Hogwarts Legacy Review

J.K Rowlings wizarding world has achieved phenomenal success at the Hollywood box office. The same success can’t be said for the video games that were released alongside those movies. With a string of half-baked film adaptations for the Harry Potter series, there has never been anything memorable from the franchise when it comes to the video games, until now. Hogwarts Legacy looks to be the game that Harry Potter fans have always wanted but does it live up to the hype?

The build-up to the release of Hogwarts Legacy was most definitely a bumpy one, for various external reasons. The trailers and content reveals made this game feel like it was too good to be true. Everything anyone could ever ask from wizarding adventure all wrapped up in a visually attractive RPG. In a rare one for the gaming industry, Hogwarts Legacy lives up to the hype!

From the moment you step foot into Hogwarts, you feel the same magical buzz that you got from the movies. The game does an incredible job of bringing the magical world to life, with every detail of the castle and its surrounding areas captured perfectly. Exploring the nooks and crannies of Hogwarts Castle is an endless joy that you do not want to end. One of the greatest aspects of a magical castle is just when you think you have explored every corner, you discover a hidden doorway that reveals a new area to explore.

Hogwarts Legacy allows you to experience everything from herbology to potion making and even the learning of various different spells, including those of a darker nature. There is an attempt to let you walk down some roads dabbling in the dark arts but it doesn’t let you go too far. It would be nice if you had the ability to become a dark witch or wizard.

When you are not attending classes or running errands, you are free to explore Hogwarts and the vast surrounding area at your leisure. There are loads of side quests to work through, environmental puzzles to take on and several villages including Hogsmeade to explore.

The map is far too big to explore on foot and the best news here is that you can use your broomstick anywhere you like. Simply hop on the broom and soar into the skies to quickly get from A to B. Using the broomstick is a lot of fun, despite some weird control mappings that unfortunately can’t be modified.

If you’re not a fan of brooms, you have other options. A fully functional floo network is free for you to use or better yet, hop onto a Hippogriff and explore the grounds with one of the most amazing magical beasts in the franchise.

The story of the game may be one of the weaker elements of the whole game. The idea of the goblin uprising isn’t particularly interesting, and it makes the game feel more like a basic fantasy RPG and less like a magical wizarding adventure. There are plenty of side quests that are far more interesting and magical than the main story. Particularly when the main story has you trekking through dwarven-inspired mines with lots of bullet sponge enemies.

Combat has never been a strength of the Harry Potter games but battling with your wand in Hogwarts Legacy flows so flawlessly and smoothly once you get the hang of it. Dodging and deflecting attacks before unleashing a flurry of explosive attacks is exhilarating. While combat can be fun, there are far too many enemies that are complete bullet sponges. Fighting trolls is an immense chore that has no reward whatsoever.

For fans of the franchise, there is a whole lot to love about Hogwarts Legacy. It allows us to experience Hogwarts from another point of view and from a completely different era. Fans of the franchise have finally gotten to experience the game they have always wanted and deserved. Hogwarts Legacy is a must-have.

THE VERDICT