Harry Potter fans had been waiting for a game that could fulfill their dreams of exploring the wizarding world, and their wishes were finally answered in the form of Hogwarts Legacy. The game has tried its best to be faithful to the novels and movies by bringing many vital aspects of the series to life. Although the title has done many great things, here are the top 10 ways Hogwarts Legacy lets you live out your wizarding fantasies.
Exploring Hogwarts
Being able to walk through the halls of Hogwarts is a dream that many Harry Potter fans may have, and bringing this iconic setting into a game is no small feat. Many things could go wrong during the process, but thankfully, Hogwarts Legacy is able to recreate this magical school faithfully.
The developer has added a chock-full of details to Hogwarts Castle, ensuring each building section is unique. You can clearly feel the magic permeating the air and the walls as you roam the magical school. Some portraits will chatter at you as you walk past, and you may even encounter several ghosts floating through the hallways.
One funny event you may also witness during your stroll at Hogwarts is a fight between two suits of armor, where one of them will suddenly raise its weapon and beat its companion into pieces out of frustration. Sadly, you can’t fix the broken suit with a Reparo spell, and it can only lay whimpering on the ground.
Attending Magical Classes
As a student at Hogwarts, you can take various magical classes that can teach you numerous useful charms for your journey. The game will give you several missions where you can attend these lessons and meet your new classmates.
There will be cutscenes showing you and your fellow students learning when you arrive at the classroom, and sometimes, you may even get short Quick Time Events where your character performs class activities. For example, during the Herbology class, Professor Garlick will ask you to move a Mandrake into a new pot, and you will have to press several buttons to accomplish this feat.
You can take these classes whenever you wish during your playthrough because there is no fixed and rigid schedule that you must follow. Although most of the classes are short, they give you a taste of what it feels like to study at Hogwarts. You may even experience how Harry may feel during a History class with Professor Binns.
Flying
Although there is no playable Quidditch in Hogwarts Legacy, flying is still allowed by Headmaster Black. It will take several hours into the game before you can obtain your first broomstick and take flight into the sky. You need to purchase your own broom at Spintwitches Sporting Needs, but unfortunately, you can’t buy the iconic Firebolt since it hasn’t been created yet.
The flying mechanic feels responsive and allows you to zoom past large swaths of land like a snitch. If a broom is not cool enough for you, you can also unlock other Aerial mounts, like a Hippogriff named Highwing, who can run on the ground and fly in the air.
Visiting Hogsmeade
Hogsmeade is another iconic location from the Harry Potter universe featured in Hogwarts Legacy. Although it has less presence than Hogwarts Castle, the wizarding village is still a setting for several important events in the series. You can visit many well-known establishments in Hogsmeade, such as the Three Broomsticks Inn, where Harry and the gang love to hang around and drink butterbeer.
Hogsmeade will be your primary place to buy various items and materials you need during your journey. There are also several interesting side quests that you can take in this area, like the Venomous Revenge mission, where you are asked to steal a Venomous Tentacula from a spider-infested cellar.
Fighting Dark Wizards
Even though there are no Death Eaters during your time at Hogwarts, there are still plenty of wicked wizards with villainous schemes. You will face numerous members of the Rookwood gang, called Ashwinders, during your excursions at the Highland. Each Ashwinder has different abilities and move sets that can challenge your skill at wizarding combat.
Since Ashwinders do not particularly care about fairness, you will often find yourself surrounded by several dark wizards during your battles. However, with enough experience and the power of Ancient Magic, you may find yourself dancing around their attacks and teaching them the meaning of defeat.
Befriending Magical Beasts
Hogwarts Legacy allows you to follow in the footsteps of Newt Scamander by letting you rescue various magical beasts that have been suffering under wizard poachers. There are 13 types of creatures that you can keep in your Vivariums, and each of them will give you magical materials you can use to upgrade your gear.
Generally, you will need to find a beast den in the Highland and capture one using the Nab-Sack given to you by Deek. There are also special creatures you can only get from missions, such as the Phoenix, which you can rescue from a group of poachers in a nearby cave.
Entering the Forbidden Forest
Harry does not like to follow the rules, and our player characters also seem to have the same tendency. The Forbidden Forest is off-limit to Hogwarts students, but such prohibition won’t stop adventurous young wizards and witches from exploring the creepy yet alluring jungle.
Since Hagrid has not been born and attended Hogwarts yet, you won’t be able to find Aragog roaming in this dark forest. Still, you will encounter many spiders during your visit, and they won’t hesitate to shoot you with their sticky webs. There are also many poachers hanging around in the area, and you’re free to share how you feel about their choice of occupation.
Sometimes you may even meet with a group of Centaurs patrolling the Forbidden Forest. They can enter battles with other hostile foes nearby, and you can join in on their fight to protect their territory. Sadly, it seems they do not have any words for you when you stumble across them.
Visiting Azkaban
For those of you who pick the Hufflepuff as your house, you will be granted a chance to visit the infamous Azkaban during a main mission. A former Auror, Helen Thistlewood, will bring you to this place to find an answer to an unsolvable case from one of its residents.
When you first step into Azkaban, the Dementors will immediately greet you with enthusiasm. Since you do not master the Patronus charm, Helen will cast the spell to ward off the ghostly creatures and ensure safe passage. You will be restricted in this section and cannot wander off alone, but the short time there should give you enough time to feel the utter despair and miserableness the place can inspire in many people.
Wielding the Deathly Hallows
The Deathly Hallows are the most powerful magical items you can find in the Harry Potter universe. Although you cannot obtain the real version of the Deathly Hallows, you can still experience wielding them during Niamh Fitzgerald’s Trial.
The trial will be divided into three sections where you can use one different Hallow in each part. The mission directly references the old wizarding story in The Tales of Beedle the Bard, where the three Peverell brothers try to evade Death. While you cannot keep the Deathly Hallows after the trial, the game has at least given players a chance to taste the power of these magical objects.
Saving the Wizarding World
It seems that the wizarding world always needs to be saved by a heroic yet young Hogwarts student. In Hogwarts Legacy, Ranrok will be the main villain you must defeat during your journey. The goblin leader is attempting to use the Ancient Magic as a source of power for him and his rebellion, and you may be the only person who can stop him.
You will also meet other villainous figures, such as Victor Rookwood, who has allied himself with the goblin in an attempt to take the Ancient Magic reserve, which he believes to be rightfully his. Don’t worry, you won’t be alone in your fight against dark wizards and goblins. Your fellow students and Hogwarts professors are more than ready to offer you some form of aid during your adventure, especially Professor Fig.
