When J.K. Rowling came out with the Harry Potter series, we were introduced to a magical world behind the scenes of the modern one. Then Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them rolled in and showed everyone how the wizarding world looked like during the early 1900s. However, have you ever wondered how everything was even earlier?
Warner Bros. Games hopes to answer that question with Hogwarts Legacy. This single players action RPG offers an open world that’s set in the 1800s. Take on the role of being a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and since there are no familiar faces this time around, so to speak, be able to embark on your own journey. Along way you get to uncover a hidden truth of the wizarding world.
Hogwarts Legacy puts players at the center of their journey to become the witch or wizard that they want to be. Players get to grow the abilities of their characters by mastering powerful spells, perfectly brewing potions, and honing those combat skills. They can even select companions and tame fantastic beasts in order to have a better chance when facing deadly enemies. Players also have an unusual ability that only they possess.
There’s also going to be encounter missions and scenarios that offer difficult choices and determine what it is players actually stand for. As they grow their characters, players get to uncover an expansive world that’s been filled with a lot of dangers. All of these appear to be tied to the long forgotten past of the wizarding world.
The open gameplay area is set to take players to a lot of new locations in the wizarding world. There are also the familiar ones like Hogsmeade Village and the Forbidden Forest.
In a press statement, Warner Bros. Games President David Haddad said that the game allows “players control over their own experience with RPG gameplay unlike anything else in the Wizarding World.” The company hopes to continue building fan excitement under the Portkey Games label. He went on to say that Avalanche has managed to bring “to life this rich and deep world, full of action-packed magic, as well as a detailed, mysterious story to engage fans and gamers alike.”
Avalanche Studio General Manager John Blackburn, meanwhile, shared that what makes the game so special is that it lets players “immerse themselves in a new narrative that is filled with complex characters, and, of course, magic.” Blackburn added that it was amazing to work with a team that “is dedicated to delivering an authentic Wizarding World experience that both Harry Potter and RPG fans will enjoy.”
Indeed, initial reaction by some fans and players reveals that what makes the game exciting is that everyone has the chance to be part of the wizarding world without known characters like Harry Potter or, quite possibly, even Albus Dumbledore. That means everyone is playing the game blind, allowing for exiting opportunities. Then there’s also the fact that this won’t be a mobile game, which just made everyone all the more excited.
Hogwarts Legacy is set to be released in 2021 for the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It’s also going to be available for next-gen consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
