Harry Potter fans are familiar with the iconic trio of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. This is the cast that the books and movies follow, and their early exploits are shared experiences as students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The friendships between these characters are relatable in a fantastical environment, and their extended relationships with supplementary characters throughout the franchise are a significant part of what makes the franchise enjoyable. Hogwarts Legacy will need to follow suit.
Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world action-RPG where players are a witch or wizard student themselves, able to simulate the experience of a Hogwarts attendee in the 1800s. Hogwarts Legacy introduces a new cast of characters, and with it Avalanche Software is able to construct its own narrative with secrets for players to discover. Therefore, Hogwarts Legacy’s social simulation may be its most endearing aspect, and there are a few features in particular that are hopefully included.
Hogwarts Legacy's Classes Need to Immerse Players With Their Peers
.png?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
Casting magical spells, interacting with mystical creatures, and taking flights atop a broomstick are all well within any Harry Potter fan's interests in Hogwarts Legacy. But it could be argued that what truly established a dedicated fanbase for Harry Potter, especially when it comes to younger audiences, is how relatable its more intimate moments are. Hogwarts’ witches and wizards are young students attempting to receive an education and learn who they are, which is as ubiquitous a theme as any. In order to truly provide an immersive experience in Hogwarts Legacy, the game will need to achieve this same sensation of attending classes and interacting with one’s peers.
Hogwarts Legacy’s protagonist character is a late-entry fifth-year student, and that will have an effect on the interactions players have with other characters. Life at Hogwarts essentially revolves around classes, and Hogwarts Legacy’s State of Play presentation shared brief looks at many of the classes players will attend. Here players will learn everything they need to begin exploring the castle, but classes are also where players meet characters who may become companions later on. Further, it has been shared that befriended school-goers may teach players new spells.
In this way, Hogwarts’ entire premise as an educational institution lends itself naturally to Hogwarts Legacy’s social RPG features. If classes are as paramount in Hogwarts Legacy as they appear, then relationships should develop organically during each lesson as players learn more about their skills as a witch or wizard.
Student Companions Need to Make Hogwarts Houses Diverse
.png?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
Hogwarts Legacy’s companions have been alluded to with an emphasis on how characters will interact with the player, and even have their own supplemental quests and narratives to follow. However, these companions and their designated Hogwarts houses will hopefully not be restricted to the same redundant stereotypes that the books and movies tackled.
It can already be seen that certain characters belong to different houses in Hogwarts Legacy, which may not have any impact on the game’s narrative. However, it hopefully will. Players are able to freely select which Hogwarts house they belong to, and while characters do not have to remain loyal to the personality traits that define their house, it would be wonderful to see the player’s house have an effect on how approachable companions are.
For example, a Ravenclaw companion may be easily approachable if players select Ravenclaw themselves, but a Hufflepuff may not be as approachable. This should not necessarily be because of the houses themselves, but a result of how players should be able to interact more with someone who shares lodging in the same dormitory.
Otherwise, it would be similarly engaging if players needed to make time to meet up with certain characters in Hogsmeade for the holiday. It is unknown how many characters are potentially scripted companions with their own quests, but Hogwarts Legacy will hopefully make its social RPG features dynamic in every curricular and extracurricular activity that players can enjoy.
Hogwarts Legacy is set to release in holiday 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
