Summary
- The Hogwarts Legacy sequel should reconsider the implementation of the Revelio spell, as it becomes overly necessary and limits exploration.
- The reliance on Revelio reduces the feeling of immersive exploration and discourages careful examination of surroundings.
- The sequel should make improvements to Revelio, such as turning it into a toggle and allowing for more organic exploration with subtle clues, while still keeping it as a useful tool for exploration.
A sequel to Hogwarts Legacy has all but been confirmed, as Warner Bros. And developer Avalanche Software are surely aiming to follow the massively successful 2023 release. While there is plenty that the first game does right, there are also mistakes that the Hogwarts Legacy sequel should avoid repeating, alongside mechanics that could be improved or reworked - one of which is the Revelio spell.
Hogwarts Legacy takes place in a massive open world with a number of diverse locales to explore, enemies to battle, and loot to collect. Along with the many unique pieces of gear and gold to be plundered are collectible items, like the Revelio Pages that provide context and lore information about several in-game items and locations. Searching for these items almost necessitates frequent use of the Revelio spell, which is locked to the D-pad and always available. The Revelio Pages, as their name suggests, are impossible to collect without the spell. This, coupled with its utility when solving puzzles, makes Revelio perhaps the most commonly used of the many spells in Hogwarts Legacy, but the sequel may need to re-evaluate its inclusion.
Should the Hogwarts Legacy Sequel Keep Revelio?
Those who have played Hogwarts Legacy know how essential Revelio is. Whether a player is exploring Hogwarts or delving into a decrepit cave, spamming the Revelio button is basically a core part of the experience. Although this sort of mechanic is nothing new in gaming, with franchises like Assassin's Creed and The Witcher relying on similar systems, there are issues with the way Revelio is implemented.
The Problems With Revelio
Hogwarts Legacy requires frequent use of the Revelio spell, to the point where it becomes something of a crutch. Finding loot in Hogwarts Legacy can be satisfying, but it can quickly become tedious when the process of uncovering loot boils down to:
- Cast Revelio
- Look for a highlighted object
- Open the chest or container containing the loot
This reliance on Revelio contributes to a feeling of lackluster exploration, as players are not encouraged to carefully examine their surroundings and indulge in their natural curiosity. This issue is exacerbated by the fact that the Revelio effect only lasts a few seconds, which can lead to the spell feeling obligatory, annoying and inelegant.
The Pros of Revelio & How It Can Be Improved
With all that said, the feature certainly has its merits. For one thing, while Hogwarts Legacy has some immersion-breaking elements, Revelio isn't one of them, as its function as a tool for exploration is clever, charming, and fits the lore of the game. On top of this, the spell can feel satisfying to cast, despite its shortcomings, and the auditory and visual effects that accompany it are well done and enhance the atmosphere of the game.
The sequel to Hogwarts Legacy should lean into the strengths of Revelio while making a few changes. The easiest change to make would be to turn Revelio into a toggle, like how similar abilities function in other games. This would be a much-welcomed quality of life change, making the game more user-friendly. A greater challenge would be to significantly change how exploration works in the game, allowing Hogwarts Legacy players to discover unique collectibles and pieces of gear through organic exploration, aided by subtle environmental clues. This would make Revelio serve as a supplement for enjoyable exploration, not a prerequisite for it.
It's not likely that the Hogwarts Legacy sequel will remove Revelio altogether. In an open-world game of Hogwarts Legacy's scale and scope, an ability like Revelio is a useful tool for exploration, and the fact that it's a canon spell is a nice touch. However, it's not a perfect system, and Avalanche Software will hopefully recognize that when developing the sequel.
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
- 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
