With millions of fans behind it, Harry Potter has established itself as one of the most famous fantasy youth book sagas in contemporary history. The movies did a good job of bringing that magical world full of witches and wizards to the big screen. While several games in the franchise have also debuted in recent years, almost all of them were regular adaptations of the feature films. For this reason, it drew attention when Warner Bros. Games and Avalanche Software announced Hogwarts Legacy, an ambitious AAA title that tells a totally original story.
Now that I’ve played it, I can confirm that this project is a must for every fan of tapes and books. Also, it is an open world proposal with a lot of charm and charisma that will excite players outside the franchise. Next, I share my verdict.
Related Video: Hogwarts Legacy – “Room of Requirement” Gameplay
Save the wizarding world, but don’t forget to do your homework
Hogwarts Legacy takes place 100 years before the events of the original books. This is the ideal pretext to present a refreshing background and an opportunity for the uninitiated to delve into the franchise for the first time. The first great success of this installment is to move away from the narrative arc of Harry Potter and company.
Although the story is very simple, it has charm and is engaging enough to keep us interested. We liked that there is a very enjoyable feeling of adventure, because despite the fact that a latent evil threatens to jeopardize the magical world, the tone is light and moves away from unnecessary drama.
Here, we play as a 5th grader who arrives at the world’s most famous school of witchcraft and wizardry. We liked that the character has a voice, despite being an avatar with no name, since it gives him personality and his interactions with the other characters are natural. The main and secondary cast is charismatic and varied; we will meet classmates, teachers and all kinds of beings related to the school in which we all wanted to be.
Create your dream witch or wizard and live out the fantasy of attending Hogwarts
Without a doubt, Avalanche Software hit the mark and knew how to bring the magical universe created by JK Rowling to a game. The settings are highly detailed and feel alive. Hogwarts and its surroundings are very well represented, and are characters in their own right. Traveling the map both on the ground and in the air is rewarding; a dream come true.
The open world is huge, and although there are wastelands and forests with little to see or do, the developers knew how to distribute the points of interest so that the empty areas are the exception.
As expected, there is a lot of optional content on the map: collectibles, puzzles, dungeons, enemy camps, animal reserves, side quests, etc. These activities don’t break the mold, but they are harmless at worst and genuinely fun at best.
Of course, the relationship missions that are linked to certain secondary characters are the most interesting because they present a more elaborate narrative arc and exposition sequences.
The world is huge and beautiful
Master the spells and become a master
Everything I’ve said so far would collapse like a tower of cards if the combat system turned out to be bland, boring, or tedious. Fortunately, it is not the case. Hogwarts Legacy is a brawler in the truest style of the Batman: Arkham saga. The core is the same: attack, dodge and counter. Obviously, kicks and punches are out of the equation to make way for energy attacks with the wand. There are a few drawbacks that we’ll cover later, but overall, the concept works very well.
This is thanks to the special spells and abilities that we unlock as we progress through the campaign. They are divided into 6 categories and each one has its function, although not all of them are used to fight. For example, control spells are useful to keep enemies at bay, while damage spells will be our favorite tools to attack monsters.
The real charm of this system is the ability to intertwine abilities to create devastating combos. For example, we can use Accio to get enemies closer and use Fire to burn them when they are close. Exploring these possibilities means that skirmishes are never repetitive or boring. In addition, we will have the ability to improve spells to create more powerful and fun versions.
Improving spells will make us more effective in combat
We can also throw objects from the stage, parry to counterattack, and use finishers that deal massive damage to turn fights into an exciting and satisfying dance. Simply put, combat evolves and stays fresh at all times.
We can also opt for stealth, but direct combat is much more satisfying
Exploration is another important part of the experience, and we liked that the developers seamlessly integrated the spells. When traversing a labyrinthine dungeon or the open world, we can use Accio to pull platforms or Confringo to burn webs that get in the way, to name a few examples. The puzzles are rather simple, but they are a nice change of pace.
