Hogwarts Legacy - A Gateway to the HP Universe

Oh, what a true gift to all fans of the Harry Potter universe! Hogwarts Legacy is a magnificent game that, while appearing magical on the surface, upon closer inspection reveals a number of flaws.

The storyline does not affect the main Harry Potter universe, but it complements it perfectly. References to the HP universe overall adds depth to the game. And how wonderful it is that Hogwarts students can still freely venture beyond the castle walls.

Exploring every corner was a real pleasure. I literally savored it and didn’t rush (hence the slow review). And then there’s the nostalgic atmospheric music…

The open world impresses with its beauty, but over time it becomes a bit dull and repetitive. Nevertheless, the gameplay becomes monotonous and predictable except for some quests like the Trial of Nio Fitzerald, where the hero and I found ourselves in a drawn black and white eerie world, during which I could only think: is this really still the Hogwarts? Well, well.

So, let’s get back. Like everyone else, I especially enjoyed creating the appearance of my character; almost the whole family helped choose the features, but that’s it. The clothing from the trunks and rewards remains the same throughout the game, and, as expected, the foolish glasses and tacky hats were the most powerful in terms of defense and attack, so my character always looked ridiculous. You won’t like it.

Plants and potions play a minor role in the gameplay, making their use practically useless. The inability to independently add ingredients to the cauldron was disappointing. Sometimes, I could have used an invisibility potion. Usually, I managed without the help of plants, but in the beginning, I accidentally used them up and ended up without Malva leaves when I needed them for Merlin’s trials.

Mini-games, including Merlin’s trials, don’t add enough variety to the gameplay. Yes, there are different types of puzzles. Yes, you have to get used to or hurry to cast spells, but it causes more inconvenience and boredom. Some caves make you expect something grander than a couple of spiders and a few chests. And why did I even bother going there?

The limited number of mounts and awkward controls led me to prefer using only the broom. Once is enough for a ride. It was also uncomfortable for me to fly on a broom, so I mainly used it to quickly get to the far corners of the map, but since, let’s not forget, I savored, my choice was to go on foot.

Nevertheless, the game remains the best opportunity to immerse oneself in the world of Harry Potter and explore it. Huge territory, a variety of spells (for which I had to reassign keys), breeding magical creatures.

The developers demonstrated a deep understanding of the Harry Potter universe and showcased some interesting elements from the books and movies. However, from a gameplay perspective, the game can be described as follows: you have a huge vivarium, but you can only pet cats. Lots of cats. Hogwarts left a mixed impression, but my love for the franchise adds extra points to it.

FAQ

Can you play Hogwarts together? Hogwarts Legacy is a single-player game, cooperative play is not provided. And where are those Beans?

How long does it take to complete? From 25 hours to the final credits. Full completion is possible in 70 hours, I took longer.

When will the second part of Hogwarts Legacy be released? There is no official announcement, but according to numerous rumors, the sequel is already in development. Can’t wait.