Hogwarts Legacy - After The Hype

Hogwarts Legacy critique... after the hype.
➥Subscribe: / downwardthrust
➥Donate: / downwardthrust
#hogwartslegacy #hogwarts
Witcher 3 potion footage from Xenovox

[@TheMudsnake]

I wish that in the common rooms you could play mini games against other students, like darts or chess or something. That would actually give people a reason to go to the common rooms if they wanted.

[@TheMLGgamer252]

sad to say stuff like this was in the older harry potter games and they missed out on it here

[@AryanSharma-jw6iv]

Red dead Hogwarts

[@sashabelichov7341]

Darts never made any game more fun

[@crow_g1639]

@@TheMLGgamer252 game feels so empty after the story ends so much potential smh

[@John-996]

​@@AryanSharma-jw6ivMore Like Bully

[@skullkid964]

You can't just make up whatever spell you want. They have to be somewhat lore accurate or at least not lore breaking. A Black hole spell doesn't make any sense

[@BoolyK]

Not to be rude but most of Harry Potter doesn't make sense, even the author changes how the world works after the fact. It's not a fully polished IP tbh

[@skullkid964]

@@BoolyK yes I agree. But the developers at least said multiple times they were trying to be accurate to the world of the books, a sequel has a lot of potential

[@peterjoyfilms]

@@BoolyK Its flawed but it isn't completely absent of logic

[@VeritabIlIti]

"That's not how the force works!" (You're completely right, I just couldn't help myself lol)

[@tonyl9636]

Don't wanna be rude, but this is like power scaling, it doesn't mean anything. If jk Rowling writes another book there might be a black hole in it. It's a video game and you need freedom to let it be a video game, so I don't think it's a problem anyway most of the time, but in a series who's literal creator doesn't respect the continuity or, frankly, have a very thorough explanation for basically anything that happens without adding something new in later, the spell would have to be legitimately fucking ridiculous to not make sense.

[@LiaraGaming]

Unfortunately, some of the potion ideas you have would go against the lore of how magic works in Harry Potter, like reversing time or having a vortex. Additionally, I heard that they did originally plan to let you use beasts in combat but it got cut because the beasts, especially the larger ones, got in the way especially in smaller enclosed areas. It just didn't work well. But I agree both systems could use some improvements. And the game definitely needs more options to roleplay as evil.

[@natedogg890]

Agreed, I would be a fan of more minigames when it comes to potion brewing though, similar to the cooking minigames I'm Monster Hunter

[@phantomberzerk9486]

So transforming everything into barrells full of explosives fall under this logic or innanite objects into living things? But healing spells are too complicated.

[@nachomom6986]

@@phantomberzerk9486 there are litteral Healing spells in the harry potter universe. And when dis he mention something about healing spells.

[@marcoseris6664]

I like that he's not all about criticism. He tried to offer some options. And that's a positive way to address thing. Besides, he's not on the developing team so it matters very little that the ideas are not lore friendly

[@doctorgonzo7777]

as someone that does not enjoy "crafting" in games, i am happy to hear there is only a handful of potions, so i don't have to waste much time gathering recipes, brewing potions and all that stuff. i always try to ignore that part of games as much as i can, and i dislike when i'm forced into it (by gameplay being too dificult without it for example)

[@fletchy88]

You're clueless .... Do you not know by now that in life when you do things you don't "like" .... Properly... You often more times than not, end up liking it loving it.... Hence the saying "give it a chance" Try it, with acceptance though... Not through gritted teeth and resentment... If you do that, it won't work.. it'll only work if you give it a chance truthfully in yourself

[@doctorgonzo7777]

@@fletchy88 i have played tens of thousands of hours of video games. I have given everything a chance and i know what i like and what i don't like by now. I like to focus on main story when it comes to RPGs and i do not like being forced into side content for any reason.

[@tulip666trap]

have you heard of minecraft? I think you'd really enjoy it

[@selahr.]

Get the hopping potion pots, they create potions (around every 12 minutes?) without needing any supplies at all. If you’re playing on story mode or easy you’ll use a lot less potions and attack plants. If you’re playing harder levels you’ll have to do more crafting and harvesting. There is also a machine you can buy that will create moonstone for you and that makes enough to not need to hunt for them in the wild. I get annoyed with games that have too many menus and crafting and survival stuff to manage. I think they didn’t want to over complicate the game because that would reduce the audience. With all the different difficulties they made this fit the broadest audience possible. I am most comfortable with “casual” and “chill” games and the story mode makes this right in line with those categories without feeling like I’m playing a kids game.

[@joseoner9169]

you definitely like minecraft then

[@jordangordon2350]

I like it but I just wish there were more role playing elements. Like choosing who to side with causing branching story paths, as well as different types of combat builds.

[@jamzkinman]

You can do different combat builds

[@tamiwatchesstuff]

I wanted that as well. A big example was when your MC confronts Rookwood in Hogsmeade when you get the Keeper wand. You're given no option to side with him if you're playing an "evil," playthrough. I mean, maybe I wanted to be evil incarnate and be more power hungry. Why do I like HAVE to be rigidly polite with literally everyone?

[@Oggre]

Also more bonus/malus elements by selecting a dormitory.

[@1.21gigawatts2]

It's a solid seven out of ten for me. Here's my wishlist for the sequel: 1. Your choices when it comes to dialogue actually matter and have a legitimate impact on the story. 2. More variety when it comes to enemies. They have over twenty years of lore to sift through and yet I'm killing my 500th spider. 3. A proper RPG system and not the slap dash one we got here. Only four perk points for stealth? seriously? 4. Better, more fluid animations during cutscenes. Most of them here were really stiff and awkward. 5. More meaningful exploration. Seriously, if you told me Ubisoft developed this game I'd believe you. 6. Quidditch dagnabit although I'd bet my left nut they held this feature for DLC. That being said I enjoyed my time in Hogwarts. It's been a really convenient time sink for me at the moment. Can't wait for the sequel.

