Hogwarts Legacy gave many fans the experience they have been craving since they read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The game has whisked them away on a magical journey in the wizarding world, and let them live inside the halls of Hogwarts. It has been a real treat for fans of the franchise, but the addition of life simulator mechanics could have taken Hogwarts Legacy to the next level.
Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world RPG with all the classic hallmarks of the genre, and it has pretty much everything that Harry Potter fans could want. It's a Hogwarts simulator that fans could spend hours in, but there are a couple elements that hold it back from being the perfect version of itself. The addition of mechanics like sleeping, eating, and forging relationships could have made this game even more successful than it has already proven to be.
Hogwarts Legacy is a Great Harry Potter Simulator
Hogwarts Legacy lets players explore every nook and cranny of Hogwarts' halls. However, Avalanche went the extra mile by also throwing in Hogsmeade and everything else one could find around Hogwarts' grounds. The open world that the developer built feels ripped directly from the pages of the Harry Potter books, and players will likely get lost for hours uncovering all the Easter eggs on offer.
Hogwarts Legacy makes players live like a fifth-year student at Hogwarts, asked to attend class, complete assignments, help their classmates, learn spells, and gather supplies to get through the year. Players will solve puzzles, see ghosts fly through the skies, master the art of broomstick flying, and even head off to The Three Broomsticks. While there is a larger overarching plot to deal with, the highlight of the game is smaller things that players get to do during their time that make the game feel like a Hogwarts simulator.
More Life Sim Mechanics Could Have Made Hogwarts Legacy a Perfect Harry Potter Simulator
Hogwarts Legacy is primarily an open-world RPG, so Avalanche Software did not really include many typical simulator mechanics. Players do not need to sleep, they do not need to eat, they are not forced to attend classes daily, and there are not any deep relationship mechanics. Some of these features exist in shades throughout the game, but they are mostly just small interactions.
The addition of these life simulator mechanics could have made Hogwarts Legacythe ultimate Hogwarts simulator. Making players head back to their common room every night to sleep, having them take a trip to the Great Hall to eat meals, having them attend daily classes, and forging friendships could have been a lot of fun. While there is a chance that these mechanics would have felt tedious and annoying over the course of Hogwarts Legacy's full runtime, they could have also led to a deeper, immersive Harry Potter experience.
There isn't really a way for Avalanche Software to go back and add better life simulator mechanics now, and Hogwarts Legacy does not really need them. The game is a treat for Harry Potter fans, and does a lot right - even if there are continuity errors in Hogwarts Legacy that players have picked up on. Still, including these mechanics could have led to a very different experience, and maybe one day a different developer or skilled modder can give Harry Potter fans the experience of truly attending Hogwarts.
Hogwarts Legacy is available now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, and is scheduled to release for PS4 and Xbox One on April 4, and Nintendo Switch on July 25.
