5 things Hogwarts Legacy does well and 5 things it could have done better

The highly anticipated Hogwarts Legacy has surpassed everything with its social playstyle and amazing arrangement of classic architecture from the books and films in the series. But of course not everything can be perfect as there are some aspects that fall short of expectations. That said, we’re going to look at the game as a whole with five things Hogwarts Legacy does well and five things it could have done better.

Feeling Good: Bringing the Harry Potter World to Life

One of the most extraordinary factors of Hogwarts Legacy is its magnificent reimagining of the vast Harry Potter universe, from the famous castle grounds to the cozy village of Hogsmeade. Long-time fans of the series will no doubt enjoy seeing all of the familiar structures and meeting relatives of beloved characters. In addition, players will encounter different types of magic around every corner, such as: B. the moving Grand Staircase, talking portraits and a living flora.

Sometimes you’ll discover or hear about Easter eggs from the series, such as the Follow the Butterflies quest, which is a nod to Ron Weasley’s iconic lineage in the Chamber of Secrets.

Works well: Fun combat gameplay

Rather than simple button-push gameplay, Hogwarts Legacy features a highly entertaining spell mechanic that requires players to strategize in order to defeat fierce enemies. Not only can you deal damage with Confringo or Expelliarmus, but you can also use Levioso to blow up your opponents or smash them to the ground with Descendo. As such, each battle will play out differently depending on which spell set you choose as you progress through the game.

At the same time, players can increase the thrill by earning an achievement in Dueling Feats, an optional combat challenge that will test your magical skills. In particular, you can launch the ultimate attack of ancient magic to take out an enemy during combat, resulting in rewards for your extraordinary triumph.

Works well: Endless quests and challenges

To say there is a lot to do in Hogwarts Legacy is definitely an understatement as there is an overwhelming amount of quests and challenges to complete throughout your adventures. As you roam the city, lose yourself in the immersive world filled with main missions, side stories, adorable beasts, treasure rooms, trials and more.

At Hogwarts, players can become scavengers in search of the Daedalic Keys or focus on their students by completing their quests. Then you can venture further to the wonderful coast to capture animals, get rid of enemy bases and become a flight master with aerial trials. There is also more content to discover in the Challenges section, which will provide you with upgrades and cosmetics to prepare you for your journey.

Looking good: Huge open world

Hogwarts itself is an intricately designed maze with many hidden rooms and locations to discover, but just when you think you’ve seen it all you’ll see that the map expands further with its numerous regions. In a minute drive around the north side to explore the Forbidden Forest, Hogsmeade and North Ford Bog. Next, you’ll find yourself in a completely different area to the south to visit the Clagmar Coast or uncover the whereabouts of majestic beasts like the Phoenix or the Lord of the Shore.

The possibilities seem almost limitless thanks to the wide range of the map and it will take some time to traverse the whole world in its entirety.

Doing well: Various storylines of the house

The four houses of Hogwarts – Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff – offer unique narratives to personalize each journey for the player, including home bases and quests. While Slytherin’s common room has a dark and mysterious ambiance, Hufflepuff’s purpose is mostly vibrant plants and earthy colors. Story-wise, each house has its own missions, such as the Gryffindor The Hunt for the Missing Pages saga and the story of Ollivander’s Ravenclaw heirloom.

Depending on which house a player is in, certain characters from rival factions may react differently to them. For example, those who are in Gryffindor may encounter a debacle with Slytherin students that can make them seem pompous. Alternatively, if you’re sorted into Slytherin instead, these characters will now be friendly to you from the start, demonstrating each group’s uniqueness.

Done Better: Social Interactions

Aside from the educational aspect, school life is all about friendships and the relationships you make along the way. However, Hogwarts Legacy tends to lack this department due to the somewhat lacking social opportunities for those not participating in main or side missions. Of course, you’ll befriend some students like Sebastian Sallow and Natsai Onai, but apart from them you won’t be able to interact with anyone.

As a result, the school environment feels isolated considering players can’t converse with all of their classmates. Even a subtle “hello” or “goodbye” option could go a long way and breathe some life into the surprisingly boring NPCs.

Done Better: Effective Decisions

Although Hogwarts Legacy contains a wealth of decision-based dialogue scenes, those decisions don’t necessarily affect the plot, as most of these instances usually have the same end result. More specifically, if you choose “evil” topics of conversation, you’ll find that those actions have no consequences, and you’ll still come out as the hero of the story, despite scaring your fellow students and teachers.

You can also see an excellent example of this with the use of Dark Arts spells, including the deadly Unforgivable Curses, a magical ability forbidden in the Harry Potter universe. Yet somehow a fifth-year Hogwarts student can cast the killing curse, Avada Kedavra, with no ill effects and continue his studies as if nothing happened.

Done Better: Fashion

Regarding the Hogwarts Legacy fashion collection, the clothing options are a bit disappointing due to the lack of colorful options and the odd selection of cosmetics. Considering that your gear is vital to your stats, you’re often left with an absurd wardrobe complete with a silly hat, whimsical glasses, and a boring robe that basically look like they came straight out of your grandmother’s closet. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but let’s not forget that this is actually a young and hip Hogwarts student rather than an old-school teacher.

Luckily, players can transmog these unusual cosmetics with their desired choices, which include some fun outfits like Hogsmeade’s Zonko’s Chief Prankster ensemble or Ron Weasley’s recognizable fashionable Yule Ball dress robes. However, despite the inclusion of these clothing items, the fashion section could still be improved to create a more personalized experience for each player.

Better Done: Switch Spells

Despite the combat’s entertainment value, the spell switching system can be tiring if you have to repeatedly switch attacks or other techniques. For example, when solving a puzzle, you often have to defeat an enemy shortly afterwards, forcing you to change your setup for a fight. Or even if a player is preparing for a specific adventure, there will be a random event that requires a specific spell.

Although you can later customize multiple spell sets using the core talent points, it still doesn’t cover every type of situation, regardless of your preparations.

Done Better: Lack of school discipline

Based on the books and films, the Harry Potter gang have received their fair share of punishments for criminal activity, whether it’s traveling around after hours or entering restricted areas. On the other hand, Hogwarts Legacy seems to have no rules or limits, giving players the freedom to do whatever they want without consequences. Yes, Professor Weasley may have expressed concern about these indecent occurrences, but it does not prohibit you from doing such things, nor does it negatively affect your performance at school.

Without school discipline, the educational side suffers, feeling more like a side story than a crucial part of the game. It might help if Hogwarts Legacy includes features from Rockstar’s Bully as there is a strict curfew and penalties for truancy. However, since the game is just getting started, we could expect some changes with future updates and DLC that will fix these issues and increase its potential to become one of the best games of 2023.