Waiting for the magic to dissipate
Hogwarts Legacy has been out since February 10th, and I needed some time before writing this review. I do not want to be politic about it and I wanted to evaluate the game as is and nothing else link to the source material.
Harry without Harry
Story wise, as this takes place well before the adventure of Harry Potter you will not meet the characters from the books nor the movie. Yet, if you take the time to read all the documents that you find within the game and some of the NPCs that you meet, you will soon realize that magic in the realm of Hogwarts is generically transmitted.
Exploration and more
The world in Hogwarts Legacy is full of secrets for the player to discover. Exploration is a major part of the game but it is also a pleasure of this game. details that are present makes it fun and interesting for the player to find more. And this is not done without any reason, as you also get rewarded by completing explorations challenges. Sometimes the proper spell is required to proceed, therefore, you will need to pause a certain quest to complete a different one that will grant you the required spell.
Magic and puzzles
The game is full of puzzles, from the simplest match the symbols to complete the equation and open the door to follow the clues from the treasure map. There are plenty of them, more then I can shake a wand at. Some spells have different level, from the basic Leviosa to the more advance Wingardium Leviosa. Not only the spells that you learn but the gear that you wear can make a difference, be aware of upgrade available at all time.
The path is a journey
One can decide to be good, neutral or simply a mean person in Hogwarts Legacy, your actions will tilt the balance in a certain way, which will provide the ending accordingly. As for the ending you do not need to complete the game at 100% to get to the end, but since you are in there why not?
Finale Note
For review purpose, the game was tested on the PlayStation 5, at the time of writing this review the game is only available on Ps5, Xbox Series And PC, the PS4 and Xbox One version will release in April as for the Nintendo Switch owners the will have to wait until July for the game to be available. After many hours in the game I do have to say this game is a 5 ALARM FIRE, regardless what you think of J. K. Rowling, just enjoy the work that the team at Warner Bros Games did, this is where the magic is.