[@crow_g1639]

you forgot have a more interactive classes because after the first time we go to the class its fun but all the other times we just see a stupid cutscene and the class ends

[@itsuplike9947]

Mine: npc awareness.. npcs could disappear and it wouldn’t matter lmao. That is not okay in 2023. STEALTH NEEDS WORK. Why are there no npcs guarding the tower and at least acknowledging that im not supposed to be up. That should be a main feature of leaving the castle during night time. The money system goes against the lore. Why do we only have knuts. Wheres the galleons (vice versa). The loot sucks and needs a major re work. we should also be able to sit on furniture and sleep in our beds. And ofc the graphics are a mess but that’s expected atp.

[@klaudiagrob]

Yes

[@GoDirectly2Jail]

Being able to review it with absolutely zero harry potter background is a pretty rare thing, most people have some sort of background in the wizarding world. It's interesting to see an outside view of it. I personally feel like the game itself removed from the ip is a decent 6-6.5/10. It's enjoyable but nothing groundbreaking and pretty much every system is lacking depth found in other games. But, if you're a big fan of Harry Potter, the attention to detail in the lore and world building is spot on and makes the immersion incredible. They went absolutely all in on keeping it true to the established canon and descriptions from the books. If you're a fan, it elevates it to an easy 8.5-9/10. I personally can't get enough. I hope they improve on what they have with the inevitable future dlcs and sequels.

[@JWPanimation]

As a HP fan it would have been a 10/10 if they had incorporated magical items and especially Quidditch...

[@awsome182]

I have to disagree to some extent. I am a huge HP fan and I felt that the world building and "detail in lore" were really bad. Actually, there was a lot of lore breaking stuff in the game. To me, the game was a 5/10 at most, and only because of the first 10 hours of the game. After that, it felt like a chore. And even though I was already annoyed by the lore breaking and lack luster story within the first 10 hours.

[@Michael-gl5pf]

The game is definitely meant for Harry Potter fans. Many of your gropes and suggested improvements are things I don't see as problems. For example the duality between being a hogwarts student, going to lessons, and battling dark wizards come directly from the books. It's exactly the thing fans of the franchise want to experience.

[@Michael-gl5pf]

@V it’s important to take into account though when 99% of the player base has at least seen the movies

[@eryana9437]

I am about 20 hours in. Turned off the minimap for added immersion, and that is the best decission I could have done. For one quest, I had to figure out where the north of the map was based on the orientation of Hogwarts and the sun.

[@mma771]

Masochistic behaviour noted

[@TheIndigoEclipse]

My only complaint about the game is the gearing system. It's shallow. No unique gear. Which unfortunately means the charm of exploring ruins/etc loses its appeal once you realize there's no tangible reward for the time spent. Sure, the glamor system is nice, but otherwise, you just quest, pick up random boxes along the way for new orange gear. Tweek the ability slot to your preferred set-up and repeat. Zero stats to tinker with or optimize. If there were one-of-a-kind items to hunt down to complete outfit sets for bonuses, that'd be pretty nice. But there's not. Otherwise, good game. I just wish it was deeper on the character building and gear.

[@martymcfly88mph35]

It's probably the worst loot system in a modern game. In my experience anyways.

[@farhadkader]

The game is filled to the brim with side-content (collectibles) yet at the same time is missing from things that I would have liked to have seen.

[@RespectedGamer72]

As a fan, I'd say a nice 8.5/10. There were small things I wished they'd done better, but ultimately it was a fun ride.

[@MrSTVR]

I think it would be neat if they added a mode that's purely school life. Like having to attend classes on a schedule and passing trials and exams.

[@Gakusangi]

I kinda thought there would be more of that.

[@tommytripodi5962]

My dream was a Bully with magic

[@mategido]

@@tommytripodi5962 I need bully with magic

[@thomasdavies4816]

You’re deffo a ravenclaw

[@MrSTVR]

@@thomasdavies4816 nailed it

[@borginburkes1819]

It’s a 6.5/10. It has average story and an average open world, with combat being cool and flashy. The only thing carrying this game is it’s setting. If it didn’t take place in the Harry Potter universe, it’d be a forgotten game. I finished the game and I felt like there should’ve been more quests with more NPCs to interact with in the open world.

[@itsmeko1712]

The only thing that held the game back was its rating being 12+. A lot of the characters, except for Sebastian, lacked any sort of depth because of the games need to keep things light and wholesome. Story couldve been way better but outside of that, the game is amazing

[@tamiwatchesstuff]

I wholeheartedly agree. I really needed more character backstories, especially for the main character. I honestly could have done without the game's ambiance less lighthearted because it cancels out the impact of the danger Ranrok's Rebellion is. I mean, apart from Fig and the MC, literally no one cared that goblins were rebelling against the wizarding world.

[@chrismayhem5447]

It’s a great game but after playing 20+ hours I realize it’s not as crazy good as I initially thought . I’d give it a solid 7.5/10. Def worth playing compared to what’s been coming out

[@voltman5670]

Yeah I agree I wish it was a 10/10 because I went in with the expectations of it being a "MASTERPIECE" But left disappointed a consequence of my hopes but still its a good game although I feel story was really weak and the classes were disappointing also I wish we had a established protagonist because it might've enhanced the story a bit. The main character is just boring no personality no nothing you don't feel a connection with the protagonist at all the Va is just bad

[@UkraineStar77]

While the game truly can stand on its own as a fantasy RPG - for true Harry Potter fans, especially those who grew up with this world this game is truly a dream come true and as close to being a student in Hogewarts as possible. There is also no breaking of lore from the books and movies, it all ties together nicely. My only wish is a quidditch DLC and maype dueling PvP or co-op PvE (like a survival mode) and that is it.

