Game On: Hogwarts Legacy, a must-play for Potterheads

The game could be one of the bestsellers of 2023

Hyderabad: Before I even begin writing this review, let’s get the most obvious questions out of the way – Yes, you receive a letter to Hogwarts and you can choose what house you are sorted into; no, there’s no Quidditch in this game but you can fly around on a broom; and yes if you are so inclined, the game lets you learn all the three unforgivable curses including the dreaded Avada Kedavara.

Now that’s out of the way, let’s dive into the review of the first-ever game from the Harry Potter universe that I have enjoyed playing.

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Set in a time nearly 180 years before Harry Potter‘s arrival at the famed school for wizardry and witchcraft, Hogwarts Legacy narrates the story of a protagonist who is transferred to the school in their fifth year and is capable of not just detecting but also performing erstwhile lost ancient magic.

As you come to terms with the challenges of starting of fitting into a new curriculum. The magical world of Britain is on the brink of war as goblins and dark wizards band together to try and capture you and the ancient magic.

As a player, navigating Hogwarts is an experience to behold, as the game doesn’t take long to submerge you in the castle’ magical environment. Right from the sorting ceremony to the classes you attend and the dormitory you sleep in, the game does great justice to both Rowling’s words and the films from Warner Bros.

There are hidden pathways, passages and rooms behind portraits; restricted sections in the library, and staircases that appear out of thin air – all designed to make you instantly feel that you are returning to a familiar world. Even the game’s plot is steeped in familiarity – a kindly professor who mentors you, a dark conspiracy that nobody believes; a trip to Gringotts, an early troll fight to make friends – the game borrows heavily from Harry’s journey in the start as it slowly unravels its own mystery.

In terms of gameplay, the magical combat here is wonderfully done, and spellcasting is not just the hurling of the right incantations but is both dynamic and complex. The opponents, though, are a bit too similar and predictable. In my experience, the game was full of stutters, glitches, and bad animation sequences in both its early access days and on day one.

However, most of these issues were refined with a graphic driver update (on the PC) on day two. Some issues continue to persist, and I have had instances where the game has loaded, but the cursor hasn’t and it is simply impossible to play (a restart of the game generally solves the issue). I believe a few more updates are required to iron out the wrinkles.

There is a lot here for people who love RPGs as the world is both vibrant and wide and the game offers several spells to master despite its simplistic combat. The story is paced quite well, and if you choose to explore and do a lot of side quests, you will find many reasons to empathise with the game’s characters. I for one, found the everyday life of Hogwarts to be a lot more intriguing than the search for ancient magic.

A must-play if you are a Potterhead, and a solid RPG nonetheless. Could be one of the bestsellers of 2023. Lastly, regarding the controversy with trans people, the game’s developers have tried to alleviate the issue by creating the first-ever trans character in the wizarding world. While it doesn’t address the issue, I feel it is an important first step in terms of representation.