Summary
Being based in an IP known for endless possibilities due to its close connection to magic,Hogwarts Legacyhad a mountain to climb to truly replicate all that the franchise can be. For the most part it succeeded, taking players to the late-19th century for a new story in the iconic castle, with plenty to do in the world and a plethora of activities inHogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The problems inHogwarts Legacyare minor, but obvious. The performance can be inconsistent, and the story is largely unremarkable, but the steps that it took to creating a fully immersive world in thHarry Potterlicense were immense. Two key things need to be acknowledged and addressed in a potential sequel to maintain a sense of narrative consistency, and to implement one highly requested inclusion.
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Hogwarts Must Punish the Unforgivable Curses
One of the real benefits ofHogwarts Legacyover the film tie-in games is player agency. Avalanche Software’s 2023 game doesn’t shepherd the player the entire way, and instead players can engage with classes and the world as much or as little as they want. That freedom extends to learning new spells; even the three Unforgivable Curses can be learned for those who followSebastian Sallow’s emotional storyline. While more righteous witches and wizards won’t opt to delve into such magic, those who do earn spells that can make combat far easier, but narratively this presents a problem.
TheUnforgivable Curses inHogwarts Legacyare so-named because they inflict suffering and death to those they are cast on. This means that once the protagonist goes down that path and uses them at will, it’s too significant a story moment to just gloss over in the sequel.Hogwarts Legacy 2(or whatever it will be named) will have to find a way to accommodate people who learned and used the curse while also making them a plausible hero in a way that doesn’t neglect their past. The curses were a great inclusion, but undoubtedly present an issue when the developer looks to succeed the project.
Hogwarts Legacy Can’t Ditch Quidditch
Perhaps thebiggest omission inHogwarts Legacyis Quidditch, the broomstick sport that Harry Potter excels in during the books and films. It’s written out of the plot by headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black, who canceled the season due to an ‘injury’ on the field. It’s a shame, as the pitch is in the game in all its glory, and not being able to fully take advantage of it in undoubtedly a point of disappointment. The omission makes some sense, given thatHogwarts Legacyis already massive without the activity, and including it likely would have added weeks or months to development time. The game is far more about exploration and storytelling, so it not being included was forgivable.
However,in theHogwarts Legacysequel, giving Quidditch to playersseems like a logical step. Much of the core mechanics are plumbed in, and while a potential follow-up will surely want to iron out the performance and narrative kinks, giving players the chance to play Quidditch would be the most obvious way to improve the core design ofHogwarts Legacy. It’s closely connected to the lore of the school and some of its beloved students, and not addressing its absence in a later game could make the series feel stagnant.Hogwarts Legacywas aHarry Potterfan’s dream, and did well to recapture the magic of the books and films. If it plugs these two holes, it would instantly improve on a great first outing.
Hogwarts Legacyis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with a Switch release scheduled for August 05, 2025.
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