Hogwarts Legacy: The Magic of Harry Potter Comes to Life

Alex_Clark
edited August 2023 in Gaming

Hogwarts Legacy, an upcoming video game from the Harry Potter world, has been nominated twice for the title of the most anticipated game. Now, it’s finally set to launch in early February of 2023. Developed by Avalanche Software, this open-world action RPG is set to release on most consoles. The much-anticipated game is a spinoff from the Harry Potter series, one of the most successful and widely known franchises ever. Fans are excited to dive into a new wizarding world story set in the 1800s with customizable characters and explore locations inside and beyond Hogwarts.

What is Hogwarts Legacy?

Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world action role-playing game set within the Harry Potter universe, an immersive game with a massive world to explore and intricate features. Hogwarts Legacy will be released on PS5 and Xbox Series X very soon but its release on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch has been delayed. It will also be available on PC. Interested gamers can get their hands on Hogwarts Legacy on February 10, 2023, for PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. Pre-ordering the game on February 7, 2023 will get you 72-hour early access to Hogwarts Legacy. Hogwarts Legacy has been the epicenter of much hype due to rumors of customizable characters, incredible storylines, deeply explorable worlds, magic, and much more.

The first Harry Potter book, Philosopher’s Stone, was released in 1997. A mere four years later, the same book came out as a movie. In less than two decades, the Harry Potter franchise has expanded to include theme parks, clothing, spinoff movies, and video games. Soon, the world will have Hogwarts Legacy, the most ambitious Harry Potter video game to date. The game is being developed by Avalanche Software and Published by Warner Bros. Warner Bros. has stated that J.K. Rowling was not involved with this game, despite her creation of the world in which the game exists. The story is also not a new one from the mind of J.K. Rowling. The Warner Bros. team did, however, collaborate closely with J.K. Rowling’s team on each aspect of the game to ensure authenticity to the magical world she created.

Hogwarts Legacy Gameplay Details

Hogwarts Legacy takes place at Hogwarts in the 1800s and its open world encompasses Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest, and other surrounding areas. Based on first looks, its scope and ambition are similar to such open-world RPG franchises as Skyrim or Fallout. Avalanche Software has stated that players will “embark on a dangerous journey to uncover a hidden truth of the Wizarding World.” Further details about the story are not known yet but it will be a brand new story, unique from the Harry Potter timeline. Fans are excited about a number of things that have hyped this game to be one of the most anticipated games of 2023.

Why is this game so hyped up?

Unique story: Players will find themselves exploring an open world within a story that takes place 100 years before Harry Potter. Players will embark as 5th Year students of Hogwarts and battle against the dark forces that threaten the world of witchcraft and wizardry.

An open world and infamous locations: Naturally, Warner Bros. has yet to reveal all of the locations that you're able to explore but we know that all of Hogwarts, Hogsmeade Village, and the Forbidden Forests are all explorable locations. Anyone who has ever read the books or watched the movies before has dreamed of exploring the incredible castle and its surrounding locations.

Life as a student at Hogwarts: As a fifth-year student, you’ll be expected to attend classes. You’ll choose the classes for yourself based on what interests you in order to learn the skills that you are most interested in as a player. Going to class as a wizard or witch is much more than just a school simulator. Classes help your character grow their magical abilities, learn how to concoct potions, tame the notorious beasts of the Harry Potter World, and face off successfully against the story’s villains. 

A huge open-world and open-ended RPG: Who hasn’t dreamt of the immersive real-life feeling of being a wizard or witch that Hogwarts Legacy is promising? For many of us daydreaming of becoming a wizard or witch in the Harry Potter universe, Hogwarts Legacy presents us the chance to do so. Combining a riveting story and notorious locations into the RPG genre will surely wow many players.

Eager Hogwarts Legacy players are encouraged to sign up for Wizarding World accounts and take a couple of quizzes to get a jumpstart on the gaming experience. The Wand Ceremony Quiz and Sorting Ceremony Quiz will help prospective players decide on two key aspects of the gameplay: which wand they will use and which House they will join. These two things will impact how the game plays out for you.

An interesting cast: Many are excited about a star-studded cast, that includes Simon Pegg who will play Albus Dumbledore's predecessor as the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Hogwarts Legacy won’t have the usual characters many Harry Potter enthusiasts have grown to love but will feature an equally interesting and talented cast.

The magical combat you’ve been waiting for: Hogwarts Legacy is much more than going to class and wandering around the grounds of Hogwarts and surrounding areas. It’s the host of an action-packed storyline. Within this action-packed storyline, there is a lot of combat. Hogwarts Legacy demands that you pull out your wand and learn spells so that you can face off against witches, wizards, and beasts who stand in your way. Hogwarts Legacy features an intricate style of combat that has its roots in several other action-packed games.

Customizable character creation: In Hogwarts Legacy, you are free to create your own playable character with an array of customizable aspects of the character, including your voice.

The notorious characters, creatures, and companions: As with any RPG, you're bound to meet some characters and companions along your journey. You’ll be able to befriend companions and invite them to join you on your adventure. There have also been rumors of teaming up with the infamous mythical creatures of the Harry Potter world. Yes, you’ll be able to fly around on a Hippogriff.

A morality system: Given such a complex story, the developers have added a morality system into the game to ensure that every one of your decisions has a consequence. Through this system, players can decide what they believe in and what they stand for and the game will reflect back at you what you’ve decided. So, there is truly no one way to play this game. In fact, there are countless ways this story plays out for each player.

Will there be Quidditch?

The developers have explicitly stated that Quidditch, a beloved element of the Harry Potter universe, will not be a feature in Hogwarts Legacy. This void, however, is set to be filled by the forthcoming game, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions. This new venture is defined by the developers as an exclusive and comprehensive Quidditch experience, aiming to immerse players in the thrilling sport of Quidditch along with additional broomstick-related activities. These are all set within a competitive multiplayer framework, allowing friends to join in. Mimicking the approach in Hogwarts Legacy, Quidditch Champions will also enable players to create their own characters, enhancing the personalized gaming experience.

When J.K Rowling dreamed up the wizarding world decades ago, she may have never imagined the anticipation surrounding these games. For fans of either the role-playing game genre or the Harry Potter universe, Hogwarts Legacy represents the game that many have been waiting their whole lives for. For more information on where to purchase Hogwarts Legacy, check out the Steam Store. For those of you who want to get a chance to play Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions before its release, you can sign up for the game's beta test here.

To play more exciting games, check out the Xbox Game Pass and see why the Xbox Game Pass is Acer’s official sponsor.

*The opinions reflected in this article are the sole opinions of the author and do not reflect any official positions or claims by Acer Inc.

Alex is a contributing writer for Acer. Alex is a Texas-based writer and B2B email marketing strategist specializing in helping technology brands connect to their customers. He has lived all over Asia and has consulted with business clients in numerous industries to grow their brands.

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