Hogwarts Legacy has gotten the gaming wing of the Wizarding World off to a strong start, but Avalanche Software still has room to improve with the sequel. Highlighting the original game’s strengths while addressing its weaknesses would help make the IP both more appealing to audiences and allow it to better deliver on its central promise, that being the fulfillment of the Harry Potter fantasy.
One key pain point that should be massaged during Hogwarts Legacy 2’s development is narrative. The main plot of Hogwarts Legacy is unfortunately bland, derivative, and uninspired, leaning too hard into the “chosen one” archetype that was well-wrought in the source material. The next game doesn’t need to have a Pulitzer-winning story, but it should strive for a bit more complexity and originality, while presenting a world that is meatier and more lived-in. Of course, there are theoretically endless ways to accomplish this, and the ultimate strategies will hinge on the broader creative goals of the sequel, but there could be one clever way to build on what the first game established without feeling too closely tied to it.
Hogwarts Legacy: What Happened to Professor Hecat?
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Hogwarts Legacy 2 Should Make the First Game’s Hero a Legend
Moving On from the First Game Will Be Crucial for Hogwarts Legacy 2
Frankly, there’s no need to directly continue the plot of the first Hogwarts Legacy, and doing so would arguably be little more than an unnecessary creative chokehold. The first story is fairly cut and dry, coming to a firm conclusion after the main quest chain’s finale, so reprising the same cast, protagonist, and conflict would be contrived and block off more interesting narrative routes.
At the same time, it would be a bit strange if Hogwarts Legacy 2 were to completely neglect the events of the first game. One of the more incongruous aspects of the Wizarding World is that, due to its small scope relative to other high fantasy properties, it’s hard to retroactively mix in major lore elements through prequels. Hogwarts Legacy itself presents this particular problem: there are significant plot developments, like the draconic battle beneath Hogwarts, that are never even mentioned in Harry Potter or Fantastic Beasts, which feels implausible. This can make the fictional universe feel disjointed and weightless, as though its most dramatic events don’t matter.
This isn’t too big an issue when comparing Hogwarts Legacy to the books and films that precede it, as one can suspend their disbelief and simply think of the game as being part of its own continuity. But if a sequel were to come out and ignore the events of the game, then the IP’s foundation could be weakened, as there wouldn’t be a sense of interconnectivity. Thus, the titular legacy of the first game’s protagonist needs to be felt.
How Hogwarts Legacy 2 Could Integrate the Story of the First Game
Given the larger-than-life persona of Hogwarts Legacy’s main character, being just one of a handful of wizards that can harness Ancient Magic, it would make sense for other witches and wizards to reference their story from time to time. Therefore, including this hero as a worldbuilding element in Hogwarts Legacy 2 may be the best way to establish their legacy, rather than featuring them as an NPC or active player in the plot. This would allow Hogwarts Legacy 2’s setting and premise to be unshackled from its predecessor, but it would also help Avalanche avoid the trickier issues of reintroducing the first game’s player-character.
Still, this approach would necessitate some workarounds or minor customization features. Perhaps Hogwarts Legacy 2 could feature a Mass Effect or Witcher style of backstory-crafting, allowing players to establish the name or gender of the first game’s hero to avoid unnaturally vague references (e.g. Never referring to the character by name). Done right, canonizing the first game’s protagonist as a legend could help Hogwarts Legacy 2 feel more cohesive and dramatically significant.
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
