Avalanche Software has not said much about Hogwarts Legacy, the upcoming RPG set in the Harry Potter universe. But the team came out earlier this week and revealed that it would be hold a State of Play stream full of gameplay. Said trailer does contain plenty of the promised gameplay as well as a look into its many systems. No specific date was mentioned, but it is coming out in holiday 2022 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
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The gameplay walkthrough kicked off with a sweeping view of the school before going into the character creator, which gives users control over what their wizard or witch looks like and what Hogwarts House they will join. However, their character will have a unique ability to “manipulate powerful ancient magic,” giving them a sort of “chosen one” vibe. The crux of the story seems to revolve around this magic and why it is returning and the goblins and dark wizards trying to harness it for evil causes.
There is also a common room so players can mingle with the characters from the other houses. This is valuable because the protagonist has some catching up to do since they are a fifth-year student. Some of the classes players attend are Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, and Potions, just to name a few, and their quirky teachers that were also shown in the trailer. There’s also dueling in and out of the classroom.
When players aren’t attending classes, they can explore around the huge castle and uncover various secrets. The trailer showed off a secret painting that opened up a doorway after casting a spell. This is just part of the many secret passageways, dungeons, and puzzles littered around the school. Some of these are even from the films and books. There are also side missions around that are contextualized by the player’s status as a fifth-year student; they need these extra credit-like assignments to catch up.
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Learning magic and leveling up within the school gives players the skills to venture outside of the campus to investigate the aforementioned goblins. This is where the game’s combat came to a head, as players have to choose and defend against certain spells, charms, and enchanted weaponry. There are a whole host of familiar spells players can chain together to take down foes. There’s even powerful magic that the professors don’t even understand as well as consumable potions and helpful beasts. Hogwarts Legacy seems keen on letting players find their favorite spells and their own way to play.
Combat matches with the various upgrades. Plants, spells, potions, and more can all be enhanced with experiences gained through doing various tasks around the world. Again, this is where player choice and playstyle comes into play.
Upgrading and customization is only part of the RPG equation since players can also befriend other people and beasts. Humans can be brought on certain missions and can help in unique ways. The beasts also come into play with the Room of Requirement as benevolent players can bring back the creatures in danger of being poached and raise them. This space also lets them build and customize their own space, complete with buildings and the aforementioned creatures.
And lastly, the video revealed Hogsmeade and how it serves as a storefront that is full of all sorts of supplies. However, there are also hostile forces like cursed creatures and dark sorcerers outside the castle walls. Vendors and residents can be found outside the walls, too. Getting out here is a little easier since traversal can be sped up through riding a broomstick or certain beasts. The trailer also warned players because some of vaults outside of Hogwarts may lead them down a darker path. It then showed the protagonist using the killing curse.