In addition, there are magic that serve to interact with the environment. For example, Reparo restores a destroyed item and Wingardium Leviosa is used to move items. This range of tools is very interesting, useful and is in tune with the rest of the systems.
It’s time to talk about the presentation. Hogwarts, Hogsmeade and other locations are beautiful with very good quality textures and sublime lighting play. The facial animations of the characters are also good, which I appreciated because we talked a lot.
All the scenarios remind us that we are in a fantasy world
Hogwarts Legacy comes to our region fully dubbed into Latin Spanish. In general, the actors who bring the main and secondary characters to life do an outstanding job. This is impressive, considering the size of the script.
Minor problems in magical paradise
As I already anticipated, the combat has small problems that take it away from perfection. The most important is related to the camera and the aiming system.
Fighting against 2 or 3 ruffians at the same time is a piece of cake, but the task becomes more complicated when we face larger groups. Unfortunately, on many occasions we attack the wrong enemy due to the position of the camera. To mitigate that we can set a target, but at the cost of freedom and visibility.
On the other hand, there is little variety of enemies. While there are multiple types of goblins with their own abilities and weaknesses, aesthetically they are very similar; distinguishing them in the heat of battle becomes difficult. The same goes for bandits, spiders, and other threats.
We also disliked that the inventory is so small and fills up very quickly. When we reach the limit, we will no longer be able to carry more gear such as gloves, hats, glasses, and scarves until we free up space by selling or destroying items. If we want to expand the capacity, we’ll have to go out of the way to do Trials of Merlin, a type of collectible.
What do you prefer, effectiveness or style? I opted for the second option
Hogwarts Legacy has technical issues. Most are minor bugs that don’t detract from the experience: from a character walking aimlessly to a piece of clothing getting stuck with the scenery. However, there are noticeable frame drops that are annoying when they occur during fights. On one occasion, the game froze almost completely and gave us quite a scare.
Luckily, visual bugs are harmless and performance issues are sporadic. Still, I hope the developers fix them with patches.
The campaign has an irregular rhythm. Many main quests feel like side quests as the events revolve around a character unconnected to the conflict. Sometimes these sequences only serve to introduce new mechanics and magic.
Consequently, the narrative arc loses weight and feels watered down, while the conflict takes a backseat.
Hogwarts Legacy also tries to encompass many things at the same time; For example, there’s resource gathering, base customization, potions with unique qualities, plants that help in combat, and equipment upgrades. These systems make the experience deeper and longer, but they also complicate it unnecessarily. Of course, there will be those who enjoy exploring all the possibilities.
Finally, I feel that there are some absences. I would have liked to watch Quidditch matches or have the chance to participate in magic classes, but you can’t have everything, right?
Addressing all systems can be overwhelming
The best Harry Potter game ever? Yeah
In conclusion, Hogwarts Legacy is everything Harry Potter fans dreamed of and much more. It is a unique journey that transports us to the school of wizardry and its surroundings, as well as an open world proposal with personality that stands on its own merits.
Although the main story is simple, the characters exude charisma. The combat, despite its inconveniences with the camera and the small variety of enemies, is fun, exciting and addictive. The bow that wraps around this bundle is the beautiful presentation and details of all the settings.
Hogwarts Legacy is for Harry Potter what the Batman: Arkham saga was for the DC Comics bat. It not only understands and respects the source material, it also expands on it and makes it welcoming to a new audience. Without a doubt, it is everything a game based on a license should be.
Although there is room for improvement and some elements are left over, in general we are facing an amazing, enormous and magical title. Definitely a must see in 2023. Points to Warner Bros. Games and Avalanche Software!
Hogwarts Legacy will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on February 10, 2023. It will arrive on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on April 4, while the Nintendo Switch version will debut on July 25. You can read about this title if you click here.
Related Video: Hogwarts Legacy – “Dark Arts Battle Arena” Gameplay
