A huge part of the immersion within Hogwarts Legacy stemmed from its level of customization, which played greatly into the title's RPG elements. One of its largest commitments to customization was present in the game's protagonist approach, allowing the player to create their own character.
While this was a good way to tackle Hogwarts Legacy's protagonist, there are many pitfalls to this approach that could call for a different route in a potential sequel. In particular, a sequel to Hogwarts Legacy could benefit from employing a scripted and universal approach for its leading role.
The Pros and Cons of Hogwarts Legacy's Protagonist Approach
Hogwarts Legacy possesses great variation in its character creation system, allowing the player to choose the gender, voice, and overall look of their protagonist. With one of the main purposes of Hogwarts Legacy being to allow players to become immersed in the magical world, this approach does wonders for the personalization of a playthrough.
Of course, this system works hand in hand with Hogwarts Legacy's RPG mechanics, giving more power to the player in controlling the story and how they want the game's protagonist to act and be perceived. However, this is not to say that this creation system does not come with its own downsides.
For example, the game has to adhere to a wide possibility of potential protagonist characters, hindering the player's interaction with others by making the lead figure vaguer and widely applicable. This system also hinders the memorability of the player character, with the protagonist feeling more like a blank vessel as opposed to a more nuanced figure taking place within the actual canon. With Hogwarts Legacy experiencing the pros and cons of this system, a potential sequel should explore the benefits of a more concentrated protagonist approach.
Hogwarts Legacy's Sequel and a Scripted Protagonist
While nothing is confirmed regarding a sequel to Hogwarts Legacy, the success of the game could easily see a successor be made during a different era of the Harry Potter franchise. This game would of course maintain a lot of the core mechanics of the original, but should take different approaches in key areas to stand out and build upon the first title.
One of these key areas would be character creation, in which Hogwarts Legacy's sequel should instead opt for a scripted and named character with predetermined circumstances. This would sadly do away with the immersive customization of Hogwarts Legacy but would aid the sequel's narrative quite significantly. A scripted character would allow much more resources to be put into a singular protagonist figure, with much more emphasis on personality, background, and longevity.
While the protagonist of Hogwarts Legacy achieves unprecedented magical feats, the vague identity of the character creates a sense of anonymity and inconsequentiality. A scripted protagonist would do away with this large criticism, allowing a core character to be presented and to live on strongly in the wider lore of the Harry Potter franchise. Additionally, a scripted protagonist could still enjoy the branching narratives and approaches to interaction as the first Hogwarts Legacy, just with a more definitive direction.
It would surely be sad for Hogwarts Legacy's sequel to lose the character creation of the original, yet a scripted protagonist would be much more beneficial from a narrative perspective. Representation is an issue that Hogwarts Legacy faces, and inclusivity and representation could be instilled in a scripted, named protagonist anyhow. With players having already enjoyed the role-playing experience of the first game, Hogwarts Legacy's sequel could focus much more on its core characters with a scripted protagonist approach.
Hogwarts Legacy is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with a Switch version releasing November 14.
