Hogwarts Legacy Review

A must for every Harry Potter fan.

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Hogwarts:

Finally. We have done it. After more than 50 hours, dozens of mountain trolls defeated and hundreds of dark wizards defeated, we have finished our adventure, OWLs included. In short, we are ready to express a definitive verdict, trying to sum up an experience that has put our emotions to the test.

The world of Harry Potter:

Above all because the fanservice proposed in Hogwarts Legacy wholeheartedly declares a boundless love for the world of Harry Potter , immersing the player in a show that – to quote Severus Snape – captivates the senses . The amount of detail that the developers have packed into the narrative, playful and visual experience to explore, deepen and expand the mythology of reference is simply impressive.

Starting from the sensation of pure wonder that strikes in crossing each entrance hall of the Hogwarts castle, in which the authors have poured obsessive attention into the polygonal composition of the internal environments, rich as never before in architectural details and contextual stimuli.

The digital reinterpretation that developer Avalanche has conceived by recovering – in part – some of the most recognizable aesthetic suggestions of the film saga, amalgamating them with original creative choices, which make the videogame School of Witchcraft and Wizardry an interactive environment of excellent workmanship is therefore amazing.

In short, the nineteenth-century Hogwarts of the Portkey Games title is not too different from the one that JK Rowling described to us in the Harry Potter literary saga and to which the various authors of the film series gave life. Among the novices there is a new recruit who – quite exceptionally – joins the School starting from the fifth year, because his mysterious dormant talent could help solve the mysteries related to Ancient Magic.

These secrets, throughout the main Campaign, will help to unravel ancient conspiracies and above all to stop the advance of the dangerous Ranrok, a dark imp intent on rekindling the spark of the violent Goblin Revolt that broke out in the eighteenth century. It must be said that the script drafted by Avalanche follows the trappings of a fragmented production: the themes touched by the story undoubtedly reflect the style of the original material, but at the same time they lend themselves to some limits imposed by the gameplay formula. The most controversial aspect of the journey lies in the scarce impact of the role-playing component on the narrative pace of the events, starting with the absence of a concrete system of moral choices.

Choose your wizard:

It is true that, as promised by the developers, the player can choose what kind of wizard to become – that is, whether to give in to the use of the Dark Arts or to remain pure as a Guardian of the Light. On the other hand, there are no tangible consequences to the various actions or ethical decisions that our avatar takes during his adventure: using Curses without Forgiveness, or addressing our interlocutors with not very polite answers, has not changed our bond with the supporting actors . The same can be said for the satisfying conclusions of the adventure, the variations of which depend on choices made shortly before the end, without really taking into account the path of the protagonist.

Moreover, the open world dough significantly breaks the rhythm of the long-term school experience, depriving it of that coherence with the strict rules of the Institute that make up the lore of reference. This does not mean that the quality of the main Campaign, as well as the writing of the many optional quests, is extremely pleasant, because it is built on a narrative scheme similar to that developed by JK Rowling’s pen: every moment of the primary storyline travels easily between original and valuable nods to certain key junctures of Harry Potter, while side-quests expand the foundation of the Wizarding World.

Undoubtedly the long roundup of secondary missions often and willingly slips on the tracks of a classic fetch quest: most of the time it is necessary, on behalf of various NPCs, to thoroughly explore the castle, the village of Hogsmeade or the Highlands surrounding the School to find required objects, solve puzzles and eliminate enemies, to then return to the client and collect the rewards.

Good

  • Harry Potter!
  • Open world RPG
  • Fantastic setting

Bad

  • Many collectibles
  • Not for every fantasy fan
  • Very long game
8.8

Great

Story - 8.5
Graphics - 9
Sound - 9
Gameplay - 8.5
Value - 9

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