[@BlueAversion]

I like how it managed to maintain a good balance between leaning into the established lore without being too heavily reliant on it. For instance, the 1890s is around the time Dumbledore was a student a Hogwarts, but I think its dated so that he starts the year after the game is set. Whilst it would have been interesting to meet a student Dumbledore, I think having him in it he could have overshadowed a lot of other aspects of the game. However having Phineas Nigellus Black as the headmaster worked, and and they played well into the little you did know about him from the books - you can see why he is the school's least popular headmaster. Also the Prewett and Weasley characters gave it that link to the series without being overbearing. My favourite inclusion was the Gaunt student, which was interesting as the Gaunts were rather detached from the characters in the books. Also while the game isn't explicit about it, you can deduce how closely this character is related to the Gaunts in the books which if accurate gives the character further impetus.

[@8sor]

coop pvpve like the goblet of fire trials would be awesome

[@maclion3714]

And they left room for later so they can add those things. Its not smart put everything in a game all at once. Game is close to perfect as possible. And I know there will be additions. Good review. Most ppl will find anything to complain about smh.

[@enternamehere142]

@@maclion3714 game is not close to as oerfect as possible and your saying they shouldn’t add features in but should sell you them later? I haven’t seen many good tales from people who love this game lol. It’s good! But like unless your die hard potter fan it’s.. like zero Dawn horizon level

[@maclion3714]

I don't understand what u mean by good tales by ppl who love the game? I've played horizon zero dawn as well. And its no where as daunting with lack of materials as horizon zero dawn. The hogwarts castle alone beats out horizon zero dawn experience. And horizon is a great game. The attention to detail in the castle alone im not sure how not even a Harry Potter fan won't appreciate. I'm just trying to figure how anyone can find something to shit on about this game that clearly looks like love was actually put into the game. But thats every game I guess. Next you'll say elden ring was trash or last of us is too linear or sumn weird lol. Better yet please name the perfect game thats coming out this year thats on all platforms thats going to be better than Hogwarts Legacy?.

[@segcosare4749]

"Hogwarts legacy tries to fulfill a student fantasy while also presenting a mature wizard adventure." That's true. But more or less, it is the same vibe the Harry Potter series had; a young protagonist given a mature role to fight the biggest and baddest villain of wizardkind. Tbf tho there were two HP movies that were lighthearted (the student fantasy phase) and the rest of the series had the mature wizard adventure theme. I think the devs tried to capture that same feel, and they really did a great job to have that all-in-one buffet of a game 👍

[@saschaeggert2148]

Actually I had the most fun during the first hours of the game, not having left Hogwarts at all. As soon as you enter the open world, the game gets okay-ish, but doesn't hold much in store when it comes to exploring and discovering secrets. Also the assets of the caves are very similar if you take a closer look. Collectables are too numerous and the voice acting could also be improved. Towards the end, I just rushed through the story missions and was glad to finish it. There are still a couple of side missions left unsolved and right now I don't have any intention to return to the game, which is sad, since, all in all, it's not a bad game, but certain aspects should be improved for the next installment. Talking bout meaningful decisions and NPCs, more interactions in the open world, an in depth crafting and gear mechanic (not just skins, collecting these feels so obsolete) and last but not least, again, more depth to the character, he / she / it feels hollow after a while.

[@Luis-bg1hf]

You described the exact same feeling that I had from playing this game

[@jayquoproductions]

50 hours in and I largely agree with everything you mentioned here. Probably gonna go for the 100% because I love it so much.

[@JWPanimation]

The Good: Magical combat and the art direction of Hogwarts Castle. The detail put into everything with a good GPU is mind blowing for any Potter fan. Flying is brilliant. The Bad: Lack of any meanigful diffrences between the houses and choices for an RPG. It's really an open world adventure game. The Ugly: Lock picking and inventory management. How about a chest in your dormitory? Plus no magical items??? Also I became a real clepto sticky fingered punk in Hogsmead, virtually waltzing into many homes and robbing them blind without consequences.

[@Tallenn]

FYI, you don't really have to craft potions if you don't want to (at least not very much). If you put 3 hopping pots in your room, you'll get pretty much all the potions you'll need, assuming you're visiting the room on a regular basis to grab them and do all the other housekeeping tasks you need to do, such as caring for your beasts for upgrade components, gathering moonstone and plants, etc.

[@pingus9934]

That's not true first of all, the pots only do 3 potions for ten minutes. And those potions can only be spawned to the ones you know the recipe of, and at the same time, you can get like 3 health potions and no other potions. So the pots are essentially useless unless you mod it to have no time at all, or you wanna waste your time waiting. Caring for the beasts takes no less then 5 minutes either way.

[@uberghost9064]

@@pingus9934 You don’t have to sit in front of the pots in order for them to make potions for you. The room wasn’t even a big part of my play style & I still got a shit ton of potions from the hopping pots. You should too if you’re visiting even semi often.

[@AHungryHunky]

I just wish I could brew on the go to be honest, I'm a very "limited fast travel" guy and one mod I always keep in my Skyrim modlist is one that simply gives me a usable portable Morter and Pestle for potion crafting in the wild. I play Open world games in the hobo-iest murder hobo way possible, and often joke about how, despite having a main story and supposed responsibilities my characters will disappear for months into the mountains. Arthur Morgan? Somewhere in Chapter 3 he just said "screw this" and decided to live as a mountain man in the grizzlies. The Last Dragon Born? Yeah he's got a house, wife and kids, she'll take care of them, he will pop in whenever the road takes him by like you pop into a McDonald's on the turnpike.

[@raphaellyons8611]

​@@pingus9934so you obviously didn't play the game 😂

[@ShampooTime]

You are costing me a lot of money, every game you recommend has left me with no regrets :)

[@siloPIRATE]

Why would you need 18 potions though when six do the job? You’d just end up with potions you never use

[@xnexgax2477]

I think its a solid 8/10 where the IP elevates the experience to something even more enjoyable.

[@ajnin1556]

I love seeing this come to live BUT after RDR2 nothing gets even close as world building and game feeling really alive :(

[@kronosleblu888]

The game was basically a typical Ubisoft open world game. It's so tedious to play and definitely has no replay value considering how much of a grind it is towards the end.

[@jumpofftheboat]

This is a good video with lots of great points. It's funny to me though because you're talking about how much more in-depth some mechanics could've been meanwhile I'm over here wishing "Alohamora" just opened the locks without having to spin the analog sticks hahaha

[@Largentina.]

