“Hogwarts Legacy” is an action – adventrue videogame set in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
So let’s dive into some trivia and facts about the game.
- Hogwarts Legacy is an upcoming action role-playing game
- It is developed by Avalanche Software
- The game published by Warner Bros. Games under its Portkey Games label
- The game is set in the Wizarding World universe
- It is bsed on the Harry Potter novels
- Hogwarts Legacy is scheduled to be released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch in 2023
- Players who purchased the Deluxe edition on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC were able to play the game 72 hours earlier than the rest of the world
- As well as receiving several other in-game bonuses
- Hogwarts Legacy is an action role-playing game in which players are able to attend classes at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
- Locations from the Wizarding World franchise will be explorable such as the Forbidden Forest, Diagon Alley, and Hogsmeade
- Other areas as yet unseen visually in other media include the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw common rooms
- Progressing through the game will see the interior and exterior of the castle change visually to match the seasons
- During character creation the player is able to choose their appearance, house, and gender. Players will be able to customize their character’s voice, body type and add accessories such as glasses in character creation
- Level progression will allow the player to access and upgrade different spells, talents, and abilities
- Through in-game challenges, the player character will gain experience points to gain levels
- These challenges come in the form of Combat, Quests, Exploration, Field Guide Pages and Room of Requirement
- While house points for the four Hogwarts houses play a part in the game’s plot, these will not be a gameplay mechanic influenced by player actions
- The game will feature environmental customisation elements
- Players will be able to modify the Room of Requirement as they level up through the game.
- The player character will learn to cast various magical spells, brew potions and master combat abilities
- As players progress, they will be able to develop their own special combat style
- While attending classes does advance gameplay mechanics, such spell learnings are not a scheduled gameplay element in itself
- Classes will be attended as part of plot development milestones
- Players can acquire combat items, either through trading or crafting, which may be used to harm enemies or apply buffs to the player
- Players will be able to tame, care for, and ride different magical beasts including hippogriffs and thestrals
- Dragons, trolls, acromantulas, graphorns, mooncalves, fwoopers, kneazles, and nifflers are other interactable magical creatures
- Some creatures can be used in combat, such as use of the mandrakes to stun enemies
- Player characters will be able to establish friendships with interactable non-player characters
- As these relationships grow, schoolmates will become companions who can accompany players on their journey, expand their abilities and offer unique dialogue options as players learn their stories
- Hogwarts Legacy is set in the 1890s and follows a student starting at Hogwarts in the fifth year
- As the player is starting at the school later than other students, a wizards field guide is given by the Ministry of Magic
- Completing sections of this guide through exploration provides additional information and experience points
- The player character, who holds the key to an “ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart”, is capable of manipulating a mysterious ancient magic
- And will need to help uncover why this forgotten magic has suddenly made a resurgence and the ones that are simultaneously trying to harness it
- The primary voice cast for the game was announced on January 12, 2023
- Players take control of a new Hogwarts student voiced by Sebastian Croft or Amelia Gething, who will be able to interact with characters previously seen within the Wizarding World franchise including Nearly Headless Nick (Jason Anthony), The Fat Lady, and Peeves
- They will also be introduced to new characters such as Professor Eleazar Fig, who acts as a mentor figure to the protagonist, and ancestors of characters that fans of the Wizarding World will already be familiar with, such as Phineas Nigellus Black (Simon Pegg) and Professor Matilda Weasley (Lesley Nicol)
- Other new characters include Hogwarts students Amit Thakkar (Asif Ali), Everett Clopton (Luke Youngblood), and Professors Onai (Kandace Caine) and Shah (Sohm Kapila). During their adventure, the protagonist is able to build friendships with fellow students Natasai Onai, Poppy Sweeting and Sebastian Swallow, who are able to accompany them on their journey as companion characters
- Antagonists featured in the game include Ranrok, the leader of the Goblin Rebellion, and Victor Rookwood, the leader of a group of Dark Wizards
- The game is being developed by Avalanche Software, which was acquired by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment from Disney in January 2017
- In the same year, Warner Bros. established a new publishing label named Portkey Games, which was dedicated to managing the Wizarding World license
- Franchise creator J. K. Rowling is not directly involved in the game’s development
- The game is being built using the Unreal Engine
- Gameplay footage had leaked in 2018
- Hogwarts Legacy was announced at a PlayStation 5 event in September 2020, with plans to be released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in 2021
- It was delayed twice, first to 2022, and later to February 10, 2023
- Its PS4 and Xbox One versions were delayed from its February 2023 launch to April
- A Nintendo Switch port is scheduled for release on July 25, 2023
- Hogwarts Legacy features changing music based on the location of the player character, as they move through the open world, with notable differences within specific common rooms that can only be accessed by players who choose each corresponding school house
- Hogwarts Legacy received “generally favorable” reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic
- The game made several lists of the most anticipated games of 2023
- In February 2021, a series of social media posts published by Avalanche Software and Hogwarts Legacy lead designer Troy Leavitt received widespread criticism
- Online media outlets reported on the content of his YouTube videos, such as “In Defense of John Lasseter” and “In Praise of Cultural Appropriation”
- As well as those showing support for the controversial Gamergate harassment campaign
- Following the controversy surrounding his social media activity, Leavitt left Avalanche Software and the Hogwarts Legacy project
- He said that this was unrelated to the controversy
- Warner Bros. declined to comment
- Following the release of the first gameplay trailer in March 2022, the game received criticism for basing it in the Goblin Rebellion era of the Wizarding World history with the game’s story-line focusing on the player suppressing a goblin rebellion
- The Wizarding World lore surrounding goblins has often been accused of being based on known antisemitic tropes
- The criticism spurred from the beliefs that the game’s core message was that the minority goblin group should be considered the enemy for rebelling against their oppressor and fighting for freedom and equal rights
- In December 2022, The Mary Sue called for a boycott of Hogwarts Legacy, amid ongoing controversies regarding Rowling’s political views and accusations of perpetuating antisemitic tropes
- Hogwarts Legacy was nominated for “Most Anticipated Game” at The Game Awards 2022 and for “Most Wanted Game” at the Golden Joystick Awards 2022
- But both times lost to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Got anything to add?