Editor’s Note: This story represents an ongoing review of Hogwarts Legacy. immerse in controversy (opens in new tab) the past few years. We believe that games are never released “in a vacuum” and that the social context in which they exist is part of the experience and worth sharing with readers. Hogwarts completes his Legacy review. —Evan Lahti, Global Editor (evan@pcgamer.com)
After playing Hogwarts Legacy for over 20 hours, I found myself in a quaint home of what is a sprawling RPG with skill trees, wizard combat, crafting, environmental puzzles, and tons of side quests, plus managing a zoo. It turns out that it’s also a decoration game. This is a much bigger game than anyone expected, and we’re constantly amazed at how good the individual elements are so far.
It certainly suffers from a tortuous start and distracting technical issues, but now that I’m free to explore all of Hogwarts and, surprisingly, the miles of countryside that surrounds it, I’m enjoys the legacy of Hogwarts as before in The Witcher 3 or Red Dead Redemption 2: among increasingly engrossing characters as you rustle through convincingly rendered worlds at your own pace put yourself down
Hogwarts Legacy is in many ways a game you’ve played before, but it’s also unusual. A big-budget RPG that tries to pack all the prestige, magnificence, and anticipation of a large-scale media property into a seamless sandbox. , which really nails it. This is Harry Potter’s Arkham His Asylum moment. This could be its own in an established world, without being bound by the restrictive deadlines and creative boundaries of film tie-ins made by studios that were relegated to obligatory marketing products like Toy His Story. It’s a game that tells a story. 3: video games.
After 30 hours with no end in sight, the legacy of Hogwarts still holds a firm hold on my brain. I’m thinking about attacking the dark wizard with a satisfying Confringo explosion when I have to prepare dinner. I’m thinking about which plants to grow in, and whether the game will stop lagging as I move between Hogwarts’ many towers.
wizard bowl
Usually when a game is good it’s a simple thing. We like them, they surprise us, I write about it, it’s fun, but the fun of Hogwarts His Legacy forms a unique set of conflicting emotions. I enjoy games that are an extension of JK Rowling. anti-trans prejudice (opens in new tab) Over the last few years, she has used her wealth and fame to further an ideology that rejects and further marginalizes one of society’s most vulnerable communities.
Avalanche’s dogmatic pursuit of a realistic Hogwarts also means that the place is a maze that is honest to God.
Hogwarts Legacy was neither written by, nor adapted from, JK Rowling’s story.In fact, Warner Bros. and Portkey Games (Harry Potter’s game her publishing division on her property) said she “I am not involved in the creation of the game” (opens in new tab) Jeez. Still, it builds on the world she created and inherits some of its problems, especially its portrayal. goblin (opens in new tab) and “House Elf” (opens in new tab)That success could benefit her both culturally and financially.
It also benefits the talented people at Avalanche Software, who have built a rich, almost frustratingly detailed world that routinely exceeds the source material in quality and comprehensiveness. Hogwarts Legacy is full of simple yet harmonious systems that make things fun and accessible.
- Wizard Duel: It’s a unique take on ranged combat that doesn’t require aiming, but where spacing, dodging, and countering are key. Think Batman’s cooldown (and more murders).
- search: The world is surprisingly wide, and the world expands even more when you can fly anywhere you want.
- Loot: Clothing, cloaks, scarves, facewear, and hats have attack/defense stats like Destiny, but you can set your appearance however you like.
- Collectibles: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has a seemingly endless list of things, often hidden behind micro-puzzles. It’s not as glamorous as it looks, but it’s fun to grab on your way to something bigger.
- talk: I often choose two or three dialogs that represent the chosen personality in range (although they rarely seem to affect the outcome of the interaction).
- Required room: A personalized living space for wizards, with nearly Animal Crossing-level decor options. In the end, it gets pretty big.
Perhaps the most distinctive and memorable aspect of Hogwarts Legacy is Hogwarts itself. Developers love to describe their games as “living, breathing worlds,” but it’s hard to think of a better way to characterize the storied castle.
You can’t walk 10 feet without a piece of Hogwarts Castle coming to life. Books are reconfigured on shelves, armor salutes passers-by, hedges are trimmed to perfection, ghosts levitate and joke, textbooks flap above students as they pass by, paintings come to life. Talk as if MOMA switched to the .gif standard. My favorite hallway in Hogwarts is this unpretentious hallway near the courtyard where he has two golden armors sneaking kicks each time he passes. Once proper armor, probably after having it until then here A left-handed prankster who wore that mace and beat the crap out of another guy for eternity.
lost again
Permanent but not disruptive technical issues also haunt me here and there.
However, its magnificence is not always a blessing. Avalanche’s dogmatic pursuit of a realistic Hogwarts also means that the place is a maze that is honest to God. The central hall alone speaks in six or seven directions, each spiraling up to the classroom and down into the dungeon. I’ve never climbed so many video game stairs in my life. Just thinking about it makes me sick. I usually like to disable the navigation markers in open-world games and learn the map on my own, but I don’t have three years to spare, so I’m constantly pressing the button that reminds me of Golden his trail to my destination. I’m here.
As the year progresses at Hogwarts, I still have questions and concerns (winter has finally arrived). I’m not sure how long this main quest will last, but it’s both fun and annoying. My spellbook is nearly full, but about half of them are optional, so the mainline combat encounters and puzzles don’t demand anything more from me than the basics (sorry). We’ve also mostly checked things that have had shallow loot pools in the past. Clothing with slotable traits eventually started dropping from enemies, but the effect is small, so just equip the one with the highest number of attack/defense, then the best looking one to replace cosmetics.
Permanent but not disruptive technical issues also haunt me here and there. Most noticeable is the short but frequent pauses at the Hogwarts door while the game loads what’s on the other side. has never lasted longer than two seconds, and it only happens at doors leading to the outside, but otherwise it’s a problem in immersive worlds.
As of this pre-release, before the presumed day one patch, Hogwarts Legacy also has a significant pop-in issue. If you arrive at a location on a broomstick a little earlier than the game expects, the students will fade away. There is also sexuality. Rendering distances and streaming budgets are technical hurdles that most open world games control by locking players in and curating line of sight, but Hogwarts just can’t afford it.
Licensing such a blockbuster game is extremely rare. So far, some offer very specific fantasies, and a few. What could have been a celebratory moment for a series that has passed its deadline for great video games is instead destined to become one of the most divisive games in recent years. All fans, including those who just want to play a cool new Wizard RPG, will be faced with a choice of sides in Harry Potter Culture War 2023.
