Hogwarts Legacy is a good game that might just be an amazing game for big Harry Potter fans. PortKey's greatest accomplishment here was how expertly they brought Hogwarts Castle and the surrounding grounds to life. The castle and its surrounds are indeed wonderful and captivating to traverse. There is intrigue at every corner, with interesting lore and conversations to be uncovered. What's more, it is graphically stunning at times, especially around the castle. It is impressive just how much of this world is rendered at any given time, even with some minor loading circles appearing on occasion and pop-in throughout the open world.
The game is whimsical and fantastical in a way that serves it well. The open world design does leave some aspects to be desired, filled with tiresome side quests and a meaninglessly bloated number of collectible tasks (the Merlin Trials being the biggest culprit). Poor dialogue from a majority of the many characters you meet also can be a bummer, but a handful of the main cast (i.e. Poppy Sweeting and Sebastian) are more interesting. The most frustrating aspect of the game, aside from a notable trophy bug preventing me from completing the conjuration collection, is repetitive dialogue. Never again do I want to hear anything from the Foo Flame lady, or any Hogsmeade talk from the protagonist. These flaws are partly remedied by a serviceable story, intriguing companion quests, and a surprising strength: the combat. There is quite a lot of fun that can be had with the combat in Hogwarts Legacy, with a nice spread of spells and combinations at one's disposal. Enemy variety is narrow for such an expansive game, but combat scenarios nonetheless were highlights throughout. Accompanying systems are also strong: broom-riding, beast management, herbology and potion making all can play a significant role in one's playthrough. The game does well to serve multiple play-styles through these systems and accompanying combat skill trees.
Hogwarts Legacy acts as a mesmerizing love letter to the franchise, albeit with a notable, conceited effort in some areas to distinguish itself from the deleterious views' of the IP's creator. All and all, Hogwarts Legacy delivered on the long overdue promise of realizing the Wizarding World into a AAA video game.
The game is whimsical and fantastical in a way that serves it well. The open world design does leave some aspects to be desired, filled with tiresome side quests and a meaninglessly bloated number of collectible tasks (the Merlin Trials being the biggest culprit). Poor dialogue from a majority of the many characters you meet also can be a bummer, but a handful of the main cast (i.e. Poppy Sweeting and Sebastian) are more interesting. The most frustrating aspect of the game, aside from a notable trophy bug preventing me from completing the conjuration collection, is repetitive dialogue. Never again do I want to hear anything from the Foo Flame lady, or any Hogsmeade talk from the protagonist. These flaws are partly remedied by a serviceable story, intriguing companion quests, and a surprising strength: the combat. There is quite a lot of fun that can be had with the combat in Hogwarts Legacy, with a nice spread of spells and combinations at one's disposal. Enemy variety is narrow for such an expansive game, but combat scenarios nonetheless were highlights throughout. Accompanying systems are also strong: broom-riding, beast management, herbology and potion making all can play a significant role in one's playthrough. The game does well to serve multiple play-styles through these systems and accompanying combat skill trees.
Hogwarts Legacy acts as a mesmerizing love letter to the franchise, albeit with a notable, conceited effort in some areas to distinguish itself from the deleterious views' of the IP's creator. All and all, Hogwarts Legacy delivered on the long overdue promise of realizing the Wizarding World into a AAA video game.