Hogwarts Legacy 2 Live Service Features Could Have 1 Big…

Summary

Hogwarts Legacy brings something fresh to the Harry Potter IP, succeeding as the best gaming adaptation of JK Rowling's property.
A live service feature in the sequel could bring regular content and make Hogwarts Legacy more immersive and ever-lasting.
Implementing updates, expansions, and new storylines could enhance the school experience, giving players more reasons to engage with the game beyond the main campaign.

Hogwarts Legacy was a magical, and unknown step into the wizarding world during the late 19th century. It largely succeeds in bringing something fresh to fans of the Harry Potter IP. It's easily the best gaming adaptation of JK Rowling's property, and does well to bring its own flavor while also leaning on conventions that have been in the series since the beginning.

The project was published by Warner Bros Games, and though its strong sales would imply doing something similar with the sequel to Hogwarts Legacy would be smart, recent comments from the president of WB Discovery suggest there's a possibility of the rumored follow-up adopting more live service features. This could be its downfall, but if done right, a successor to Hogwarts Legacy that brings regular content could be something special.

"Our focus is on transforming our biggest franchises from largely console and PC based with three-four year release schedules to include more always-on gameplay through live services, multiplatform, and free-to-play extensions with the goal to have more players spending more time on more platforms." - David Zaslav, WB Discovery president

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By Jared Stewart

At Hogwarts, the Times are Always Changing

Hogwarts Legacy The Great Hall At Christmas

Hogwarts is a school that doesn't sit still for too long. As is evident from Harry Potter's time at the castle alone, each year brings with it huge dangers, incredible opportunities, and shocking twists and turns to keep each semester exciting. Be it the Tri-Wizard Tournament in The Goblet of Fire or the Quidditch seasons that guarantee drama, the academic year delivers surprises regularly. Hogwarts Legacy keeps that tradition alive with a story vastly different from the muggle schooling experience. However, when the credits roll, it's hard to get excited for a repeat playthrough, as the journey will always be somewhat similar.

In Hogwarts Legacy, players can select one of four houses, but though this brings some changes to side content, the story remains largely unchanged.

Implementing a live service element where updates and expansions could broaden the horizons of Hogwarts Legacy might bring the school experience closer to the real world. One of the biggest criticisms levied at the 2023 game was that the role-playing element of being a student was minimal, since there was no punishment or even reason to attend classes more than once. Bringing new quests, characters, classes, and storylines to correspond with the new school year would do well to make Hogwarts Legacy 2 a game with more stopping power than the ~30 hours it takes to finish the main campaign.

A Live Service Hogwarts Legacy Could Add Endless Immersion

Hogwarts Legacy is undoubtedly an RPG, but far from the most immersive that has released in 2023. Baldur's Gate 3, Starfield, and Diablo 4 allow for far more player agency, and compared to those, the Avalanche-developed title can feel far more rigid. The budding Wizarding World franchise will likely never reach that level of role-playing potential, and that's okay, but more live service features in the sequel to Hogwarts Legacy could bridge the gap, even just a little. Bringing more cosmetic items, gameplay additions, and even whole new storylines akin to Final Fantasy 14's expansions could do well to immerse fans more than ever.

Finding ways to make Hogwarts Legacy more immersive and ever-lasting could give people a source of escapism for hundreds of hours, and something they can dip into regularly to see what has changed. The difference in seasons could bring new weather conditions to be overcome, and activities that can only be accessed in that specific time. Games like Destiny 2 and Final Fantasy 14 have shown that storytelling doesn't have to suffer when implementing live service features, and as each year is different at Hogwarts, the switch to the format could be a huge boost to an already great game.

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OpenCritic Reviews: Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 88%

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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

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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.