We initially unveiled Hogwarts Legacy a while back. I hadn’t even joined the studio. I’m now a member of this amazing team that worked really hard to ensure that our gameplay reveal will be worth the wait. We are beyond thrilled that it has arrived at last.
All of us have fantasised about getting our letters, going to Hogwarts, and creating our own legacy. Because the Wizarding World always seemed so similar to our own, we have always wondered what it would be like for our own stories to be contained within a book. Creating the witch or wizard you wish to be is the first step in writing your own story, Hogwarts Legacy, which is firmly grounded in wizarding lore.
An Authentic Wizarding World
One of the first things I did was to ask Alan Tew, the game director, what Wizarding World fans enjoy and anticipate. When I asked him to summarise our subsequent conversations into two sentences, he responded, “The most ever-present part of the Wizarding World is its magic, and the playful nature and ‘realness’ of its distinct rules should fuel a surprising, dark mystery that tests the combined resources of those who discover it. But just as significant are the chances to encounter countless special events, both big and little, that fans have grown up with and are familiar with, such as getting Sorted in the Great Hall, discovering a new secret room at Hogwarts, or acting like someone else with police Potion.
Even though this is our rendition of Hogwarts, you’ll know the setting right away. There are well-known locations like the Great Hall, clock tower, and hospital wing, as well as brand-new locations like the busy kitchens, according to Boston. “Having experienced the creation of this game as a student in these halls myself, I can honestly state there are still spots I encounter I wasn’t aware of before.”
These elements are imperative to the experience, but at the center of it all is a fully explorable Hogwarts replete with secrets to discover and mysteries to unravel. To learn more about our version of Hogwarts, I had to go to an expert.
Our Hogwarts seems much like the magical school I’ve always wanted to attend, even in terms of extracurricular activities like evading Peeves while slipping into the Restricted Section of the library. This feeling extends beyond only the building and design of the institution. Finding hidden rooms and breaking into the prefects’ bathroom are just as important to Hogwarts life as learning to cast spells and brewing potions.
Overview
You’ll get to view the distinctive architecture, furnishings, and entrances of each common room, depending on which Hogwarts house you’re in. The entrance to our common room disappearing into a wall behind the serpentine body of a gigantic stone snake will be a particular favourite of my fellow Slytherins.
Seeing familiar places in a fresh way, like as how near Hogsmeade is to Hogwarts or viewing the Forbidden Forest in the open air, is part of the charm of Hogwarts Legacy. But we wanted to broaden the scope of what you know about the area around the castle in order to truly convey a sense of freedom. As Alan explained to me, “We wanted you to have new places to explore; to see what lies around and beyond the Black Lake, to meet new witches and wizards in the dwellings that dot the landscape beyond Hogsmeade, and to learn what other undiscovered chambers lie within Hogwarts or scattered across the Scottish Highlands.
I can hardly tear myself away from exploring the castle, but this game goes well beyond the walls of Hogwarts to explore the village of Hogsmeade and the surrounding countryside. Hogsmeade is home to enchanting new characters with rich stories and personalities of their own, as well as vendors who will provide supplies you need for your schooling and other adventures.
Live the Unwritten
The things you enjoyed about the Harry Potter series—finding magic, making new friends, and being a hero—will be a lot like your legacy in the late 1800s wizarding world. I received some explanation of these similarities from Story Lead Moira Squier.
“Players will have the opportunity to understand what it was like for Harry to enrol in a new wizarding school without knowing anybody. And like Harry, the player’s character gains some notoriety right away since they are a fifth-year and because they managed to escape a—” No spoilers, I’m sorry, Moira! Your entrance at Hogwarts is, shall we say, very exciting.
“Ranrok has glimpsed a magic that wizardkind strove to conceal, even from themselves, and he is specifically interested in that ability. His hate of wizards has distorted his perspective, making his union with Victor Rookwood particularly shaky,” Moira stated.
Magic
You’ll need a companion and mentor to help you along the road if you want to uncover the secrets of ancient magic and put an end to Ranrok’s uprising. Enter Professor Eleazar Fig, whose inquiries into reports of a goblin uprising have prompted the Ministry of Magic to view him with cautious distrust.
Your ties to an ancient magic put you on a collision course with a goblin rebellion led by Ranrok, aided by his alliance with the Dark wizard Victor Rookwood, who both present formidable threats to the entire wizarding world.
Define Your Combat Style
Your studies at Hogwarts will help you overcome the mysteries and dangers that lurk beyond—and even within—the walls of the castle. As you learn from your professors and classmates, you’ll gain new spells and abilities to use in combat and puzzles throughout Hogwarts Legacy.
There are several spells that provide diverse strategies for fighting. Do you charge in with all of your might, utilising Accio to draw an adversary in before exploding them with Incendio? You might also use the Disillusionment Charm to sneak up on your opponents and defeat them with a quiet Petrificus Totalus takedown.
A Single-Player Action RPG
Other more things were displayed in our Hogwarts Legacy State of Play presentation, including: The Room of Requirement, training magical creatures, looting and earning customised stuff everywhere around the world, and much more are all included. Before we start, we’ll delve further into several of these subjects. There is one additional issue, though, that I wanted to make sure we addressed clearly:
An open-world action RPG for one person is called Hogwarts Legacy. Although you can travel with NPC friends, the tale is about your personal legacy.
These are only pieces of the immense experience we’re building in Hogwarts Legacy. Game Director Alan Tew best sums up how everything comes together:
We got the fantastic option to tell any wizarding-related narrative we chose using Hogwarts Legacy. That stood out as a fantasy. Above all things, we wanted to give fans the chance to finally write their tale at the most adored school of witchcraft and wizardry, their way, after all these years.
Your tale should be just as exciting as those of previous wizarding heroes. You don’t need to hold back on the types of excursions (and subjects) you might wish to explore because we start you as a late-fifth year. To make sure that no other hero ever eclipses your legacy, we set you in the 1800s. To ensure that your fight never feels like a rehash of a previous one, we also create a fresh dark mystery. We aim to explore much more in the future with your continuing support!