This isn't really "after the hype" when the video comes out within the some month as the game. It should just be a post release review. I've never seen, played, or read a single HP story and this game is everywhere I go.

[@itszaque5031]

Just your first sentence about 15 layers of frosting sums up PERFECTLY what I’ve been thinking about this game! Excited to watch the rest.

[@itszaque5031]

Just finished and yeah, you nailed it. I agree with just about everything 😂 Combat was really fun, and while personally it doesn’t feel quite challenging enough I at least appreciate the depth shown. Between the colors of protection spells, the attacks you can block vs the attacks you can parry, and the size of the attacker it gives a bit of complexity to the combat that keeps you engaged. Chaining spells across various menus is really fun, even though there’s not much of a reward for doing so (besides looking cool). Exploration is decent, but like the other systems it doesn’t feel flushed out enough to hold my attention. In BotW exploration was typically rewarded with an area you recognized from lore combined with a shrine or armor set/weapon that directly affected gameplay. In Elden Ring you got dungeons, caves or catacombs that rewarded you with spells, weapons, and armor. All of these had a more direct impact on gameplay then the clothing in Legacy, especially since the effects of new gear was rarely since enemies scale with the player most of the time. The majority of other systems (plants, potions, animal harvests, item perks) felt VASTLY underutilized. Not only that, most of them didn’t feel like Hoggworts to me. I don’t expect access to a secret dorm room to craft and grow my own adventuring gear as a new student, I expect to have to sneakily make potions during class time while still trying to finish my assignments and keep up with my work. Imo most of these systems should go/be reworked to fit around the role playing of being a student. I also wish you weren’t required to use them as much as the game forced you too. It always annoyed me when I found a piece of “secret” gear. Before equipping or selling the gear I felt the need to go to the room of requirement and figure out if it was good or not. It also annoyed me that gear was randomized and that randomization meant that I would sometimes find a piece of clothing I already had instead of something new. I would see my friend using a cool cloak or hat and feel disappointed that I hadn’t discovered that yet, nor could I go to the same location they found it to get it for myself. Finally the role playing and quest systems felt VERY barebones. Most quests involved just as much talking as gameplay (at least it seemed) and none of them felt that captivating outside of Sebastian and his sister (which is 100% the most interesting part of the game). I enjoyed the main quest a lot too, though less for the story and more for the trials. The puzzles in the first two trials was the best that gameplay ever felt to me, though the third trial and the inclusion of the deathly hollows felt like pretty needless and rushed fan service. On top of that the fact that you can’t ever truly make decisions that impact the game or your character makes the entire game feel less like an rpg and much more like a linear action game with an open world on the side, a bit like God of War. Because of that and the lack of significant rewards for exploration I felt far less compelled to explore the open world after first being introduced to it. In total this game really captured my attention and imagination for about 15 hours. The last 10 have felt like a grind as I desperately struggle to reach the finish line. It’s a shame that the abundance of systems got in the way of the depth as originally I had planned multiple playthroughs with multiple builds but now realize that is pretty unnecessary as there isn’t enough substance or change in the story OR gameplay to capture my attention for another 25 hours. All in all I think it’s a magical game, but not the kind of magic that will keep me coming back again and again.

[@fablecio]

What's there is good but it's very skin deep. There aren't really any cool collectibles like wizard cards, mini games like chess, gobstones, etc and lack of enemy variety and other magical creatures to fight. They should have included doxies, pixies, gnomes etc.

[@kendrickgriffin374]

Over 90hrs in myself on a completed play through, And I’ve not done ONE MERLIN TRIAL. Some things here are tedious. Nor did I grow any attack plants. GREAT GAME imo but certainly room for growth.

[@viniciusrodrigues1689]

It is absolutely criminal in your review how you forgot to mention that almost every enemy has a player spell interaction (weakness). Splitting a spider in two, and making trolls bonk their own heads are my two favourites. Also Expelliarmus with some of the enemies too

[@eyeoftheosprey6678]

Hearing your review has me more excited to start the game, even if I agreed with you 70% on what makes a good game design for Hogwarts Legacy. Always love your reviews!

[@EvelinaNinudottir]

I presume the developers took on some inspiration from Harry Potter's story in the books, where he has essentially the same deal regarding the merging of action and simulation: Has to prepare for exams, but also try not to get killed the moment he steps outside. It's a bizarre, but interesting mix that I think they did really well - aside from some seriously lacking roleplay elements. Perhaps people are put off by it because it isn't that common a narrative in video games?

[@owenlavigne8481]

A cake with 15 layers of frosting sounds terrible I hate really sugary shit

[@AncestorEmpireGaming]

8/10 is the score I’d give it. Though a pause feature during cutscenes is necessary!

[@nunobernardoqc]

If u are on playstation holding down the ps button usually forces most games to pause

[@sashabelichov7341]

Potion making is my favorite part said no one ever

[@natedogg890]

I'm a huge book fan, the IP use and the Easter eggs are so on point. I would say it's a 9.5/10 for big fans and still a very solid action RPG for non fans. I'm really looking forward to DLC where we can get some Quidditch and expanded potions and herbology

[@QaDri93]

They really need to take a few pages off of Bully’s book. Bully handled school life so much better.

[@rafaelorona1395]

I enjoyed this review because is true, the potions and the herbology systems are barebones, but is a fun start. The same about the story barely having meaningful choices. Yet I think the story is strong, as a player you feel a part of the world and is beautiful. I believe is a strong foundation to what they could do in the future if they ever decide to do a sequel. For what it is, I do agree is a 8.5 out of 10.

[@spades512]

Would rather pick this up 2yrs from now if it gets modders behind it. Mods can fix these issues, polish it up, and add content that will make it even greater.

[@greenpigking6974]

It’s a good game as is

[@a.g.m8790]

@@greenpigking6974 it’s an ok game as is

[@jlinus7251]

Actually it's pretty easy to have a herbology/potions build early game. I had it the moment we got the room of requirement.

