Although it was a resounding success from a sales perspective, and certainly wasn't lacking strong review scores either, Hogwarts Legacy is far from a perfect game. Common criticisms include the lack of real consequences for player actions, a disappointingly empty open-world, and shallow combat design, and while these all ought to receive special attention in the sequel, writing might be the most important pillar that Avalanche Software can hone in on.
There's the matter of the main plot, of course, but that may ultimately be less important than the broader worldbuilding elements present in the Hogwarts Legacy follow-up. Indeed, while no one will get mad at Avalanche for penning a great, engaging story, the appeal of a Harry Potter RPG lies within the realization of the Hogwarts fantasy. Millions of children around the globe grew up dreaming of getting their Hogwarts invitation in the mail, being spirited away from a life of relative mundanity and into a magical but familiar world. Part and parcel of this new world is the sense of community that the cozy halls of Hogwarts represent, so by doubling down on the student body of this mystical boarding school, Hogwarts Legacy 2 can excel where its predecessor fell short.
Hogwarts Legacy 2 Has a Golden Opportunity to Live Up to Its Name
By stepping back from the first game's protagonist, Hogwarts Legacy 2 has the chance to make its world exponentially more interesting.
Hogwarts Legacy 2 Ought to Include More Fleshed-Out Housemates
Hogwarts Legacy Spreads Its Key Characters Too Thin
There's the suggestion of a vibrant student body in Hogwarts Legacy, but this suggestion quickly turns to vapor as players progress through the game. The protagonist can interact with a handful of NPCs from each house, but there winds up being only one major character per house:
- Gryffindor: Natsai Onai
- Slytherin: Sebastian Sallow
- Hufflepuff: Poppy Sweeting
- Ravenclaw: Amit Thakkar
The above NPCs are the only students with dedicated quest chains, and as a result, they are the only ones who come across as real characters. All others are quickly forgotten about, and this comes with several issues, not the least of which being unrealized potential. Moreover, the fact that each Hogwarts house only has a single "important" member makes Hogwarts Legacy's rendition of the titular school feel shallow, the presentation of its four houses ultimately lacking in detail and complexity. Compare this to the original Harry Potter books and films, where each house has multiple characters with charisma, personality, and character arcs.
How Hogwarts Legacy 2 Can Improve Its Student Body
While there are a number of ways that Hogwarts Legacy 2 can offer a better Hogwarts simulation, a good place to start would be to offer deeper, more detailed depictions of more students. Characters like Sebastian are so beloved by Hogwarts Legacy fans because he has an actual character arc: he feels like a complex young man discovering his path in life, dealing with trauma and conflict in messy ways. This can't be said about other in-game Hogwarts students, though, and that makes the school as a whole feel less alive.
To be more specific, each Hogwarts house should have more than a single important character. Such narrow-sightedness makes each house overly simplistic, as though they have a single ambassador that serves to uphold their core traits. It also blocks off opportunities for complexity within houses themselves, as players are never faced with inter-house dynamics or conflicts like those seen in the source material.
At the end of the day, Hogwarts Legacy's most valuable asset is right in its name: Hogwarts is why players come to the game. Thus, Avalanche should make it a top priority to deepen the experience of being a Hogwarts student in the sequel, even if it comes at the expense of other NPCs or communities beyond the castle walls. Hogwarts students, and the complexity of each individual house, are far more valuable than just about any other open-world design staple in Hogwarts Legacy 2.
Hogwarts Legacy
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- February 10, 2023
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Avalanche Software
- Publisher(s)
- Warner Bros. Games
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Cross-Platform Play
- Hogwarts Legacy doesn't have crossplay or crossplatform support
- Cross Save
- you can freely use your saved data between each console as long as you are connected to the internet and signed into the same account where the saved data was created
WHERE TO PLAY
Hogwarts Legacy is an immersive, open-world action RPG set in the world first introduced in the Harry Potter books. For the first time, experience Hogwarts in the 1800s. Your character is a student who holds the key to an ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart. Now you can take control of the action and be at the center of your own adventure in the wizarding world. Your legacy is what you make of it.
Explore an Open World
The wizarding world awaits you. Freely roam Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest, and the surrounding Overland area.
Be the Witch or Wizard You Want to be
Learn spells, brew potions, grow plants, and tend to magical beasts along your journey. Get sorted into your house, forge relationships, and master skills to become the witch or wizard you want to be Experience a New Wizarding World Adventure
Experience the wizarding world in an unexplored era to uncover a hidden truth from its past. Battle against trolls, Dark Wizards, goblins, and more as you face a dangerous villain threatening the fate of the wizarding world.
- Franchise
- Harry Potter
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC
- How Long To Beat
- 26 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- yes
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
