Despite some pre-release controversies and a few growing pains,Hogwarts Legacywas mostly able to meet the very high expectations of fans and deliver a magical experience. With its lovingly recreated iconic castle, impressive visuals, and incredible attention to detail,Hogwarts Legacywon over critics and players to become a solid addition to the expansiveHarry Potteruniverse. One of the best parts ofHogwarts Legacyis the freedom it gives players to shape their main character, but this could end up causing problems for future releases.
There’s already a rich breadth ofWizarding World contentout there for fans to enjoy, including books, video games, films, and even theme parks. After the positive reception ofHogwarts Legacyand the enduring popularity of its source material, it’s not hard to imagine that future installments in the same game series or similar titles will start cropping up at some point in the coming years. That being said, if any new games are set concurrently with or after the events ofHogwarts Legacy, the developer will have to make some decisions when it comes to canonizing elements of the player’s chosen protagonist.
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Creating A Character In Hogwarts Legacy
Set in the famedHogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,Hogwarts Legacymanages to combine nostalgia for its beloved setting with its own twist on the well-known Wizarding World. By taking the game back a hundred years or so before the originalHarry Potterbook series took place,Hogwarts Legacycould use familiar elements but still create its own world with understandable differences and a whole bunch of new characters compared to its source material. This allowed the game to forge its own story, but it also left room for players to have a hand in how things turned out as well.
Hogwarts Legacyallows gamers to choose everything from the way they look and their gender to which Hogwarts House they want to be a part of, but customization extends beyond the initial stages of the game as well.Hogwarts Legacy’s storyis driven and shaped by the protagonist who is a completely original creation of the player, and as such, they can decide how they handle quests, NPCs, and the direction of their own magical learning. Gamers can choose to turn their protagonist into a benevolent but hugely powerful young witch or wizard, or they can go in a completely different direction and embrace the Dark Arts and their murderous side. These could have huge consequences for the future in-game world, and sequels or otherHarry Pottergames will have to address this.
How Hogwarts Legacy’s Protagonist Complicates Harry Potter Canon
The Wizarding World is full of memorable witches and wizards who are known for their impressive magical abilities. Theprotagonist ofHogwarts Legacy, although a new creation specifically for this game, could technically be counted among the most powerful magic users thanks to their connection to ancient magic and their potential to possess the power stored away in Isidora’s repository. Players may choose to keep the repository hidden, and despite almost single-handedly stopping a goblin rebellion and defeating a dragon, might lead fairly normal lives, but it seems like something a sequel will need to address either way.
DespiteHarry Potter’s Hermione, Ron, and Harry’s experiences, performing heroic deeds alongside their schoolwork is not something that seems hugely typical of a Hogwarts experience, so the protagonist ofHogwarts Legacyis still going to stand out. Referencing them in future titles will be tricky given how much freedom players have in shaping who they are, and the developers may need to choose a playstyle to canonize if they’re planning on featuring or referring to them again. But the question remains whether this protagonist would be presented as a well-behaved pupil who did their part to restore order or a power-hungry student who seized the chance to unlock even more power, no matter the cost.
Hogwarts Legacyis available now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. PS4 and Xbox One versions are due for release on April 4 and July 25 for Switch.
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