Get ready and draw your wands as one of the most anticipated games based on the hit novel/movie franchise Harry Potter is finally here! Harry Potter novels and movies significantly impacted pop culture, and a game based on the hit franchise had been the dream of the fans for so long.
The game fulfills the dream of every Harry Potter fan – to be admitted to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, to wander the secret passages of the castle, to fly on your broomstick, and to cast spells with your magic wand to ward off evils and fight goblins.
Hogwarts Legacy is an action role-playing game developed by Avalanche Software and published by Warner Bros, the original producer of the Harry Potter movies under the label of Portkey Games.
While the game is expected to be released on February 10, 2023, on platforms like PlayStation5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows buying the Hogwarts Legacy Deluxe Edition for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S and PC will allow the player a 72-hour early access to the game, starting on February 7, 2023.
The game enthusiasts are very much excited to discuss the Hogwarts Legacy review and let’s find out more!
About The Game
Hogwarts legacy is an action role-playing game. The game is the true fulfillment of all the dreams and fantasies of a Harry Potter fan as the game will allow the player to attend classes at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, meet different professors who teach at the school, and interact with them and also to explore the locations like the Forbidden Forest, Diagon Alley, and Hogsmeade that are familiar for them through the novels and movies.
Choosing a magic wand from Olivander is a big moment for the fans, which is made possible through the game.
The player will also have a chance to fly around the Castle and the areas of Hogwarts on their broomstick and also to interact with all the fantastic beasts of the Harry Potter Universe like Thestrals and Hippogriffs if you know where exactly to find them!
Through their journey in the game, the player will learn the different ways of the magical world like casting magical spells, making potions, and also mastering combat skills. Along with the magical beats of the Universe, players will also encounter other magical beings like Dragons, trolls, moon claves, nifflers, and many more.
The player can also establish relationships with other non-playing characters in the movie and as this relationship progresses, the non-playing characters will accompany the player in different tasks, help in expanding the ability and also learn their story through the interaction, which diversifies the game’s Universe.
Another important feature of the game is the creation of the player, which is one of the initial steps in playing the game. The player is allowed to customize the appearance of the character and choose all the features of their character.
The same choice is offered in choosing the gender and the house of the character too. The game also allows the addition of different accessories for the character as the game advances.
As the main character in the game interacts with most of the non-playing characters in the game, the character will talk for quite a good amount of time.
So, the game also allows the player to choose the sound of their character and also to adjust the pitch of the sound too. Along with the main plot of the game, Hogwarts Legacy also provides the players with quite a wide array of side tasks, which is a good time killer and is quite impressive.
Into Hogwarts Legacy Review
While the Harry Potter movies and novels are set in the 90s, the game Hogwarts Legacy dates a few years back and is set in the 1890s – which is almost 100 years before Harry Potter set foot in the Great Hall of Hogwarts and almost 30n years before Newt Scamander wrote his books about Fantastic Beasts.
The main character in the game is a student who starts their fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As the player in the game is somewhat late compared to other students, a wizard’s field guide is given by the Ministry of Magic.
The main storyline of the game revolves around the duty of the player character to save the wizarding world from being torn apart as the player holds the key to an “ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart.”
The game is a mission to find the secret of the mysterious ancient magic and why it made a sudden resurgence and also to uncover other people who are trying to get their hands on this ancient power.
What We Think About Hogwarts Legacy
Location
The actual star of the game is Hogwarys. The developers have done their best in making the best version of the wizarding world possible and for the fans, it is nothing short of childhood dreams becoming a reality. The game features each nook and corner of the castle and does complete justice to it.
The stone-ladder corridors, moving and talking pictures on the wall, and the iconic towers of the castle – everything is perfect, and will take some time for the player to walk around and take it all in.
Even though you are not on admission, it is fulfilling to just walk around the corridors and the campus of the school. The main quest and the side quests also will require the player to explore each corner of Hogwarts and its magical surroundings.
Game Play
As per the Hogwarts Legacy review by game analysts, it is just like the original story. The game starts after the main character is sorted into any of the four houses.
After being sorted, the player will then attend classes where they will learn to cast spells, make potions, grow their own plants in Herbology, and all other basic things that wizards and witches learn at school. These abilities will come in handy later in the game during the time of combat or any such encounter.
