Summary
- Hogwarts Legacy's success suggests a sequel is on the horizon, potentially offering players a new perspective of the Wizarding World.
- Playing as an exchange student in Hogwarts Legacy 2 could provide a fresh and unique experience, free from house loyalty constraints.
- An exchange student protagonist would offer the developer more creative freedom, allowing for a more personalized and diverse gameplay experience.
The highest-selling game of 2023 even in the face of Zelda, Star Wars, Diablo, Street Fighter, and Call of Duty, Hogwarts Legacy is one of Warner Bros.' Most successful video game projects ever released. Naturally, it'll only be a matter of time before a sequel ends up hitting store shelves, though official confirmation of a sequel hasn't happened yet. When it comes to crafting the inevitable Hogwarts Legacy sequel, there's a bevy of potential directions the series' story could go.
The most obvious direction a Hogwarts Legacy sequel could go in is a direct continuation of the first game's story, putting players back in the well-worn shoes of their original custom character. Alternatively, a Hogwarts Legacy sequel could cast players as a new character in the Wizarding World, such as a student from a different year, a professor, or someone completely unrelated to Hogwarts whose journey just happens to take them there. It's this last idea that might actually offer the most potential for Hogwarts Legacy 2, letting the game clear three major hurdles at once.
Playing as an Exchange Student in Hogwarts Legacy 2 Would Tick Three Boxes at Once
An Exchange Student Could See Hogwarts Through Different Eyes
Putting players in the shoes of an exchange student in Hogwarts Legacy 2 holds a great deal of promise right from the get-go. Briefly mentioned in both Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, the notion of an exchange student coming to Hogwarts is something that's already canon in the Wizarding World, and while many schools didn't offer it until the 20th century according to some pieces of lore, there's no major piece of Harry Potter content that says an exchange student wouldn't be allowed at Hogwarts before then.
Letting players take control of an exchange student coming to Hogwarts for the very first time would give Hogwarts Legacy 2 an incredibly unique identity right off the bat. On a surface level, this unique choice of protagonist would put a brand new lens on Hogwarts, and potentially offer a student experience that would feel suitably different from the first Hogwarts Legacy, and what fans have seen from the rest of the Harry Potter franchise.
An Exchange Student Wouldn't Have to Worry About House Loyalty
Digging a little deeper into this concept, having an exchange student protagonist in Hogwarts Legacy 2 would also mean that the sequel wouldn't need to place as much of an emphasis on Hogwarts' four houses, which is something the first game struggled with a little. While being sorted into one of Hogwarts' four houses is an integral part of the Hogwarts schooling experience, it ended up feeling like a bit of a double-edged sword in the first Hogwarts Legacy, locking players out of certain house-specific quests, which ended up making some players (Ravenclaw) feel as though they were getting the short end of the stick.
As an exchange student, players would be able to interact with all of Hogwarts' houses equally and without bias apart from what players bring from their own knowledge of the IP.
An Exchange Student Protagonist Would Give Hogwarts Legacy 2 More Creative Freedom
Finally, giving Hogwarts Legacy 2 an exchange student protagonist would also give the sequel's developer a lot more creative freedom. The player-character can come from anywhere, be any age, be any skill level, and have as much knowledge of the Wizarding World as the developers need them to have, all without breaking the conventions of the usual Harry Potter universe. This also protects the sequel from any major lore changes that J.K. Rowling could be about to make to Harry Potter with her upcoming HBO adaptation.
Hogwarts Legacy
- Released
- February 10, 2023
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.
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Avalanche Software
- Publisher(s)
- Warner Bros. Games
- Franchise
- Harry Potter
- 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
- Metascore
- 84
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
