Next year is already shaping up to be something special with many anticipated releases on the horizon. One such game is Hogwarts Legacy from developer Avalanche Software, the stuff of dreams for Harry Potter fans across the globe. Free of movie-licensed mediocrity, the title can use a sandbox from the books and films to bring a new story set in the 1800s, and since its reveal in 2020 fans have wondered just how far the game will go in delivering an immersive experience.
Open-world games are all the rage in 2022, and Hogwarts Legacy will be one of the next to feature an expansive setting where players can go anywhere. With a building as steeped in wonderful and horrifying history as Hogwarts, there's always a risk that the importance of Hogwarts isn't fully captured in pursuit of a diverse world. Titles like Horizon Forbidden West and Assassin's Creed Valhalla are beautiful, but don't have any location that feels like a big, central place that players should spend the most time in. Red Dead Redemption 2 has Saint Denis, and Cyberpunk 2077 has Night City, so Hogwarts Legacy should follow suit to avoid feeling like another bland open space.
Hogwarts Legacy's School Has to be the Main Attraction
Locations like the Great Lake or Hogsmeade are essential to the fabric of Harry Potter's wizarding world, but while seeing these in the video game space is exciting, Hogwarts is by far the most important place in the upcoming title. Its corridors are filled with curiosities and magic, and venturing outside the castle walls has all the potential to add flavor to its presentation and gameplay. Yet Hogwarts has more than enough intrigue to house a game all on its own.
Hogwarts Legacy should put the castle first and make it the most detailed, expansive, and authentic take on the iconic structure yet. It's where people of all backgrounds spend most of their time, from young, impressionable first year students to grouchy or inspiring professors. It's comfortable even if it may not always be safe, and while Avalanche Software will change things from the films, Hogwarts will surely be familiar, which is important for a game that is adapting such a beloved license.
The Best Open Worlds Have One Iconic Place to Explore
Hyrule Castle in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Solitude in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, Saint Denis in Red Dead Redemption 2, and Horizon Festival in Forza Horizon are all critical to their make-up, and each respective open world wouldn't be near as interesting without them. Having a city, building, or place that players can return to frequently makes a world feel less empty, with more populated areas doing well to instill a sense of community among the open wilderness.
Hogwarts alone is perhaps better known than the wizarding world in which it exists. Harry, Ron, and Hermione spend most of their time in classes, roaming the halls, and getting into all kinds of mischief at the annoyance of their professors. Though they visit Hagrid on occasion and leave periodically to save the world, their schooling comes first. The same has to be true for Hogwarts Legacy, because without adequate emphasis on the iconic school, there's every chance that the game will lose some of the magic that many are expecting.
Hogwarts Legacy releases on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on February 10, 2023. A PS4 and Xbox One version will release on April 4, 2023, followed by Switch on July 25, 2023.
