Hogwarts Legacy is out on February 10th for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, with Digital Deluxe Edition owners receiving access on February 7th. Reviews are positive overall, with an 85 Metascore from 48 reviews on PlayStation 5. What are some of the highlights? What are some of the major problems? Let’s take a closer look at some of the reviews to learn more about what works and what doesn’t.
Serviceable Story
Hogwarts Legacy is set 100 years before the Harry Potter series, and it’s the story of you, the player. You enter Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a fifth-year student. In addition to having the key to an “ancient secret” that could “tear the wizarding world apart,” you can also use powerful ancient magic. There’s also the Dark Wizards and Goblin Rebellion led by Victor Rookwood and Ranrok to worry about.
Despite these stakes, critics find the story in Hogwarts Legacy to be good, if not incredible. It has plot holes and sometimes feels lackluster or uninspired, but it gets the job done and can be entertaining as you progress further.
Character Creation
The Character Creator features several extensive options for crafting your wizard of choice. Different presets are available, but you can customize face shapes, freckles and moles, scars, markings, eye color, eyebrow shape, hairstyles, and so on. It’s pretty extensive, save for the limited number of voices, and is one of the highlights. Once you select the difficulty (Story being the easiest and Hard the most difficult) and the dorm, it’s off to Hogwarts.
Not Much Schoolwork
As you enter Hogwarts and meet various teachers, learn different spells, and so on, the lack of schedule quickly becomes obvious. That’s because there isn’t one. This only factors in during key plot points. There are other ways that schedule comes into play, but it’s not like the books. Instead, you have the Field Guide, which tracks new areas explored and other activities completed.
Breaks in Immersion
Another thing to note: This isn’t a simulation of life at Hogwarts. Just as there’s no schedule for classes, you can visit Hogsmeade whenever you like instead of only on the weekends. Curfews mostly don’t apply, and you can be outside for as long as possible (except at certain points – more on that later). Finally, you can throw Unforgivable Curses around like they’re candy. Not against your classmates and such, but against all other enemies. Maybe it’ll affect the ending, but there are no immediate punishments unlike in the books.
Memorable Characters
Fortunately, the characters pick up the slack where the story is concerned and are fun to hang out with. Despite some stiff facial animations at times, the interactions are memorable, whether dealing with Sebastian Swallow of Slytherin or having Professor Fig as your ally/mentor. Each character is described as “indispensable” to the experience and helps keep the story entertaining, even if some of the exposition gets boring.
Large World to Explore
The world of Hogwarts Legacy goes beyond the school, letting you explore surrounding regions with collectibles, enemy camps, hidden areas and much more. It’s standard open-world fare that will look very familiar to genre fans, which can sound amazing or dull, depending on where you fall. Opinions are generally positive on the atmosphere and openness of exploration, though areas can get a bit barren (which is most apparent in a later region). Despite its charming personalities, the school also feels a bit lifeless with its NPC density, which thankfully doesn’t impact the incredible attention to detail.
Side Quests
Aside from the main story, there are over 100 side quests. While there are mundane quests and standard fetch quest fodder, many have been praised for their activities with other characters, expanding on their stories more. They also reward gear and spells, with some spells becoming invaluable when exploring and opening up new areas. How much they affect the main narrative remains to be seen, but they’re worth experiencing regardless.
Great Combat
Combat is also a winner here. In addition to quick-slinging spells, you can hold down R2/Right Trigger to access a more powerful spell assigned to a face button. The D-pad switches between different spell sets, allowing you to have up to 16 equipped at a time. Chaining these together while parrying attacks and dodge-rolling can be fun, and you’ll need to use different spell types to break enemy shields. There’s a surprising bit of challenge to it all, which will keep players on their toes.
Spell Variety
Though there are only 26 spells, critics found them incredibly fun. Enemies can be ignited or exploded, and you can pull them close or leave them suspended in the air. Spells can be upgraded, becoming even more devastating and affecting nearby foes while encouraging experimentation. If you’re looking for a fun spell-slinging experience, Hogwarts Legacy seemingly delivers beyond expectations.
Lackluster Enemy Variety
Unfortunately, the enemy variety leaves something to be desired. You’ll fight against spiders, goblins and Dark Wizards a lot. Like, a lot. Sure, there are trolls, zombies and even massive frogs, but much of your time involves fighting the same enemies again and again and again. Considering the depth of the combat system, it is a bit of a shame.
Loot and Cosmetics
According to critics, the loot is pretty standard. Different gear pieces provide resistance and other benefits but won’t overhaul your character in crazy ways. It’s serviceable, but upgrading loot with resources tied to managing beasts in the Vivarium is cited as cumbersome. Even if you enjoy the latter, tracking the timers for feeding and grooming isn’t possible on the main menu. On the plus side, there are tons of clothes to find and customize your character, further aided by transmog for finding that perfect look without affecting stats.
Low Inventory Space
Managing your inventory will get annoying very quickly, though. You start with low inventory space, and though upgradeable later, the increases are minor at best. Even for those who don’t go around collecting everything, you’ll have to decide what to keep and what to dispose of more often than you may like.
Performance Issues and Glitches on PS5
Another more serious issue lies with performance. On PS5, IGN noted that Hogwarts Legacy suffers from an inconsistent frame rate, odd lighting changes, and significant pop-in and loading screens for each door. This is in addition to glitches, which aren’t overtly common but still annoying, from objects getting caught in environments to falling through the map and characters dipping out of conversations, which continue to proceed as normal. Several issues will likely be fixed with the day one patch, but it’s worth keeping in mind all the same.
Stealth Missions
Remember that bit about curfews? Though it doesn’t affect the game most times, they set up stealth missions during key points. These have been criticized for being annoying at best, which sounds about right for any shoehorned mechanic. It doesn’t happen all the time, but you have to wonder why they exist, especially when the curfew is largely irrelevant.
Camera
Finally, there’s the camera angle, which feels too close to the player most of the time. There don’t seem to be other options aside from the default, and while fine for exploring the hallways of Hogwarts, it does sound problematic when out in the world. Again, nothing game-breaking, but it’s a nagging issue all the same.
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