[@gavanknowlton2518]

Thank you! Your ideas are greatly appreciated.

[@daniwanicki]

This was the first game where I walked from quest to quest instead of fast traveling or running. There were several scenes where I noticed they put a lot of effort into realism. The cavern system in the vaults was very similar to the caverns I went to in VA and CO, they had the cold dark wet feeling with stalactite formations and dripping water. The castle had the same feel and detail as what I experienced in castles in Poland. The interior was grand, regal, detailed sculptures, airy atmosphere. Whatever they did in game made me feel like I was there again. I don't know too much about the lore but the story is very intriguing from the start with good pacing. Overall very satisfied with the game.

[@sleepy0]

yeah my biggest disappointment was the lack of school related content too. wild sentence but it is what it is

[@A3421]

😂😂😂👉🏻👉🏻👇🏼🤣💯💯

[@pakornwattanavrangkul2550]

A thing I also noticed was that you can never get one shotted, you will always hit the zero health last stand before you die no matter the attack and how much health you had.

[@jessigirlrae1688]

I was definitely one shot a few times when I was attempting something well above level. One of the random side missions found near (but not at) the train station

[@pakornwattanavrangkul2550]

@@jessigirlrae1688 could be that you got hit twice in quick sucession?

[@NoPantsBaby]

7/10 and I mean an actual 7/10 as in I had a lot of fun and the detail in Hogwarts is astounding but I'm only gonna replay one more time in a different house and playstyle.

[@nswmeeuwes89]

What do you intend to do differently in your playstyle? I don't really feel like a different house would change enough to warrant replaying, even though I'm interested in doing it.

[@joesavag]

@@nswmeeuwes89 there’s literally nothing you can do that will make the gameplay different unless you choose to not do side missions or not do unforgivable curses. Which is dumb because there’s no point in not doing them since you don’t get penalized. You get one house mission per house but they’re not that great

[@nswmeeuwes89]

@@joesavag That's how it feels for me, that's why I'm curious how OP sees it

[@a.g.m8790]

Nah it’s a one and done game

[@_CrimsonBlade]

lol this is hilarious you people were hyping this trash to the moon now its a 7/10 lol same thing with elden turd

[@GG-zv9ku]

It goes to show that going blind into a game that depends so much on lore is not always the best idea

[@awsome182]

Except for the fact that the game is actually not very faithful to the lore to begin with.

[@joeyjoe694]

In my opinion, the majority of players like the game mainly because the gameplay takes place in the Harry Potter universe. However, as a standalone game, if you take the huge frenzy out from behind it, you end up with a mediocre product at best. It lacks a lot of the things you mentioned above. For me one of the pet peeves is the flatness of the combat. And not because there's anything wrong with the fighting style, but because there's little variation between enemies, but especially when we're talking about bams. The only ones are trolls,, if you don't count the trial's soliders, but that's about it. By the end I was getting bored of the quests because of this, and taking care of the legendary beasts felt more like a chore than someting I would enjoy. The mediocre quality comes from the creation of the course itself, really, the architecture and the reimagining of the spaces is simply stunning. The puzzles are also quite well worked out, not too difficult, so younger children can enjoy the game. Overall, I don't think the game itself stands up on its own, rather the positive feedback is more of a gratitude from content-hungry people, including myself - it felt good to go back to childhood a bit, especially with the help of the fact that Hogwarts Legacy drew a lot of inspiration from previous Harry Potter games. But putting the nostalgia aside, the game wasn't hugely enjoyable. I think this game is going to be more of a cornerstone for the next ones and they're going to work on those details in the others.

[@Gr00t]

This sounds small but I can't stand the cursor system, I'm using a controller just let me use the dpad to navigate menus...

[@savedeion749]

Solid review. I loved Hogwarts but definitely felt like some things were missing. My main gripe being how there is no morale or consequences for any of your actions. Especially after using the dark arts. The most you get is a side comment from one of the companions saying how they don't approve. I feel like all the ideas were there but they just didn't have enough time to flesh it out completely. That being said, I think after the success of this game I believe the next one will be even better and more immersive!

[@terrylandess6072]

They didn't miss much, and only after many hours am I noticing 'little' things which isn't a gripe - only an observation - such as there is no place for a golden snitch or Beater's clubs in the default Quidditch case - luckily they are both found in a framed set. Even the beginners set only has a single quaffel, bludger, and club.

[@CuzzieGaming]

There's a pendant that could reverse time it was in the books Hermione used it to take extra lessons

[@jarretrausch]

It took you 25 hours to complete? I’m on 36 hours and only just completed the first beast class mission.

[@Kernwadi]

"Who am I? I forgot..." -Somebody with dementia

[@centralcoastgti7171]

I think they should have done mini games for classes that you have to win to complete class. BULLY on ps2 had a fun class/curfew mechanics that added a bit more depth. I think it would be perfect. Glad to hear this game will expanded upon and added to. Give the people what they want!

[@maron3777]

I really wish there would have been different endings. All you did when it came to the "big choice" was SAYING what you WOULD do, just for the opportunity to get taken away right in front of your eyes and not having any impact what so ever...

