It’s been an exciting week for the upcoming action RPG game, Hogwarts Legacy, as fans were treated to several glimpses of what to expect during a PlayStation State of Play showcase. Two exciting new videos revealed a behind the scenes trip with the developers, while the other offered a full 14 minute run-down of gameplay. You can watch the behind the scenes featurette here and you can watch that gameplay right here...
And, of course, if you want to go into the game knowing absolutely nothing, this article will naturally contain many, many spoilers!
1. Hogwarts looks stunning
We’ll start with a pretty primitive point: Hogwarts looks incredible. In fact, this is perhaps the most meticulously detailed interpretation of Hogwarts castle we have seen yet, with every room richly detailed and crammed with blink-and-you’ll-miss-them titbits.
2. Many familiar (and some unfamiliar) creatures
Alongside witches and wizards, the usual array of fabulous magical creatures also popped up during this preview.
We spotted centaurs, a Graphorn, Mooncalves, a Kneazle and a Niffler to name a few.
But we also spotted some magical creatures that seemed less familiar – after all, this game is from the 1800s, so there could be certain magical beasts that were more common back then. Apparently, some creatures that live on the outskirts of Hogwarts have been corrupted by dark magic, while others are susceptible to poachers – but don’t worry, you’ll have the ability to rescue them and nurse them back to health. Newt Scamander would approve.
3. “Powerful ancient magic”
Dedicated Harry Potter fans will know all the wizarding world basics by now: Invisibility Cloaks, Summoning Charms, Animagi, you name it. But in this extensive look at Hogwarts Legacy, there were many instances of magic that seemed from another time. In fact, there is mention of ‘forgotten magic’ and to beware those seeking to harness it to ‘destroy wizard-kind’. So, what sort of forgotten magic can we expect to see? In one moment, we see a character touch a mirror like it’s liquid, before it transforms into a wall. In another sequence, we see a potion turn someone into a rock-like texture. Which piece of magic intrigued you the most from this teaser?
4. Your character is a fifth year!
One major thing that we learnt from the Hogwarts Legacy walkthrough is more detail about our character, who we can shape and form in any way we like. (More on that in a moment.) But one thing that is constant is the fact that you’ll be playing as a fifth year joining Hogwarts late – so there will be lots of catching up to do. (But don’t worry, you’ll still experience your Sorting Ceremony!)
This preview seems to allude to the fact that our character is very special. And as the voiceover mentions, they may have a little something to do with ‘the fate of the entire wizarding world’. No pressure, then.
5. Create the witch or wizard you want to be !
You decide what your character looks like and what they specialise in. The preview shows us an impressively detailed glimpse at how uniquely you can design your character.
6. You’ll get to hang out in your Hogwarts house common room (including Hufflepuff!)
Depending on what Hogwarts house you find yourself in, you’ll get to frequent your common room once you’ve partaken in the Sorting Ceremony. This includes a fully fleshed out Hufflepuff common room, complete with a badgers’ set inspired interior and cute little plants. This is the common room we did not get to visit during the Harry Potter stories, so we’re particularly excited to see the wholesome nature of the Hufflepuff students’ home. You can learn more about the Hufflepuff common room here.
7. Same Hogwarts lessons, new professors!
Once you’re all settled in at Hogwarts, you’ll get to fully embrace student life and start attending classes! The dream! Many of the famous classes you know and love will be playable, from Charms to Defence Against the Dark Arts to Herbology. But as this is the 1800s, you can expect to meet a whole different group of professors from another time. There’s the quirky red-headed Herbology professor, keeping it on theme in a floral hat, the extremely charming Charms professor in flowing purple robes, and a rugged Potions professor who seems a tad more enthusiastic than Severus Snape. We’re already dying to get to know them!
8. Duelling
You’ll remember Malfoy and Harry’s intense showdown in Duelling Club during Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and it seems this little tradition has stemmed back for centuries. We all love a bit of healthy competition, so these lessons should help you up your game when duelling in slightly more dangerous settings...
9. Explore Hogwarts’ secrets
If you’re anything like us, sometimes we simply love to roam around open-world games and just enjoy the vibes. Hogwarts Legacy will give you the opportunity to do exactly that. From dungeons to portraits to hidden corridors to rooms we don’t even recognise, this is your chance to uncover some of the castle’s big secrets. You’ll need to use certain spells to get around (as you know by now how unpredictable Hogwarts can be) and expect to solve puzzles along the way too. And although some areas of the castle seem unfamiliar, there are certain artefacts and rooms that we recognise from Harry’s time at Hogwarts. We’re quite sure we spotted the Fat Lady at one point.
