The release of Avalanche Software's Hogwarts Legacy earlier this year opened up a whole new chapter in the expansive Wizarding World, and fans were excited to get the chance to explore a different side of the famous school. For the most part, Hogwarts Legacy met player expectations. It delivered a magical adventure that delved deep into the established lore and managed to introduce some of its own as well. However, despite praise for the impressive visuals and meticulously designed environments, there were some elements that Hogwarts Legacy could have made better use of.
Some of Hogwarts Legacy's gameplay aspects didn't quite manage to impress fans as much as its attention to visual detail, and its story and antagonists faced a few criticisms even before the game was released. While overall Hogwarts Legacy has been a hit, it was always going to face a tough battle when it came to pleasing everyone, especially with such a dedicated fan base in place. One feature that disappointed fans in particular, though, was the use of the various school Houses in Hogwarts Legacy, and how the game didn't quite manage to differentiate between them.
Houses In Hogwarts Legacy
The four Hogwarts Houses have always been a popular part of the Harry Potter canon, with fans usually aligning themselves with one or another according to their personalities or preferences. The official Wizarding World website has been a go-to for audiences to sort themselves into one of the Houses through the Hogwarts Sorting Experience for years, and Hogwarts Legacy could give players the chance to actually play out their preferred House. The character creation in Hogwarts Legacy was a hot topic before the game launched, and being able to choose a House and shape the protagonist through this aspect was one of the main focuses for many fans.
During the Sorting Hat ceremony towards the start of the game, gamers can be sorted into one of the four houses – Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. Players can either go with the House that is selected for them after a few quick questions, or they can manually select the one they want. The House players are sorted into affects the color of their school robes and the common room that they'll have access to, as well as a few other aspects. Other than one main quest, the experience of the different Houses is largely similar throughout the game, which came as a bit of a disappointment to some fans.
How Hogwarts Legacy Missed An Opportunity
Other than a few visual differences, the common rooms, and a handful of unique dialogue options, the player's House doesn't have much of an impact on their Hogwarts Legacy playthrough. This definitely feels like a missed opportunity, especially considering how much significance is given to the Hogwarts Houses in the books and films, and how popular they are as an aspect of the IP. For the most part, players have to assign their own significance to their chosen House and rely on their personal headcanon to fully round out their protagonist. This is not uncommon in games, even in those that have more in-depth role-playing aspects or deeper character-focused narratives, but it can be disappointing for gamers nonetheless.
Hogwarts Legacy could have built upon the school Houses and expanded how they feature in the game, with unique companions based on a player's affiliation or more tailored quests that are different for each House. There could also be more tension between characters of different Houses, especially those with historic grudges like Slytherin and Gryffindor. To tie in with the individual objects attributed to the founders of each House, exclusive items could also be used as in-game perks for House-specific quests. Not only would this greater differentiation between the Houses improve the depth of the worldbuilding, but it would also help to improve Hogwarts Legacy's replay value as well.
Hogwarts Legacy is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with a Switch version releasing November 14.
