Today, Chandler Wood is back to guide us through some more beautiful gameplay of Hogwarts Legacy, alongside community guest host Ben Snow and Avalanche Team, Alan Tew, Mekenzey Toner and Andrew Corum.
So, what do we have today?
Broom (and Hippogriff!) flight
Although the game may be called “Hogwarts Legacy”, this game goes far beyond the castle itself. In fact, with a little help from a broom, you can soar across the Hogwarts outskirts and visit other areas around the beautiful Scottish highlands. Here, you’ll discover small hamlets and communities, giving you the opportunity to meet other witches and wizards with their own stories and side-quests.
In terms of flying, you will indeed be using a broom, something any aspiring witch or wizard has no doubt dreamed about. And throughout the game, you’ll be able to upgrade your broom during visits to Hogsmeade.
Those who have pre-ordered the Deluxe Edition of the game will also have access to a special Onyx Hippogriff, which allows you to fly in a very different style. You’ll no doubt remember Harry’s eventful first flight with Buckbeak in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
There are different environments out in the world as you fly around, like swamps and fields. At one point we fly past a rustic old windmill. You can even watch the seasons change. The snowy exterior in particular has certainly got us in the Christmas mood.
Digital Deluxe access brings you to the Dark Arts arena
Hogwarts Legacy hosts a variety of battle arenas for you to try out your duelling prowess, but those pre-ordering the Digital Deluxe edition of the game will get to go to an extra arena: the Dark Arts arena.
Alongside two normal combat areas, this one carries a darker aesthetic, an excellent place to practise Unforgiveable Curses, you might say…
Indeed, you get to see Avada Kedavra enacted in this preview – and it should come as no surprise that the Killing Curse obliterates your opponent’s health bar immediately.
But the magic you can perform in Hogwarts Legacy goes deeper than the spells we learnt about in Harry Potter’s era. Ancient Magic can be performed during your battles, and it does an awful lot of damage too. We can’t wait to learn more about it.
There are also certain potions or magical plants you can brew or grow to add depth to your battling techniques. For example, you could put down some Venemous Tentacular or Mandrakes if you wanted to live out your best Professor Sprout battle vibe.
Room of Requirement
Time to go to the Room of Requirement - a perfect space to brew things, grow things and care for beasts. And many will, of course, recognise this very handy room from the Harry Potter books and films – a room Harry liked to use a lot.
And, as a testament to the detail that is put into Hogwarts Legacy, eagle-eyed fans should spot a bust of Ignatia Wildsmith (the inventor of Floo Powder!) on the way in.
Once you’re inside the room, you are able to change the architecture to really make the space feel like your own. Tables, rugs, statues, banners on the ceilings… your legacy is what you make it, and this is also true of the Room of Requirement.
Once you’ve stopped redecorating (we won’t blame you if this takes a while!) you’ll also discover some of the creative activities you can do here. For example, you can use a loom to upgrade your gear. You can even add defensive magic to clothes you wear. You’ll also be able to bring items here and examine what they mean, alongside learning recipes and generally upgrading your arsenal. There’s always room for improvement in the Room of Requirement!
If all that wasn’t enough, outside the room is a green area to meet and look after magical creatures. Budding Magizoologists can pet, feed and play with all manner of fantastic beasts here. In the preview, we see a little Niffler, a cute Kneazle and a huge Graphorn. You can extract fur, feathers and other materials from your beasts (gently & safely!) to create more enhancements to your gear too.
You can also conjure things in this space, like a cottage, trees, pumpkins or archways to make the area extremely personal to you and your beasts. There's even a food processor, so beasts can automatically be fed if you're busy attending to other wizarding duties. There's also a toy box and a breeding pen. We wouldn’t blame you if you sacked off the game’s main quest just to hang out with your animals, to be honest. Oh, and the icing on the cake: you can name them, too.
Our latest preview of Hogwarts Legacy really shows the breadth and depth (not to mention wholesomeness!) that the game has to offer. Only a few short months before we can live out our own legacies for real. (Not to mention name our own Niffler immediately!)
Hogwarts Legacy is scheduled to launch worldwide for PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on February 10, 2023, PlayStation®4 and Xbox One will launch on April 4, 2023 and Nintendo Switch on July 25, 2023.
And remember! If you are a member of our Harry Potter Fan Club, you can actually bring your wand and house into the game experience if you link accounts - which also gets you exclusive in-game goodies. Here's how you do it.