After some houses into the game, the player will be granted their own area in the Room of Requirements, where they are free to do almost anything, which limits the traveling to an extent. If needed, players can easily travel between locations through a network of Floo Points, which will be marked on the map.
Combats
The combats in the Hogwarts Legacy are something that takes the game to another level. The combats feature different types of attacks and one of the major attractions is the combination strikes where multiple spells can be used to generate a powerful and effective combination.
The combat also features a point marker, in order to target the energy. The game also equips the player with different defensive techniques like shields and ways to roll over or transport themselves to shorter distances in order to dodge an enemy attack.
The Pros And Cons Of Hogwarts Legacy
Pros
- Dream fulfillment for Harry Potter fans
It is definite that there will be no other people who will be more excited and happy about the game than Harry Potter fans. The game is an actual dream come true for fans to be a part of the magical universe which they have known from the movies and novels for so long.
As the developers have done an excellent job in recreating the magic world, the fans will be very much pleased to be in the exact world themselves.
- Multiple graphic modes to choose from
The game allows the player to choose from five different graphic modes according to their preference.
- Fidelity – High fidelity mode which favors resolution (presumed 4K at 30fps)
- Fidelity with Ray Tracing – High fidelity mode with Raytracing
- Performance – High frame rate mode that gives importance to performance (presumed 1080p at 60 FPS)
- Balanced – Rendering mode that aims at balance – It is only available on supported output devices.
- HFR Performance – Ultra-high frame mode that supports maximum performance and is available only on supported output devices. (presumed dynamic 1080P at 120 FPS)
- Quite a large setting to explore
The development of the setting in Hogwarts Legacy has fully done justice to the mentions of the world in both novels and also in the movies.
The detailing in the game is also impressive given the fact that the developers have taken extra care in designing the castle and the other major areas surrounding the school like the Forbidden forest and areas like Diagon Alley.
- Graphics Quality
This is probably one of the instantly striking features of the game. The uncompromised quality of graphics has helped the game in providing the players with a very satisfying experience and this has also contributed to giving the feel of an actual journey, unlike other games which reassure the fact that what you see on screen is not real, through their poorly done graphics.
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Cons
While the game is reported to have met the expectations of players worldwide, there are also some places where the game fell short. Here are some of the drawbacks that we felt with Hogwarts Legacy
- Detached Voice acting
The playing character in the game frequently encounters many non-playing characters in the game and has quite a lot of verbal conversations with such characters.
While we are free to choose the sound of our character, it should be pointed out that the voice acting of the characters does feel a little detached in the game.
The problem becomes more and more evident as verbal conversations are a very big part of the game and the character often engages in conversations.
- Might not be as pleasing for non-Harry Potter fans
As the game is set in the magic universe of Harry Potter, we advise that having a prior understanding of the world will be really helpful in the game.
While the game might be a treat for Harry Potter fans, people who are not familiar with the story might find it a bit off, confusing, or difficult compared to fans. As players get used to the game with time, the initial struggle for non-Harry Potter fans is real.
It should also be kept in mind that the game Hogwarts Legacy has a 16+ rating by PEGI. This means that the game features scenes involving bad language, violence or sexual references, and the use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs.
So, it should be taken special care that people who are under the prescribed age should not be allowed to play the game.
Hogwarts Legacy Review: Conclusion
Before formally arriving at a conclusion it should be addressed that chances are high that if you are a Harry Potter fan, then chances are high that you will find Hogwarts Legacy an appealing game at one point or another as it has featured the magic world of Hogwarts with excellent quality and attention to detail. Different reviews from fans suggest that the game was more than they could have asked for.
Even though the tasks provided in the game may not be much innovative compared to other games. The setting and the experience of being a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will bow the fans off for sure.
Now, if you are a player who is not a Harry Potter fan, the game may not be as appealing for you as your counterparts and it is true that the game might come off as confusing or difficult in the beginning but with some time, it will be quite easy and enjoyable too. So, what we suggest before going into Hogwarts Legacy is to brush up on your knowledge about Harry Potter and Hogwarts as much as possible.
While considering the story and other technical aspects, Hogwarts Legacy might not be the most groundbreaking release that we have had, but the game will give the player a decent experience through its well-structured and developed combats and multiple quests.
The game is guaranteed to reward you with some really engaging and interesting hours and as our concluding note, we would like to state that the wait was completely worth it!
