Hogwarts Legacy has performed outstandingly in the few months since its release. The title has overcome every adversity that threatened to derail its release, from source material author J.K. Rowling's unending media controversies to gameplay quality, garnering some eye-popping sales figures. Hogwarts Legacy's lore-rich quests have played a large part in the title's achievements, taking players on several exploratory journeys in the legendary school and surrounding locales. One such mission, The Tale of Rowland Oakes, shares a few similarities with the survival horror series Alone in the Dark, and the investigative nature of the mission has drawn praise from players.
Dangerous missions come with an inexplicable thrill that delights gamers, and Hogwarts Legacy has plentiful quests in its arsenal to satisfy players' thirsts. From the goblin raid of Hogsmeade in the early game to the climactic showdown against Ranrok, danger lurks at most corners of the magical school and the world beyond. Hogwarts Legacy's Tale of Rowland Oakes sends players on a mission to save a classmate's uncle from the hands of Ranrok's Loyalists, just like Carnby's adventures with Grace Saunders in Alone in the Dark 2.
Grace Saunders and Rowland Oakes Share a Similar Ordeal
The gulf in the overarching storylines of Hogwarts Legacy and Alone in the Dark couldn't be more pronounced, but the fantasy game has a quest that eerily mirrors the horror series' sinister plot. Alone in the Dark 2, for example, featured private investigator Edward Carnby in his mission to rescue eight-year-old Grace Saunders from a mansion called Hell's Kitchen. Further highlighting the mission's risk, his mentor, Ted Stryker, disappears mysteriously when he sets after the missing girl and is later reported to have met a brutal demise. The game takes a characteristic paranormal turn, with undead pirates responsible for the little girl's kidnapping.
The spirits intend to extend their immortality by sacrificing Grace, and Carnby must fight through hordes of critters to get to the child before the pirates succeed in their occult mission. Similarly, The Tale of Rowland Oakes in Hogwarts Legacy is a race against time to free Adelaide's uncle from the clutches of Dark Lord Ranrok's minions after a business deal gone awry—albeit with a little twist. Avalanche Software tests gamers' ability to solve puzzles throughout Hogwarts Legacy and to get to Rowland Oakes, though players must first solve a map puzzle located at the merchant's campsite.
Reaching the clue requires players to charge at goblin guards or call upon their inner professional spy using the Disillusionment Charm. In the same vein, Alone in the Dark allowed players to run through the haunted mansion undetected in a Santa Claus costume, as a nod to the disappearance of Grace Saunders on Christmas Eve.
Once the map's secrets have been figured out in Hogwarts Legacy and players head to the Korrow Ruins, the rescue mission begins in earnest. The Tale of Rowland Oakes doesn't only require mastery of Hogwarts Legacy's combat techniques and puzzle-solving, as there's also a bit of a treasure hunt involved in the quest. Rowland's kidnappers have confiscated his wand, and the merchant can't free himself from the cell.
Hence, players must comb the ruins for the missing wand and return it to Mr. Oakes to complete the mission. With the Alone in the Dark franchise getting a new lease of life in the coming months, Hogwarts Legacy may be an unlikely source of inspiration, but The Tale of Rowland Oakes and its investigative elements make it a fine point of reference for the reboot of Alone in the Dark's first installment.
Hogwarts Legacy is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with a Nintendo Switch version releasing on November 14.