[@greasysox]

This sounds like an IGN review, “most of this game is unpolished and deeply uninspired but gee I had fun”

[@cawdpoints]

Simplicity is nice sometimes. As a fan of the series the game was a great ride and nothing was too convoluted. Remember this game was made for a casual audience not hardcore gamers who appreciate more in depth systems for something like potions or conversation choices. Solid 8.5/10 for me, fun relaxing ride for me

[@BlackXSunlight]

This game gives you so many spells and they offer no real vital variety or use outside of their spell category, and very specific puzzles (the dreaded Merlin Trials, which I actually didn't mind at all since they were easy and quick). I found out by accident that if you dodge a troll's third hit instead of parrying with Protego, you can immediately cast Flipendo to flip the troll's club onto its own head. There's a unique animation made just for this strategy. And other then a similar tactic dealing with those bog frogs, this sort of spell-specific utility does not reappear with any other enemy. I actually enjoyed the quality of the side quests in this game, if only because of the top-notch voice acting and writing to make the characters feel like they truly belong in that world. I do wish we had more recurring quest givers, especially with fellow classmates. I was surprised to be introduced to three classmates in Gryffindor as a mandatory quest in the beginning, only to just about never talk to them again after the first 30 minutes. Each house, with the weirdly conspicuous exception of Ravenclaw, has just one major character with a questline that you follow until the game's end, but they're not made equally. Natty's and Poppy's tie for emotional investment, character development, and pacing, though Poppy's almost loses the match since despite what we learn about her upbringing, the people responsible for making her who she is today don't even appear in ~that~ quest. Sebastian's takes the cake in that you get a full cast of supporting characters for his story, branching narratives depending on your choices, and you even get unique spells as a reward for his questline: it's a feat worthy of Dragon Age: Origins. Then from Ravenclaw, you have Amit, I guess? And after traumatizing the poor child in a stakeout-gone-wrong, you never talk to him again. All in all, this game needed to prompt us as players to actually think about the spells we're given to solve puzzles, we needed recurring quests with familiar characters to grow attached to, we needed more dungeons that required clever spell use to pass through on some Water Temple tier of design, and honestly a damage boost. Duels took so long because player damage is so low without maxing out your gear constantly, plus XP only coming from your Wizard's Guide actually discourages you from participating in fights. Cute game, very pretty to look at, but definitely all charm with little substance, too watered down for the general masses who put their Hogwarts house in their tinder profiles.

[@joewalsh886]

The plants are op af

[@LXXVIIZONE]

its a good foundation that they can build on, being in school I was hoping for more rivalries, the nemisis system would be so so epic in a game like this...i hope they take off the kiddy gloves and give us more consequences and tougher game play decisions, but still I enjoyed it

[@thriftypsgr]

I want to know how you beat this thing in 25 hours???

[@mandrews6282]

As far as potions, yes they are expensive, but only until you get the room of requirement. At which point you can just brew as many as you want as long as you’ve collected the ingredients, so grab whatever you find when you’re out exploring and it is a complete non issue. Felix is only available for PS5 players as well, so everyone else will never encounter that potion. The exclusivity is why I suspect it is a lesser useful potion. The exclusive Playstation quest on the other hand, is one of the best in the game. Having played this on both XBox and PS5, it does kind of suck that it only exclusive to one platform as it is such a standout quest, and a long one with multiple boss battles and a unique setting, also giving you your own shop in Hogsmeade to run at the end as well where you can sell back unwanted gear for 10 percent more money. You can even name the store. It is a quite compelling reason to go with the Playstation version if you have the choice. Building crafting tables also doesn’t affect the players bank. It runs on moonstone or whatever those crystals are and are a separate currency that is in abundance out in the world or available to farm in your own vivariums. Plants are well worth growing for ingredients for potions as well. It could be more robust but works well for what it does and I can’t imagine what other potions the game would even need off hand without introducing more attributes for them to affect.

[@marks2807]

Hell you put the three hoping pots in your room of requirement. They make potions for you at random. After that you never have to spend anything on potions ever again.

[@XxRDZ15xX]

25 hours into this game I just couldn’t force myself to keep playing with the repetitive side activities and same enemies everywhere. I uninstalled. There’s so many other open world rpg games that I’d rather play that actually do it well. I applauded you folk who can sit through this entire game and enjoy it. It’s a borefest for me. I love the Harry Potter movies and books but this game was so underwhelming. For a little backstory I’ve pretty much played every amazing popular and even hidden gem open world rpg games since I was a kid so there is high expectations for hogwarts for someone like me. Sadly it just wasn’t it. Still tho seems there’s a large community that enjoyed the game and I hope they can make a better sequel

[@cs5315]

The kind of review I been looking for. I haven’t watched a movie either and been wondering if it’s worth getting

[@alsenar2]

This game would be an 6,5/10 if the Harry Potter IP wasn't in there.

[@LolitaLinda97]

