Hogwarts Legacy is a game that boasts a gorgeously immersive open world, and a video featuring the hippogriff shows how important the fantastic beasts of the Wizarding World are in maintaining that magical atmosphere. Though Harry Potter as a franchise is no stranger to video game adaptations, the Hogsmeade Valley as presented in Hogwarts Legacy is widely considered to be the best depiction of the wizarding school and its outlying hamlets. From character creation to attending classes, learning spells, and tending to magical beasts, the experience in Hogwarts Legacy is tailor-made for players hoping to immerse themselves in the Harry Potter setting.
Having its cinematic debut in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the hippogriff is considered a staple of the franchise, and Avalanche Software made sure it was present in a full-fledged capacity in Hogwarts Legacy as a flying mount and rare magical beast for players to come across. Highwing played a memorable role in both Natsai Onai and Poppy Sweeting's personal storylines, and in addition to Caligo, was the first mount that players could earn in the normal edition of the game.
However, witches and wizards roaming the Hogsmeade Valley can come across several hippogriffs roaming the skies and lakes around Hogwarts. This seems to have been the case with DogifyerHero, a Ravenclaw player who caught a hippogriff fishing in the wild while flying on their broom. Though brooms in Hogwarts Legacy offer plenty of customization and upgrades over the course of the game, DogifyerHero was able to match the speed of the hippogriff with ease, observing as it gracefully glided across the lake with a fish firmly lodged in its beak.
Aside from their role as flying mounts, hippogriffs are an essential part of a player's Room of Requirement in Hogwarts Legacy. Adding hippogriffs to any vivarium will unlock the ability to collect Hippogriff Feathers by properly tending to their needs, which can in turn be used to upgrade gear via the Enchanted Loom.
Though demands for post-launch content continue to grow, Hogwarts Legacy still has no DLCs announced by the developer, a fact that many fans are hoping will change in the coming months. Ultimately, Avalanche Software has created a game that fully embraces its status as an open world role-playing game. Hogwarts Legacy is filled to the brim with spontaneous moments that occur regardless of the player's own actions. The world exists without the protagonist, and it makes the hallways of Hogwarts, and the bustling streets of Hogsmeade feel all the more real.
Hogwarts Legacy is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, with PS4 and Xbox One versions launching May 5 and a Switch port releasing July 25.
