Portkey Games' Hogwarts Legacy is scheduled for release just in time for holiday of 2022. Set in the 19th Century, the game will allow players to explore the famed wizarding school from J.K. Rowling's fictional universe. Although Portkey has not released much information on the upcoming title yet, examining Legacy's first gameplay trailer and other promotional material from the title can give players a clearer understanding of what to expect from the game, both in terms of its mechanics and overarching storyline.

 

Magical Education

As seen in the Legacy gameplay trailer, players set out on their adventure by creating their very own character, including deciding their gender and appearance. Even more excitingly, players will also be able to pick which one of the four Hogwarts' houses they want to join and design their wand.

After being initiated into the school, players will be able to take classes at Hogwarts and even complete homework assignments to level up their character. Among the subjects already confirmed for Legacy are Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, and Herbology. Skills learned in these classes will be useful to players as they progress through the game’s story arc, allowing players to customize their character based on their favorite magical abilities.

 

 

Exploration of Hogwarts Castle and the Surrounding Countryside

Anyone familiar with the franchise knows that Hogwarts Castle is full of secret places. As players move forward in the game, more and more hidden locations will be revealed in the castle. As revealed in the gameplay trailer, some rooms can only be accessed once the player acquires a certain skillset or solves a puzzle. Even more interesting for diehard fans of the franchise is that Legacy will allow players to visit areas never fully revealed in the franchise, such as the school’s kitchen and dungeons hidden in the bowels of the castle.

One of the most important rooms in the game is the Room of Requirement, a special place in Hogwarts Castle that knows what a visitor wants and then provides it. In the game, the Room of Requirement acts as a personal home base for the player. In the location, players can hone their potion skills or upgrade their personal equipment. Even more fascinating is the Room of Requirement’s Vivarium, a fully customizable space that allows players to house a menagerie of their favorite magical animals.

Moving on to outside the castle, players are greeted by the horrors of the Forbidden Forest and the delights of the village of Hogsmeade. Gameplay footage shows the player confronting some of the most dangerous creatures of the Forbidden Forest, including centaurs and mountain trolls. Meanwhile, players wandering the streets of Hogsmeade get the opportunity to shop for gear and potion supplies at the village’s many stores. Just like Hogwarts itself, Hogsmeade and the environs around the castle are full of secrets that will take hours to fully explore.

In going on these adventures, players will also have their choice of how they want to travel. While some might opt to huff it on foot, others might soar through the air on a trusty broomstick or on the back of a noble hippogriff. Players can also decide if they want to go on a solo adventure or if they want to have the assistance of a companion from the school.

 

 

New Wizarding Ability

By far the biggest tease for Legacy is a new magical ability that will be unique to the player and feature prominently in the game's storyline. According to developers, players will take on the role of a character entering Hogwarts as a fifth year student. While this character might be further behind in their studies than other fifth year students, he or she will make up for it with a powerful ability to harness ancient magic. As the player uncovers more of the game's secrets and advances in the title's plot, they will also learn why this magical ability has returned after being dormant for so long. In the end, developers hint that how gamers use this ability will determine their character's fate and the fate of the Wizarding World at large.

 

Combatting the Forces of Darkness

Players will need every bit of skill possible to overcome the machinations of the game’s two main villains: the rebel goblin Ranrok and the dark wizard Victor Rookwood. Ranrok has been shown to be an especially formidable opponent, being able to channel magic both through a wand and with his bare hands. Rookwood is also a demonstrably menacing threat, having dozens of acolytes patrolling the region around Hogwarts and even the streets of Hogsmeade itself. In confronting these villains, players must trust in the skills they have learned as a student at Hogwarts. In this instance, the player is once again able to customize their experience. Although some might choose to rely on brute magical force in dueling with dark wizards, others might use skills learned in Herbology classes to make magical plants fight on their behalf.

While fighting these terrible threats to the magical world, players are given the option of embracing the call of evil and becoming a dark wizard. By embracing the allure of the shadows, players can gain access to some of the most powerful curses in the Wizarding World, including the killing curse avada kedavra.

In the end, it will be up to the player to decide how to progress through Hogwarts Legacy. Gameplay footage from the title shows a fully customizable experience, with players deciding everything from what skills they wish to learn to combat style to their character’s very appearance. These attributes promise that the experience of the game will be different for each player and enjoyable for a wide range of gaming styles.