Great vid! I think that while your criticisms are valid, some are kinda nitpicky and some just miss the point of the story completely. Regarding potions: Crafting potions shouldn't feel expensive as soon as you unlock the room of requirement. Hopping pots are cheap to craft and give you a random potion very often, not to mention that planting is also super simple and a great resource. Even then, I think having just 6 potions is actually the best decision they could have done; enough to make gameplay interesting but not enough to be demanding or overwhelming (also ties in with the lore of potions being time consuming and demanding to craft) Regarding beasts: This is one I think you completely miss the mark on. The point of us being able to keep beasts is to save them from the poachers infesting the areas around Hogwarts, NOT to use them for combat. The story focusing on saving the beasts (especially poppy's quest), and expanding their species, would completely contradict allowing us to use them in combat. The only time we use a beast to fight is during one of the last quests, and only because we needed to get from point A to point B with it. This is why we can't keep normal animals as pets; they're not being hunted to near extinction. We do have some beasts you can ride as mounts, but only those that choose you, rather than those you choose; like Highwing. I think this adds a lot more impact to unlocking a new mount, and feels like an actual achievement to be chosen by said beasts rather than just kidnap an airheaded thestral and pretend you can tame it. Also, I'm not sure if I've misunderstood, but you CAN name every beast you capture (except story ones). Regarding QoL stuff: You mention quite a few things here: Like more unique animations for potion/beast/magic interactions, but you fail to mention that every enemy has a specific spell weakness and interaction, and every enemy type has a unique ancient magic animation (stepping on spiders, trolls hitting themselves, etc) Which is exactly the type of unique animation you're looking for. Although that aside, I do agree that a bulk sell option would be nice, but I don't personally prefer a fixed transmog option, since I tend to check all my new items in batches and use that as a cue to change my outfit; but I understand that that's personal preference and would be a decent toggle if available. Again, placing a merchant in the RoR would contradict the lore massively, even having Deek be a merchant wouldn't fit in with the world or the story. I'm also not sure I understand what you mean by "showing the crafting recipe while shopping"; do you mean what each ingredient can be used for? because that's already in. Or do you mean hovering over a potion and seeing the recipe to craft it on the side? If so, I think that's unnecessary. Someone who wants to craft a potion would be visiting a different menu to the potion vendor, and it would just clog up the UI imo. Regarding the story: I full-heartedly agree with you that choices should matter more, and possibly even lead to different endings; especially learning dark magic. I will point out though that you do see lots more enemies fighting each other in the world; trolls fighting goblins, spiders fighting poachers, and infernos fighting everyone. Regardless, the merlin challenges, lack of impactful choices, and the fact that the map doesn't actually display everything in an area even if you've already Revelio-d it, should definitely be patched in like you said. I also agree that houses, friendships, and classes should have more impact and more options within them; I would have loved to be able to pick what classes to attend instead of being forced into all of them by the story. However, I never felt a dissonance between the story and the sim aspects; the seasonal shifts after every story event, coupled with the relatively small amounts of mandatory sim quests, made it very clear that I was playing a full time student, trying to make sense of this new school and power, who experiences some weird threats on the side. I found this particularly smooth considering none of the events that happen within Hogwarts itself are combat events, meaning I never had to pretend I wasn't a witch capable of beating the worst bad guy in the world and struggle against some random student. Along with the fact that the teachers know pretty much nothing about the story quests till the end (other than Fig), so it makes sense that they treat me as a new student. Regarding the world: This is the bit I think you got almost spot on, I would also add that I think we need more than 4 spell sets and that some niche spells like beast care and crafting spells should have their own bar within the RoR. I think they could definitely flesh these out a bit more with spell interactions like you said, but it's very solid as is. I will say I think the sound design and music was absolutely perfect, and I found walking around Hogwarts and listenning to people's conversations and quests happen independently of my character made the world really feel alive. Overall, I think Hogwarts Legacy is a very solid game that just needs some polish, and sets some amazing foundation for future DLCs with house cups, the Triwizard tournament, quidditch, and maybe even visiting the other wizarding schools.

[@westberlinerbuoi70]

As much as I enjoy my time with HL, if I hadn't grown up with the Harry Potter franchise being so neatly woven into my own life I'm pretty sure I'd be very bored already (sunk around 34 hours into it so far). It has lots of the usual open world bloat that I nowadays avoid games for thanks to Ubisoft and its "Ubi formula". Played too many of those over the years and felt like I'm coming home to my freetime job after my real job that pays the bills...

[@snowtygra1036]

I agree. I wish the world was smaller so they would put more effort into storylines. I am so bored with the main quest but I continue because it’s a Harry Potter world

[@BloodravenRivers]

I really didn't mind the break in lore I didn't see it as a break though it was more of an extension of lore. A deeper delve into the unexplored realms of ancient magic. I mean slytheryns scriptorium wasn't cannon from the books either but I thought it was a very natural feeling addition the extra places hamlet's and villages they were not mentioned in books but think they will eventually be added to canon the events as well as spells

[@the47thsoldier67]

This review encapsules my extact feelings with this game that i could just not set into words. Subscribed!

[@donney3389]

I'd agree they tried to fit many genres into a game. And it somehow works

[@aviad61]

Wow a lot of your ideas are really great and interesting. Like people said, there is existing lore to consider, but generally I think great stuff here. The rest of the review perfectly captures my thoughts on the game as well.

[@Kalecgos1138]

You can rename beasts and you can ride them as well as taming them.

[@tamiwatchesstuff]

Yes, but I'm disappointed that we didn't get a pet dragon that you could mount and fly around on. My boyfriend said that he'd play the game if you could own a dragon. 😂😂

[@rovosunny1687]

I agree this game has all the elements but did not take it far I definitely enjoyed the combat and wish there were harder bosses and more spells, I think there could have also been more significance with the story and the actual castle and students it has much more potential but they didn't add it..

[@deadwaste1]

I actually loved the combat, exploration was fun, but it felt like a job at certain points, especially when trying to fill out those objectives.

[@Jsch23]

To add to what you were saying it was wild to me that the npcs couldn't tell if ur a boy or girl. Or say the name you created.

[@TheMLGgamer252]

im reading the comments and starting to comtemplate whether or not you guys act watched harry potter, like bro what a black hole?😂; anyways I totally agree with the potion system, there is so many adaptions from the movie that they missed out on persay; pumpkin juice for recovery, Liquid Luck for increased stats and loot percentage, a Love potion for charm on enemies, the ends were seriously limitless with just the movies and books alone.

[@Craithos]

Personally I'd give it a 7/10. Combat is the strongest part of the game but feels clunky and awkward at times. Thank goodness you get the broom early on or travelling would be a slog. Needed more and better companion quests, more interaction with NPCs, more enemy types, cut out the tacked on RPG loot system, cut out the busy work, improve the story etc

[@jacksonmcnuggets7488]

The potions can be created at the room of requirements

[@fufu5068]

Off on another adventure are we?

[@clemsin]

The first minute is exactly how I went into the game. “The less you you know, the better.” Yup.

[@HuntsmanWTF]

I agree with alot of what you are saying, the game is wide as an ocean but shallow as a puddle. I think it's because the developers wanted to cram in everything they possibly could from the HP universe, and thus didnt have the time or money to make each and every system that deep, and I, like you, would have wanted it to have fewer systems but more in depth ones. Some of your ideas are rather stupid, like the "beast companion" stuff, but still. My biggest gripe with the game is the lackluster story, the stiff character animations and lip-sync and the uninspired classes. Like, why do I have to gather and use 2 different combat plants to learn flippendo? Doesn't make sense, and the class is just 10 second cutscene where they show your classmates petting a beast and then you go up to the teacher and learn a spell thats not even relevant to the class...? Whilst the world is great and Hogwarts castle is fantastic, the world feels dead. You can barely interact with anything or anyone at all, even the animations for picking up and eating an apple or drinking some tea is horrendous. Not to mention petting a cat triggers a black loading screen for 2 seconds before you cat pet it, like what? Same goes for entering a tent/cave or talking to characters. I also really dislike the forced diversity the game offers same goes for the collect-a-thon style open world, people give ubisoft shit for having a boring open world with the same 4 activities over and over, like a checklist on the map but this game has the EXACT same structure and gets 9/10? Makes alot of reviewers seem disingenuous. Personally I think this should have been a more focused story driven game with mo-cap, better voice acting and a semi-open world. Like God of War for example, but I know most people wanted a RPG where you create your own character to fulfill the fantasy of going to Hogwarts, shame that the part of actually attending the school of witchcraft and wizardry takes such a backseat in the game.

