Everything you need to know about
Hogwarts Legacy
We finally got our first real look at the highly anticipated Hogwarts Legacy – the Harry Potter open world action RPG from Portkey Games and WB Games Avalanche – after a long wait.
We’ve now seen in depth what we can all anticipate from this massive title thanks to a big, 14 minute long PlayStation State of Play broadcast, and while you can see it all in the complete 4K video reveal we’ve broken down some of the crucial information here as well:
We’ve been fortunate enough to get a peek behind the curtain thanks to the game developers at Avalanche Software, who have shared a wonderful insight into what has gone into producing this game, from concept art to clues about your character.
Do you want to look? You do, of course.
A DANGEROUS MYSTERY
It’s the late 1800s, and you’re a brand-new student beginning their attendance at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry incredibly late as a fifth year. The events that led up to this are still shrouded in mystery but you’re mysteriously able to sense and wield ancient magic, an ability that will see you play a key role in unravelling the secrets behind a potential goblin revolution and all manner of dangers threatening the safety of Hogwarts and the rest of the Wizarding World.
Is Harry Potter in Hogwarts Legacy?
Nope! Keep in mind that this story is set in the 1800s, thus The Boy Who Lived is several generations away from being born. Although Harry Potter will not appear in Hogwarts Legacy, you can build a wizard student who looks like him if you truly want to.
LIFE AT HOGWARTS
On entering the fabled school your uniquely created Hogwarts student will be sorted into one of the four houses, giving you a dormitory to live in and a common room to meet and interact with your new housemates. School life means attending classes like Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts.
You’ll be free to explore Hogwarts between classes, discovering its secrets including deep dungeons and iconic locations that you’ve never been able to explore before. Side assignments will also help you catch up to the rest of your fifth year students and hone your abilities.
SPELLS AND COMBAT
Combat will play a vital role in this action RPG, against both other wizards and witches as well as all manner of fantastic beasts. You’ll use familiar spells like Accio, Incendio and Descendo, mixing and matching them to exploit enemy weaknesses. You’ll also be able to wield the mysterious ancient magic unique to your character, and take different approaches such as stealth should you choose.
Avalanche also promises multiple difficulty levels to suit players who just want to experience the story or make every swish and flick of their wand truly matter.
TALENTS AND ABILITIES
Players will have access to deep skill trees to fully customise their character’s playstyle, upgrading their spells, affinity for plants and potions and more by earning XP throughout the world. Magical gear can be discovered, crafted or bought and later upgraded and customised to change its traits and appearance.
POTIONS, HERBOLOGY AND BEASTS
As you attend classes and gain experience in the world you’ll become more and more adept at brewing potions to boost your magical power, growing magical plants to use as assists in battle and interacting with magical beasts, You’ll also want to master broom flight if you’re keen to move about Hogwarts and its surroundings with ease.
COMPANIONS
Depending on your house affinities and how you play the game, different students may become your friends. These unique companions can accompany you on adventures and come with their own stories to tell and abilities to teach your character. You’ll meet them across Hogwarts, in classes, common rooms, gathering areas or just wandering the castle’s halls.
THE ROOM OF REQUIREMENT
As it is in the books and films, Hogwarts’ Room of Requirement is a magical space that senses your needs and provides for them. Here, that means it becomes a space for you to further catch up to your studies by sowing and harvesting plants, brewing potions and upgrading your gear.
You’ll also have access to Vivariums, freely customisable spaces where you’ll be able to house and rehabilitate rescued magical beasts.
BEYOND THE CASTLE WALLS
A huge feature for Hogwarts Legacy is the ability to explore the vast world beyond the walls of the school itself. You’ll visit Hogsmeade to interact with its citizens, shop for new gear and unearth even more secrets. Out in the wilder world you’ll across dangerous dungeons, puzzles and more with dynamic seasons and weather making the gorgeous landscapes feel alive.
Fan made Hogwarts Legacy map
Redditor Inspector Beyond is attempting to fill in the gaps by mapping out the various areas of the Hogwarts castle. Inspector_Beyond’s work, on the other hand, has demonstrated that there is still a lot of leeway for creative license within the castle’s walls.
The most astonishing aspect of this map is that at least four whole sections of the castle have never been covered in literature or movies. Furthermore, Inspector Beyond agrees that portrayals of Hogwarts seem to contradict each other at every step, therefore there’s no way of knowing for sure what any of these locations are.
Players will be able to see for themselves how comprehensive the layout of Hogwarts is within the game once it is released in 2022. Hardcore Harry Potter fans consider this as a possibility for an official, complete map of the iconic castle, putting to rest arguments over its layout and structure. Only time will tell if this is true.
When is the Hogwarts Legacy release date?
According to an update from the game’s official Twitter account, fans eager to dive into Harry’s world can look forward to getting started on Feb. 10, 2023. Apparently, the team needed more time to polish the game. It’s also worth noting that the February 10 release date will apply for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. The Nintendo Switch release date is currently TBD.
Check out these Hogwarts Legacy screenshots
Image credit: Warner Bros., Avalanche
