Typically I like to take this time to give a little promo to a AAA title set to release or that just released recently. However if I'm being honest, I'm less than impressed with games releasing after the 12th. So I'm going back into my library to talk about a game from the past. Hogwarts Legacy 2 is in the works and expected to release early 2026. So there is still plenty of time to play or replay Hogwarts Legacy and prepare for the next magical masterpiece.

The game starts with you being escorted to Hogwarts as a special condition 5th year who just released their budding potential as a wizard. As you set out on your journey however you're attack and forced to crash land! Thankfully you're in the talented, caring hands of Professor Fig! One of many influential and memorable characters you'll be introduced to.

At first the game is very linear and gives no options to explore the amazing landscape developed by Avalanche Software and Shiver Entertainment. However after catastrophe is diverted and you're safely in the grounds of Hogwarts the game really opens up. Tutorials can take some time to get through, but I enjoyed them as they feel part of the game, not a distraction from it. And once you get your hands on a broom the game really opens up (relatively early in tutorials). The only real limitation is your strength as a wizard. A limitation that is removed as you progress through the game.

The best part of this game for me was all the spell combinations. One can even learn the dark arts if they wish to go down that path. In fact there is a Dark Arts DLC now available... for another $19.99 of course. Though I will say the dark arts are not nearly as entertaining as the rest. Each enemy type has a "hidden" weakness and some enemies even interact with certain spell types. Levitating a spider then using decendio will make it splat on the ground! Inferi can only take damaged once caught on fire and the likes there of. With so many enemy types all having different spell interactions you'll spend plenty of time theory testing alone.
The story arc is probably the one complaint that I have. While it is not bad by any means, I quite enjoyed it, it is short and does have repeating themes. I think I did everything in the game in 30-40 hours, not just beat the story, but all side quest as well. While 30-40 hours of gameplay isn't nothing, typically I expect 50+ hours from a game of this caliber. This is a very minor thing to me, as the game was wildly entertaining while I was playing. It also has some small elementals of replay to it, as some choices lead you down different paths. As well as having multiple difficulty levels. I personally suggest the hardest mode right off the bat. The additional challenge set by that difficulty really gave a feeling of immersion.
Oh yeah and why not more dueling club?! Okay that's my biggest complaint! Dueling club is more like a tutorial, but it was one of the best parts of the game. A dueling league would have been beyond the scope of fun, into pure unadulterated bliss! Uh... I digress...

With all that being said Hogwarts Legacy is a game I'd say worth its $59.99 price tag. From raising magical creatures, dueling powerful wizards, soaring around the landscape, solving in-depth puzzles, to brewing life altering potions Hogwarts Legacy brings to life all things wizard! Get in touch with your inner wizard and experience the majesty and magic of Hogwarts Legacy, available now for PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X & S, and Microsoft Windows in the steam store.
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