Immerse yourself in the magical world of “Harry Potter” as your character embarks on a journey to discover an ancient secret that can determine the fate of the wizarding world!

By Gianna Liantonio

Photo Credit: Variety

Your character awaits many mysteries within the magical walls of Hogwarts.

The wait is finally over; the new “Harry Potter” game, “Hogwarts Legacy”, was released on February 10. 

Early access was available on February 7 for people who preordered the game’s physical collectibles edition.

It was developed by Avalanche Software and published by Warner Brothers’ games under Portkey Games. 

Development for the game began in 2018 and it was officially announced to the public in 2020. 

The team expected delays, which is why it just recently got released. It took five years to develop with a budget of 150 million dollars. 

“Hogwarts Legacy” received a record-breaking amount of viewers on Twitch, making it the most-watched single player game of all time. It garnered fairly positive reviews for its gameplay, characters, world design, and combat, though there have been some complaints regarding side missions and technical problems. 

In the game, you, the player, join Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a fifth-year student. You can customize your character however you want and choose your Hogwarts house. 

You are experiencing Hogwarts in the 1800s and only your character holds the key to an ancient secret threatening to tear the wizarding world a part. It is up to you to figure it out with a series of different quests. 

The player encounters Ranrok, a goblin who wishes for a goblin uprising in the wizarding world. It is up to you as the player to stop it from happening, which involves finding out the many secrets of Hogwarts and its four founders. 

The plot follows the player as the main protagonist of the game. The player’s mentor, Professor Fig, will serve as a guide throughout the game, in addition to a field guide that is given at the beginning and used throughout the game. 

It is an action role-playing role game where the players can attend classes and also visit many of the well known places in the “Harry Potter” universe, such as Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and the Forbidden Forest. You will also be able to see places that were made generally offscreen, like the houses’ common rooms. 

Certain spots of the castle will change throughout the game as the seasons change. As you level up, you will gain access to new spells and abilities that will help you move further along in your quests. 

Along with certain special quests, your character will still be able to attend classes and gain house points. You will also be able to tame animals such as hippogriffs, thestrals, dragons, trolls, nifflers and much more!

The player will learn how to cast various spells, brew potions and master abilities to aid in combat. 

Players can also create friendships with the other characters in the game. As the player gains their trust, they become companions that can follow them on certain quests and accompany them on their journey.  

Alan Tew, director of “Hogwarts Legacy”, stated that he and his team focused on the launch only, not releasing any new content yet. 

There is some criticism towards the game as the tasks seem to make the gameplay feel longer and slow-paced, without benefiting the plot. People like fast game play, and with numerous puzzles to unlock in the castle alone, it may take some time to get through everything.

Players can currently play “Hogwarts Legacy” on a PC or next-gen consoles, such as the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. PS4 and Xbox One players will have to wait until April 4, while Nintendo Switch players can expect to play on July 25. 

“It’s confusing then that it’s taken this long to get a game that promises to deliver on the fantasy of becoming a wizard or witch within that universe; attending classes, learning spells, engaging in mischief, and exploring the grandeur of Hogwarts Castle,” stated a review from Gamespot. “Hogwarts Legacy delivers on that promise, to a degree.” 

This game has definitely reached fans’ expectations and adds to the already magical world that everyone loves.