-year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, players will embark on a single-player adventure to uncover the sources of ancient magic while stopping a collection of evil goblins and wizards as they attempt to utilize the power for themselves.
The story in Hogwarts Legacy is a classic fantasy trope: the young protagonist finds out they're the "chosen one" and must overcome an evil attempting to take over the lands. The cutscenes and overall story beats are engaging and enjoyable, but there is nothing new or exciting about this type of narrative. Where the game truly shines is in its beautiful recreation of Hogwarts and the surrounding areas. Running around the massive castle or flying over the forest near Hogsmeade are iconic moments that feel as weighty and engaging as they should be. There are also hundreds of little easter eggs to discover, as well as many familiar locations that appear to be pulled right out of the films.
The main gameplay of Hogwarts Legacy is fully focused on exploration. In the beginning, the player's level is mostly advanced by finding hidden Field Pages scattered throughout the world. These pages can be found in front of significant areas of Hogwarts by using the Revelio spell, or by solving different types of puzzles. At first, the player's level only restricts access to certain main story quests, but eventually, a talent system opens up that allows players to spend their points on specific aspects that make their character better.
The collectibles in Hogwarts Legacy are as plentiful as the areas that house them. At the start, players will have invisible Field Pages, Moth Mirror Puzzles, and Dice Door challenges that provide cosmetics. This seems simple enough, but as the story progresses players will unlock the ability to find hidden flying keys that unlock a special House Chest, Merlin Challenges to increase gear capacity, specialty Eyeball Chests that can only be opened once players earn the Disillusionment charm, Moon Statues that can only be found at night, and so much more. Fast travel points in the form of Floo Powder are all over the world and available right away, but they seem useless at the start, when exploration is the main way of leveling up - and Hogwarts Legacy is so successful at sculpting its environments into evolving narratives and adventures.
Eventually, players will unlock the Room of Requirement, which acts as their own customizable central hub. They can set up rooms for their captured beasts, botany stations for plants, and potion-making tools. The amount of collectibles and customization in Hogwarts Legacy seems endless, and it is easy to be distracted from the main quest line. Luckily, there are points where the game focuses the player back on completing certain side and main quests to advance their time at Hogwarts. However, each major story beat seems to only add new distractions, things to find, or mini-games to compete in.
Player customization in Hogwarts Legacy is tied almost exclusively to gear scores. Much like the Destiny 2 system, players will find new cloaks, hats, scarves, eyewear, and outfits that have increased scores for offensive and defensive stats. Simply choosing the highest number piece is the smartest thing to do in the beginning but eventually, there will be augments and traits that can be added to higher-ranked gear. There is an appearance menu for players to change the look of their gear to any that they have unlocked or found, even if that gear has been sold. Iif a player really likes their special Ravenclaw house robes, for instance, they can continue to look like they're wearing it despite actually wearing the big ugly orange robe that has better stats.
Combat is also a very enjoyable aspect of the game. Hogwarts Legacy uses a combo system of spells that are unlocked by attending classes and doing special assignments for teachers. Players on Xbox have access to customizable slots activated by the right trigger and whichever face button is chosen. This creates some fun combinations while doing battle or dueling. Yanking an enemy close with Accio and then lighting them ablaze with Incendio is incredibly satisfying. Dodging and countering plays out with a simple button press and longer battles can get a little repetitive if the player doesn't mix their moves up much. However, a little creativity goes a long way, and mixing spells with thrown plants or potions can take down even the biggest enemies quickly enough.
Hogwarts Legacy is a wonderful game filled to the brim with adventures to be had, activities to engage in, and secrets to be found. The school and the surrounding areas have been recreated beautifully, and players will easily lose hours lost in the whimsical splendor of this wizarding world.
Hogwarts Legacy releases on February 10, 2023 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, with a PS4 and Xbox One release on April 4 and a Switch release on July 25. Screen Rant was provided with an Xbox Series X/S download code for the purpose of this review.
Source: Hogwarts Legacy/YouTube
Editor’s Note: Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling has been accused of transphobia by those in the LGBTQ+ community. Although not directly involved in the development of Hogwarts Legacy, Rowling does stand to earn royalties from the game. We would like to reiterate our support for trans rights and that trans identities are valid. Support services are listed below for trans people impacted by discussions of transphobia.
In the USA:
- Trans Lifeline: (877) 565-8860
- The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386
In Canada:
- Trans Lifeline: (877) 330-6366
- Youth Line: 1-800-268-9688
In the UK:
- Switchboard: 01273 204050
- Mermaids: 0808 801 0400
-
Hogwarts Legacy
- Released:
- 2022-02-10
- Developer:
- Avalanche Software
- Genre:
- Adventure, Action RPG, Open-World
- Platform:
- Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Steam
- Publisher:
- Warner Bros. Games
- ESRB:
- T
- Summary:
- Set in the 1800s in the Wizarding World universe, Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world action RPG where players get to live out a student's life in the hallowed halls of Hogwarts and beyond. Aside from Hogwarts, players can also travel between iconic locales such as Hogsmeade and the Forbidden Forest. Starting as a fifth year, players will pick up more advanced spell casting and potion crafting and discover both friendly and antagonistic magical beasts across the entire Harry Potter universe, as they follow the path of light or darkness on their own wizarding journey.
- Franchise:
- Harry Potter
- Engine:
- Unreal Engine 4
- Mode:
- Single-Player
