Finally, it’s time! Unfortunately, the owl with the long-awaited letter from Hogwarts is still not knocking on our window, but the video game “Hogwarts Legacy” is officially available for purchase. On Friday, February 10th, a big dream of many “Harry Potter” fans will come true.
Almost 26 years after the release of the first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, gamers can now explore Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in an open world game. This happens either on foot, by broom or on the back of a hippogriff. The role-playing game “Hogwarts Legacy” is set in the 19th century and thus far before the events from the books by JK Rowling. So we don’t meet Harry and his friends in the hallways of Hogwarts, but we can explore the well-known locations of the wizarding world in a completely new way. With a self-created character, we walk through the magical fantasy universe in the truest sense of the word.
Hogwarts Legacy – Launch and Platforms
From February 10, 2023, the video game will be officially available in stores and on various gaming platforms – at least for the owners of a Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S or a PC. On the other hand, if you gamble on a Playstation 4 or Xbox One, you have to wait until April 4th. Nintendo Switch players won’t even be able to wave their magic wands until July 25th. Anyone who pre-ordered the game could even use the Early Access version of “Hogwarts Legacy” from February 7th.
Also interesting: These are the video games we are most looking forward to in 2023
This is what Hogwarts Legacy is about
As already mentioned, the video game is set in the 19th century at the time of the impending goblin rebellions (Professor Binns and his History of Magic class send their regards). Unlike in the world-famous book, we don’t start our school career at Hogwarts in the first, but in the fifth grade and thus as a much older teenager. Despite the late arrival, which is still important in terms of content, everyday life is almost identical to what we know from Harry’s school days.
After the sorting hat has assigned us to one of the four houses, we first have to find our way around the castle. That means: get to know classmates, attend school lessons and learn magic spells! Our character, who has special powers, also follows the story of a goblin rebellion, uncovers the mysteries and riddles of the vast world and collects all sorts of interesting facts about witchcraft and sorcery.
Die-hard Potter fans can discover many details from the films and books on almost every corner. In addition to the school castle itself, we can also explore the surrounding area, the forbidden forest, the wizarding village of Hogsmeade and probably even Azkaban.
Gameplay and Scope
The video game is an open world action RPG in single player mode. So we can move quite freely through the game world, in which we have to overcome some obstacles and fights. Typical role-playing elements are of course creating your own character, which we let learn different skills in the course of the story. In addition to the main quest, there are also a whole series of side quests and thus also interesting sub-story strands that allow us to delve deeper into the magical world.
Of course, the action combat system is also important, in which we have to use the learned skills and magic spells as effectively as possible. The opponents are both other magicians and various magical creatures. In the diverse environment there is also a whole series of puzzles to be solved in order to collect ingredients for magical potions. Another component worth mentioning is the housing element – in two senses. So it is not only important which house we end up in at Hogwarts, we can also set up our dormitory there individually.
With “Hogwarts Legacy” we can discover the Harry Potter universe very individually. The main story alone should take a good 30 to 40 hours. If you actually follow every little trace and every tiny detail, you should even plan around 100 hours of play.
How much does Hogwarts Legacy cost?
The mammoth project by developer Avalanche Software varies in price depending on the platform and version. The Standard Edition costs 59.99 euros for the Nintendo Switch and PC, 69.99 euros for PS4/Xbox One and 74.99 euros for PS5/Xbox Series. For the Deluxe Edition, 10 euros more are due, which contains a cosmetic set, a mount and a battle arena of the dark arts.
There is also a physical collector’s edition of “Hogwarts Legacy” for a whopping 299.99 euros. In addition to the game, this contains a book and a magic wand that can hover over the book with a magnet. Within the game itself you also get the same content as in the Deluxe Edition, plus a robe and a hat.
Sources
- Hogwarts legacy (accessed February 10, 2023)
- gamestar (“Hogwarts Legacy is the perfect Harry Potter game – just not on PC (yet),” accessed February 9, 2023)
- PC games (“Hogwarts Legacy Review: A Magical Experience for Potter Fans,” accessed February 9, 2023)