Although the core Harry Potter books and films are rigidly restricted to a few years, the lore extends for decades, showing the impressive scale of the wizarding world and the compelling characters that inhabit it. From Grindelwald to Salazar Slytherin, it's a property that's positively dripping with interesting personalities and an engaging atmosphere. Hogwarts Legacy carves out a niche all its own with a late-1800s setting that does well to give players something fresh.
Hogwarts Legacy is a success for the most part and does well to show the history of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Littering it with the likes of Phineas Nigellus Black, Matilda Weasley, Sebastian Sallow, and Poppy Sweeting gives the game a real charm as each character genuinely feels so at home in the world. One personality that goes slightly underused on the narrative front is Merlin, the famed medieval wizard who finds a place in King Arthur's court. He's an iconic character in fiction, and using him to explore more of the wizarding world's lore could justify a game that blurs the line between Harry Potter and British legend.
Merlin Trials Can Be a Catalyst for Something New
Merlin is said to belong to Slytherin and hold a particular love of riddles, which is shown in his trials in Hogwarts Legacy. Being a student at Hogwarts, he's intrinsically tied to Harry Potter's lore, and while he's rarely given any more context, he's a personality whose presence is felt. Hogwarts Legacy takes players back to the late 19th century in a story that far predates Harry, Hermione, and Ron, but there's no rule on how much further back a potential follow-up could go.
Merlin is already a familiar character to people who have never experienced anything from the mind of J.K Rowling. In British lore, Merlin is a much-respected advisor to King Arthur and is one of the most widely known wizards of all time. Knowing that there is a fantasy RPG that puts players in his shoes could be a sufficient draw for a swathe of new people, and could mean that Hogwarts Legacy's possible sequel could be even more popular than its predecessor.
More Background and World-Building Can Elevate Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy has a deep sense of lore, but this is due in large part to the franchise it's spawned from. Harry Potter is dense with world-building, and the Fantastic Beasts films have done well to give more context to the setting. The Merlin Trials in the Avalanche-developed game are mostly a means to allow players to progress by way of more inventory slots, much like Korok Seeds in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but using the character as a protagonist for a prequel could give far more life to the part of Hogwarts Legacy that feels the most like a boring tick list item.
Hogwarts Legacy may be worth returning to for players to scoop up collectibles and side quests in that ever-elusive 100% status, and heading back to the 2023 game after Merlin has been given his time to shine would correct a big issue that a lot of fans had with the game. There are plenty of directions that a sequel could go, putting players back in the role of a student, professor, muggle, or something entirely different. Time is another thing that's subject to change, and using Merlin as a cornerstone of a new game could add much to the series' already impressive sense of scale and history.
Hogwarts Legacy is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with a Switch release scheduled for November 14, 2023.
