Hogwarts Legacy Review: The Magical World Before Harry Potter

By Joseph Maffettone 3/2/2023

So this was a game that was off my radar that I ended up getting as a gift. Hogwarts Legacy was a recent game that came out two weeks ago. I had no plans to play this game, but I got it as Valentine's day gift, so that was around $70 I didn't waste. So how did I like it? I enjoyed it.

So I thought this was an excellent time to discuss my overall time with this game and how I got the 100% and the platinum trophy.

The story follows you're customizable character about to join Hogwarts as a fifth-year, but while on the way to Hogwarts, your carriage is attacked, and leads to your character getting involved with a mystery involving the ancient magic your character mysteriously sees it and controls along with the main villain of the game, Ranrok, who is trying to use this ancient magic for his needs to destroy all wizard kind along with the help of a dark wizard named Rookwood. (Below is an image of the main villain Ranrok and Rookwood)

The player can choose which Hogwarts they participate in, such as Gryffindor(the house I chose for my main playthrough), Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. The only difference between being in a different is that you get a separate standard room with other classmates and a different story quest that leads to a similar location. Unfortunately, this also comes with one flaw in the game. Throughout the game, the only side characters who get some huge focus are three characters; the rest are just there and only show up for a class or have one side quest for the rest of the game. The characters are to ride home with, but there are some that I did find enjoyable.

The story of the game I found decent but nothing too crazy. This is because the game focuses more on exploration than story-driven, which I agree with. But the exploration is also a flaw in the game which I will discuss later on. The world of Hogwarts is big, with the game focusing on three different areas throughout the game: Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and The Highlands. All three of these areas have a ton of collectibles needed to unlock more specific items through the game to complete the collection. The collection has a ton of stuff, which may be too much needed to finish it. Some items can be obtained through challenges, encountering enemies, picking up items, making potions, opening chests, solving puzzles, attending classes, defeating enemies, story and side quests, and exploration. There are around 600 things to collect, which is one of the flaws of the exploration; there are too many collectibles.

We are moving on to spells. There are 23 spells throughout the main story and 3 other spells that can obtain through side quests. Each spell does its purpose and helps players battle enemies in different ways and solve puzzles. Unfornately, you can't use every spell since you need to swap out spells in each spell slot but you do gain three more spell slot when you gain access to the Talents menu and use talents to unlock the other 3 additional slots. Their are also essential spells which are spells that don't need to be moved at all and work as core spells, meaning these spells are too important so they are implemented as a huge mechanic. There such spells as protection, lockpicking, revelation and a bunch of others. The only flaw I see with the spells is with the spell Lumos which you get very early i the game. Lumos acts as a essential spell but it made as a slot spell meaning you have to constantly remove it when you don't need it and put it back when you do. But Lumos for most of the game is used as a light source when moving through dark areas which is better off as a essential spell instead.

Out of the other things in the game, there is a lot. Merlin Trails are puzzles that can be found throughout the Highlands and finishing a certain amount can increase your gear storage. Gear is used to help increase stats of your character such as health, damage, and defense and upgrading them can increase these stats as well. Broom races aren't huge in this game but to complete the game, you need to beat three of the broom race side quests and that it. Demi guise statues are a small collectable in the game that you only need 22 to fully learn all lockpicking spells but you need all 33 for the completion. Beast collecting and Breeding also play a part in the completion but it takes awhile since one beast can only be obtained through a side quest, breeding isn't learn till a bit later in the game, and one creature can only be obtained through the story and takes awhile to be breed since it's one of the 3 rarest beasts in the game, luckily the Phoneix doesn't need to be breed but it does take awhile. Butterflies are infamous in this game since they can only be found in the Highlands and the game doesn't track them at all and the only time they show up is when you randomly find one in the map, in which there is a total of 14 of them. There is Ancient Magic spots that increase your ancient magic meter, there are landing pads and air balloons, dungeons, collectible chests, fast travel points, challenges, wand pieces ad brooms. Overall, there is a lot in this game.

Before I wrap up and give my overall thoughts, time for the miscellaneous trophies. One trophy requires you to get a 100 combo which sounds hard but isn't. All you need to do is attack an enemy called the Inferi. (image Below)

They are undead enemies that take now damage at all to the basic spell attack or any other spells except for fire spells. So using the basic attack is the best option to getting this trophy. One trophy is simple, use the spell Flipindo on a cow 10 times, which is to use the flip spell on a cow, very easy trophy. Two trophy require you to make all potions and grow plants. The potions is easy but you will have to make the health potion again since the one in the story doesn't count. The plants take awhile since half of the plants can't be grown in the small pots. Two plants need to grow in medium pots, and two in large pots. Once you get access to your own customizable room, you ca put 2-4 large pots to grow all 8 or the 4 difficult plants to grow. The Map Chamber trophies are the worst trophies in the game because it requires you to start the game all over again just to reach the Map chamber but with a different Hogwarts class so one for Gryffindor, one for Ravenclaw, one for Slytherin, and one for Hufflepuff. The Mandrake trophy requires you to use mandrakes to stun 10 different enemies and it isn't a hard trophy. The gear trophies require you to upgrade to piece a gear and upgrade that same gear three times. The Talent point trophies require you to get all talent point which can be acquired through leveling up and using 5 of them on talents to help with battles, exploration and using potions. The Poidsear coast trophy requires you to travel to the other half of the Highlands map by going through a mine that leads you to Poidsear coast. One trophy requires you to defeat 50 enemies using the Petrificus Totalus spell which can only be used when you are invisible with the invisibility spell or potion and it acts as a stealth kill. Finishing Touches makes you use Ancient Magic on every enemy in the game well not all enemies, just the one that show up in the Highlands and it takes awhile so this would require a guide. Room with a view is a trophy that takes a while that needs also a guide and it requires you to reach the Headmaster's upper study which you can reach in the story or you can reach it once you have a broom and your lockpicking skills are at Level 3. And finally, A Forte for Achievement trophy which requires you to reach Level 40, the highest inn the game which can only be obtained if you finish the whole story, all the side quests, all the assignments, and every challenge in the game.

OVERALL:

It's a fun game that just has some issues that can't be missed. The game focuses too much on exploration that side quests and the story left with not much. Dialogue is pretty well done but when it comes to side quests, it feels dumbfounded. The main story at times can feel meh but the final act is worth it for it's great ending and tough final boss. The combat system is simple and fun to play with. There is a lot of stuff to finish in this game but some of it is also very too much. Overall I feel like the flaws are just nitpicks. But this game turn out to be fun. Was it worth the 100%, nah. It was too much but it does feel very achieving. I say wait for a sale to pick up this game because it worth $70 for this. But like I said, was a great experience . I give it a 8/10

Review by Joseph Maffettone.