Summary
It’s not clear when, but it’s safe to say thatHogwarts Legacywill be getting a sequel at some point. The game was anunmistakable success for Warner Bros., topping sales charts worldwide and attaining a level of commercial and critical relevance not enjoyed by any priorHarry Pottergame. A follow-up would be the smart business decision for Warner Bros., but it wouldn’t have to be wholly financially motivated, as there is plenty of room for the series to grow on a creative level.
While it’s not a perfect game,Hogwarts Legacygets plenty right. It’s crowning achievement may very well be Hogwarts itself, which has been beautifully realized by Avalanche Software’s environment artists and level designers, who managed to capture the spirit of the school as it appears in the books and films while still keeping it fresh and original. Stunning though it may be, Hogwarts' intrigue is often only skin-deep, and the fantasy of playing out everyday school life was arguably not realized in the final product; there isn’t much to do in Hogwarts, either in the form of extracurricular activities or a more consequential class system alaBullyorPersona. This is one of the chief areas whereHogwarts Legacy 2can improve.
Hogwarts Legacy’s handling of the House Cupis emblematic of how it approaches school life, in the sense that it is inconsequential and ultimately lacking in interactivity.
Hogwarts Legacy 2 Must Tap Into Harry Potter’s School Rivalries
Student-to-Student Conflict Is Conspicuously Absent in Hogwarts Legacy
Even those with the most cursory knowledge ofHarry Potterknow that the series is rife with student-to-student beef, specifically between Gryffindor and Slytherin, the latter of which is often shown to be something of an enemy to the rest of the Hogwarts student body. The most detestable andstereotypical aspects of the Slytherin personalityare manifest in Draco Malfoy, who is something of a foil to the series' titular hero: Draco is conniving, dishonest, and arrogant, in contrast to Harry’s more honorable and chivalrous persona. This tension exists throughout the series, and is used both for laughs and for more dramatic plot developments, making it one of the most memorable parts of the story.
But for as prominent as Hogwarts rivalries are inHarry Potter, and for as much mileage as the source material gets out of them, they arealmost totally missing fromHogwarts Legacy. The player-character is friendly with just about every other student, regardless of house affiliation or personality, which can contribute to the feeling of Hogwarts feeling a bit stale: the in-game school is missing a sense of culture and history that could have been expressed through strife and less-polished interpersonal relationships. Put another way,Hogwarts Legacy 2shouldn’t be afraid to make student life a little bit less wholesome, if it means adding more texture to the overallHarry Potterfantasy.
Hogwarts Legacy 2 May Have the Perfect Path to a Strong Student Rivalry
Sebastian Sallow’squest chain is widely consideredHogwarts Legacy’s best, mainly due to its focus on challenging moral dilemmas—something that is underexplored in the game’s main narrative. Sallow delves deep into the Dark Arts, and it leads him down an appropriately dark path. The end of his story can be determined by the player themselves, as they can choose to either turn him into the authorities (via Headmaster Black), or allow him a chance to repent on his own.
These outcomes are anticlimactic, though: Sebastian either gets away with his crimes, or he gets put on trial off-screen, both of which undercut some of the tension that his quest chain builds up to that final point. PerhapsHogwarts Legacy 2can kill two birds with one stone, reprising Sebastian’s story and letting him fully walk the path of evil and corruption while still being a Hogwarts student, and thus injecting the game with some much-needed interpersonal conflict, pitting the player-character against one of their peers.
Hogwarts Legacy
WHERE TO PLAY
Hogwarts Legacy is an immersive, open-world action RPG set in the world first introduced in the Harry Potter books. For the first time, experience Hogwarts in the 1800s. Your character is a student who holds the key to an ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart. Now you may take control of the action and be at the center of your own adventure in the wizarding world. Your legacy is what you make of it.Explore an Open WorldThe wizarding world awaits you. Freely roam Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest, and the surrounding Overland area.Be the Witch or Wizard You Want to beLearn spells, brew potions, grow plants, and tend to magical beasts along your journey. Get sorted into your house, forge relationships, and master skills to become the witch or wizard you want to be Experience a New Wizarding World AdventureExperience the wizarding world in an unexplored era to uncover a hidden truth from its past. Battle against trolls, Dark Wizards, goblins, and more as you face a dangerous villain threatening the fate of the wizarding world.
