Hogwarts Legacy is one of the most anticipated video game releases of 2022, with fans of the Harry Potter saga and the Wizarding World hoping there won't be delays before the holiday season. There is a lot of hype surrounding the event of exploring a fully open-world version of Hogwarts and its surroundings, which is something other Harry Potter games lacked. The fact that players can also fully customize their character and everything concerning their gameplay, such as upgrades and magical gear, also plays a big part in the allure of Hogwarts Legacy, making it a fully fleshed-out RPG experience.
Because the RPG elements are so prominent in this game, choosing one's House should be an important aspect that also bears consequences. For one, Hogwarts Legacy players will be able to visit the various dormitories of their respective Houses, although it's unclear whether choosing a specific House will rule out all other dormitories as accessible areas in Hogwarts. This is in-line with the exploration of Hogwarts the game is building upon, but Hogwarts Legacy has the unique opportunity of delving more into the lore of the Houses both for gameplay purposes and worldbuilding.
Houses, Dormitories, and Common Rooms Could Matter in Hogwarts Legacy
Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw are often seen as "lesser" Houses compared to Gryffindor and Slytherin, but each has its own personality traits that a given wizard or witch should be the best fit for, as well as its own origin story and possible end-goal. As such, Hogwarts Legacy will likely offer a broader representation of the Houses that doesn't suffer from the unique protagonist syndrome Harry Potter movies and other video games naturally delve into.
Houses are an important part of the Wizarding World, and the fact that players can pick their own shouldn't be something that mainly serves a cosmetic purpose through the color of their robes. The House that players pick should blend naturally into the background story of Hogwarts Legacy and the exploration of the school itself, maybe making it easier to befriend NPC students or even professors. Other options, like dialogue or upgrades, could also benefit from an RPG approach that provides bonuses to categories that best fit a given House's traits.
Dormitories could lean into this aspect too, maybe offering unique features or mini-games to engage with that cannot be found in the other Houses as a fun, niche way to hang out in the common rooms. Hogwarts Legacy's dormitories shouldn't simply be where players go to sleep, and their common spaces have the potential of being more - maybe even include exclusive NPCs or vendors with which players from other Houses cannot interact, possibly offering peculiar potions or spells. The game also features a companion system that is showcased in its narrated gameplay trailer, highlighting some of the students that players can befriend on their magical journey.
Hogwarts Legacy's companions will belong to a given House, and if players end up matching that same House, they should be able to interact differently with those characters and form a unique type of bond. This could very well happen in the various common rooms in Hogwarts Legacy, as they are the perfect place to chill with other wizards and witches. There is a lot that belonging to any House could do, and this shouldn't be relegated to a side-choice with close-to-no importance. The same should go for visiting dormitories and common spaces.
Hogwarts Legacy is scheduled to release in holiday 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