10. Is that the Prefect’s bathroom?
We visited the Prefect’s bathroom in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, with a little help from Cedric Diggory. And in the game, one shot boasts a luxury chamber with a mermaid portrait and a huge swimming pool. But on closer inspection of the video, was that a swimming pool? Or in fact, a very big bath, complete with a series of twisty and complicated taps? We suspect this is the very bath that Harry would dip into many years later to uncover the secrets of his Triwizard Tournament clue. We’d definitely love to be a Hogwarts Prefect – simply for the facilities!
11. Ghosts with the most
While many characters are brand new (or old, we should say...) there are certain faces that do stand the tests of time. You know, because they’re ghosts! In the teaser, we spot History of Magic professor Professor Binns, a colourful poltergeist that surely must be Peeves – and the Gryffindor ghost, Nearly Headless Nick. This teaser reveals that poor Nick was obsessing over joining the Headless Hunt 100 years before he was telling Harry about it! We simply have to admire his ability to stick to his guns.
12. Extra-curricular activities
Beyond your lessons, there will be plenty of side-quests to take part in to help you catch up to the other students – but of course, it was flying that really caught our attention. We wonder if we’ll be a totally natural flyer like Harry, or endlessly shouting “up” grumpily at our brooms like Hermione?
Mastering broom flight comes ‘highly recommended’ in the game – which is not surprising – there is a lot of ground to cover when exploring. We even spot a chance to fly a Hippogriff later on too...
13. The fallen wizard
There are myriad enchanting rooms in this game to get excited about, but this huge cavernous space with a looming statue of a fallen wizard stood out. For a moment, it looked like the statue of Salazar Slytherin from the Chamber of Secrets with that curling beard, but we suspect this is someone else. Any ideas on who this could be? And whereabouts in Hogwarts is this?
14. Professor Fig
As we move into the ‘adventure’ portion of the teaser, we are told we will befriend this well-accessorised chap called Professor Fig. And no, before you ask, we suspect this is not an ancestor of Arabella Figg from the Harry Potter stories, due to the spelling of the name. Nonetheless, we’re still excited on what this new character will bring to the story.
15. Outside of Hogwarts
As huge and sprawling as Hogwarts is, the game will also open up uncharted territories. Beyond Hogsmeade and the Forbidden Forest, Hogwarts Legacy boasts gorgeous landscapes and rocky terrain never seen before. We hope these Hogwarts students have hiking boots –we want to go exploring!
16. Master your favourite magic
Your Hogwarts legacy is what you make it – and that includes the sort of magic you intend to master. A lot of spells featured in this preview are very familiar to us, such as Blasting Curses and Shield Charms, and it sounds like it will be important to practise them during various conflicts – while combining them as sequences. But there is other magic to think about as well.
Maybe you would prefer to master Herbology or Potions – which both have their own advantages in battles too, such as unleashing Mandrake seedlings on opponents or having your own-brewed Potions to increase your power. Basically, you can play to your strengths rather than simply be a whizz at hexes. Never forget Professor Sprout lobbing Mandrakes at the Battle of Hogwarts!
17. New friends
Hogwart is full of cliques and alliances, just like any school. So, who will be your Ron and Hermione? The preview introduces us to three characters who accompany you at various points in the game and have their own stories. Natsai Onai is a justice-driven adventurer, Poppy loves magical beasts, and Sebastian Sallow is a charismatic Slytherin with a family secret...
18. The Room of Requirement!
We’re sure we speak for every Harry Potter fan when we say we’ve always wanted our own version of the Room of Requirement, and Hogwarts Legacy aims to please. This is your own space in the game where you can work on your craft, be that nurturing your own menagerie of magical beasts, brewing your potions or harvesting magical plants. There is even a house-elf called Deek that can help you out. If only we could have a Room of Requirement in real life to work on our best selves!
19. Visiting Hogsmeade
After all that duelling, potion brewing and castle exploring, remember to partake in a bit of R&R at Hogsmeade village. We’re quite excited about seeing Hogsmeade station – not to mention the fact we can shop around in all the establishments we know from the books and films. Watch out for Dark wizards and witches who hang out around the village outskts, though.
20. Enjoy Hogwarts whatever the weather
Come rain or shine, you’ll be able to live your student life across all the seasons – including our absolute favourite, Hogwarts in the snow.
So, there you have it. Just 20 things we adored about the Hogwarts Legacy walkthrough. What sort of witch or wizard will you be?
Scheduled for release holiday 2022, Hogwarts Legacy will be published by Warner Bros. Games under the Portkey Games label. The game will be available for PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, Nintendo Switch™ system and PC.
Keep visiting WizardingWorld.com for more news on Hogwarts Legacy and other Portkey Games updates as they come. Remember to register and sign up for our newsletter for more exclusive magical goodies.
