Despite its faults, the value ofHogwarts Legacy’s simulation of theHarry Potterworld cannot be understated. The chance for fans to walk in the shoes of the Wizarding World’s established cast without being confined to their existing stories marksHogwarts Legacyas the most ambitious title yet for the franchise. From taking the various Hogwarts classes to exploring the massive grounds of the magical academy, almost nothing is withheld from the player as they are slotted into their fifth year of studies.
Said placement wouldn’t be complete without a session wearing the iconic Sorting Hat. All four ofHarry Potter’s Houses are open to the player, with minimal story changes accompanying each selection. While individual Houses don’t change much, each has one distinct story quest on top of various cosmetics and a chance to freely explore their dormitories. It allhelpsHogwarts Legacy’s simulation feel complete, and is simple but effective enough that other open-world games should take notice.The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomin particular has a chance to follow inHogwarts Legacy’s footsteps, and could be better for it.
RELATED:Here are All the House Exclusive Quests in Hogwarts Legacy
The Legend of Zelda’s Tribes Aren’t Dissimilar to Hogwarts’ Houses
Fans ofThe Legend of Zeldawill be familiar with the kingdom of Hyrule’s common tribes and peoples. Although the elf-like Hylians remain a primary focus of the series, there’s often other civilized races across the land, withthe desert-dwelling Gerudo, rock-loving Gorons, and amphibious Zora serving as the most common. Under these broad banners, plenty of interesting areas and dungeons have been added to the series through unique fantasy folk.
The latestZeldatitle,Breath of the Wild, was no different. Link gets the chance to travel to the Gerudo, Goron, Zora, and avian Rito tribes, while visiting some other fan-favorites along the way. Every group has their own distinct village with unique NPCs, quests, and associated equipment, and the four main factions all have story content locked behind certain activities. These tribes tend to feelmore fleshed out thanHogwarts Legacy’s Houses, but comparing each set’s functions could inspire some ideas forBreath of the Wild’s upcoming sequel.
Tears of the Kingdom Could Add Replay Value With a House-Adjacent System
Taking place shortly afterBreath of the Wild,The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis set in the same iteration of Hyrule. That means all the same tribes are present, and likely dealing with fresh problems thanks to a new surge of Malice. While Link will be able to visit all of them and help out, the situation would get more interesting ifsome ofHogwarts Legacy’s House ideasare peppered in. Link could gain favor with these groups, and potentially unlock a special once-per-playthrough quest that allows him to become a secondary Champion and honorary member of one faction.
This wouldn’t affect the plot, but different players could have different stories to tell as a result. In addition,Tears of the Kingdomcan lift some ofHogwarts Legacy’s other House distinctions by unlocking each tribe’s additional fast travel point and armor sets. Ambient dialogue among tribe members and certain other parts of Hyrule could change to reflect Link’s allegiance, and he could use Ultrahand to build a distinct house among his preferred people. No dynamic events would happen on thescale ofSkyrim’s Civil War, but letting fans hang out with their preferred tribe could add as much personality and replay value toTears of the Kingdomas it did toHogwarts Legacy.
Hogwarts Legacyis available now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. It will be released on May 5 for PS4 and Xbox One, and July 25 for Nintendo Switch.
MORE:The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Could Help the Rito Shine