[@JWPanimation]

Well said. House choice makes not a spot of difference and no magical items is a tremndous omission.

[@WifeWantsAWizard]

An excellent review. Well done.

[@broomhilda5122]

Another thoughtful, fantastic review! 🙂

[@martymcfly88mph35]

This is the only honest, real review for this game I've seen so far. I liked the game, but damn people are acting like it's way better than it is.

[@amalgamation3679]

It was alright, I enjoyed Sebastian’s quest, but I do think they could've done more or a few things better, like the common rooms and the sorting hat (they could’ve done so much with that.) and how the unforgivable curses after you acquire them don’t seem so unforgivable.

[@lukeanderson6124]

The only plant I ever had was mallowsweet for merlin trials lol

[@papapie7075]

(From a reply) Actually I think people fangirl over this overblown RPG too much and muddy any clear view of an honest experience. It’s a big art piece with good combat and mount systems, but contradictory leveling mechanics, rewards that consist of nothing but Robes, gold and maybe a wand grip every now and then, and voice acting with dialogue that was pretty obviously recorded prior to making any in-game content relating to it; making it feel hollow and uninvested. Companions are cool and unique but overall the game’s foundation is a little shallow. Once you’ve seen the world of the game, there’s not much else to do with the environment but pick up the same three plants, rocks and mushrooms and kill the same species of spiders, wizards and goblins. (there are more but these are the most common)

[@benwasserman8223]

Ok is it weird hearing so many reviewers start Hogwarts Legacy videos with the reveal that they weren’t HP fans growing up or had limited interactions with HP? As an almost-27 year old, Harry Potter was everywhere in the 2000s, and everything to fandom pre-MCU.

[@a.g.m8790]

To certain types of people. Other kids were into sports and other things. No fandom is big enough to be most people let alone ALL people. Star Wars and Pokemon are bigger than Harry Potter and a lot of people think that’s nerd shit too

[@benwasserman8223]

@@a.g.m8790 Yeah but as a book series, the franchise was inescapable. It and Peter Jackson's LotR trilogy practically drove Hollywood to make every fantasy imitator possible and the books are definitely responsible for driving up YA fiction as a genre amongst young readers.

[@a.g.m8790]

@@benwasserman8223 no it wasn’t. It was very popular yes but not inescapable. Different people are into different things. I was a kid when Harry Potter was at it’s height and nobody I knew had any interest in it at all. As I said it was nerd shit

[@benwasserman8223]

@@a.g.m8790 And if you haven’t noticed, nerd shit is everywhere these days.

[@a.g.m8790]

@@benwasserman8223 that’s irrelevant. Nerd shit has always been everywhere

[@HiCZoK]

I love that the game is simple and don’t require too much work with grinding potions and stuff. It’s just so nice to play. If the game had all the systems you describe, I think it would be overwhelming

[@Dom-fk3te]

mmmm all the potions and plants are incredibly powerful

[@mrmanguy4849]

Summed up my thoughts perfectly. This game is super fun and really addicting for me, but it also loses me a bit with how bare bones some of the mechanics are. The game is great but it could so obviously be better

[@bob_0146]

This game certainly doesn't treat you like as much of a baby as Ubisoft games which I can appreciate.

[@christopherm.7310]

The third “challenge” was truly impressive. Some of the best video game environment I have ever seen. Overall the game was an 8/10 for me. Also, the plants are quite good. I spammed the hell out of them.

[@sit-insforsithis1568]

Especially mandrake

[@s.b200]

Oh yes 100%!The third challenge had my jaw dropped the whole time. So impressed and so freaked out at the same time. And yes I also loved the plants! It seems quite unethical to use beasts in combat in my opinion, so I didn't agree with him there. Except for the graphorn perhaps.

[@tamiwatchesstuff]

I loved using the Deathly Hallows, but I thought my TV was malfunctioning at first when I first played the third trial, lol. 😁 That being said, Rookwood's trial irked the heck out of me because I have zero patience for forced main quest puzzles. Rackham's trial was okay for me, but the pensieve knights/guardians were badass. I enjoyed fighting them more than the other enemies in the game.

[@andrewavp1476]

Pre-ordered this game and played for a solid 1-2 weeks and I'm absolutely bored of it now. The world sucks after the initial 10 hours and the hype was the only thing keeping this game going. I'd probably give this a 6/10 or 7/10. There needs to be more to do.

[@nexusaquarion9281]

I enjoyed the Loch Ness monster bit. It was a hilarious it make sense.

[@OMEKS_1]

That is a godly way to go about reviews but unfortunately we live in an ungodly world. Some of your ideas like having a beast companion would be dope but we are talking about the Harry Potter license not Pokémon. Since this is an already existing IP they need approval to put in all these potions n stuff

[@BlackXSunlight]

15:39 not to flood your comments, but I thought about how the overall narrative clashes with the student sim aspect. Changes in the narrative would then be required, and to emphasize the fact that you're a student, you could be totally kept in the dark in regards to the goings-on with Ranrok and Co. until the adults you rely on don't come back from recon missions, which means you don't have adult supervision, you don't have anyone to run to, the story is then begging you to answer the call to adventure.

[@jimjasutis5046]

I guess it comes down to the fact that different games attract different people. You seem less than impressed with the implementation of plants in the game, but I have seen at least a half-dozen video where people describe the plant system as being overpowered.