"Magic is no different than any power. What really matters is the one who wields it."
Hello everyone!
I'll admit, however, that I was wary going in.
I mean, Harry Potter was a successful franchise, and so too were Fantastic Beasts until people started complaining and other outside scandal erupted which certainly didn't help matters along.
Then, let's not forget the horrible would-be continuation of Cursed Child which I still pretend to this day doesn't exist (I swear if they actually make a movie we'll know it's just a cash grab, because there are FAN FICTION STORIES out there better than that drivel!).
So all in all, not an auspicious beginning, and honestly? I dragged my feet a little to start watching, but you get sucked in easily enough, and I've started my second watch via Nic's channel by now.
Without further ado, let's get our wands at the ready, shall we?
Hogwarts Legacy needs us to step up our game.
I have a fair number of blog posts covering this same specific topic so I'll be linking them all down at the bottom of the page, as per usual.
Now, to start with, this story begins in the 19th century, so LEAGUES away from both Newt and Harry and their problems in their own time. You begin your journey as a fifth year student attending Hogwarts for the first time, accompanied by Professor Fig and a man from the Ministry. You discuss an interesting little container that holds a key, but only you can open it, seeing some weird glow, then finish off with a dragon chomping the carriage in two.
Ah, yes, the magic of the Wizarding world!
Turns out the key - sent by Fig's deceased wife, mind you - is actually a Portkey and drops you at some ancient ruins in the Scottish Highlands, from where you discover a special entrance to Gringotts. There, after getting to one of the bank's most ancient vault, you're closed in, have to complete a trial to spy out a Pensieve memory of two wizards in Tudor-style clothing preparing the chamber, and then deal with a goblin on top of everything else.
See, Ranrok's mounting a rebellion, but more importantly he seems to possess magic no wizard has ever seen, making him doubly dangerous - and he's after whatever was in this vault you just opened.
Escaping during the mayhem, you and Fig find yourselves right on Hogwarts' doorstep and you're able to attend the Sorting ceremony, there to be sorted into your House (you can either go by the game choice, or choose your own). Professor Weasley introduces you to a special little book, a Field Guide, which serves as a way to track your progress (but is added to the game in such a way that it isn't overtly obvious), and you get to meet your fellow students in your common room.
From there begins your actual academic journey as you attend classes, meet various professors, complete additional assignments for them, and learn a vast variety of spells that you can use in your expanding repertoire.
And, fair warning to people wishing to play this game: you can't just go off and explore on your own at the beginning, because you literally cannot level up without learning the spells, and the only way to learn the spells is to attend classes and complete your assignments. I'd say the first third of the game is like this, but then you can slowly start to branch out and don't need to follow the main storyline EXACTLY anymore.
However, WE mostly will. See, your student character is kinda sorta special (not really like Harry, but similar): you can see traces of ancient magic that people don't really remember anymore, or know how to use, so you've got a bit of a leg up on everyone else since YOU can use it.
You and Fig continue exploring what Ranrok meant at Gringotts (this includes but isn't limited to you taking out his loyalists in the open world) and gradually discover that there are portraits waiting to tell you their story. You first meet Professor Rackham, who introduces you to the map room under Hogwarts and explains that you need to first be deemed worthy if you are to learn everything, and through the game you slowly get acquainted with the other Keepers, as they call themselves, Rookwood, Fitzgerald and Bakar.
The more you progress, however, the more you realize things are rather badly off. Through their memories - and the trials they prepared for you to undertake - you learn there was one other in the past who was in a similar situation to yours, but who ended up choosing a vastly different path. She chose to use the ancient magic to remove pain from people - but in doing so, she became more and more intoxicated by the sensation, the idea she was doing good, and thinking taking emotions away was the right thing to do.
In the end, during a duel, she is killed, and you learn that the magic Ranrok's after is actually vestiges of that ancient magic, housed in goblin silver, that she needed to safely store somewhere.
Naturally, this means an epic final battle against Ranrok himself, right underneath the castle foundation (because, that seems like a smart thing to do altogether, right, keeping such powerful magic down there?), and possibly my favourite scene from the entire game where the professors who've taught you all year long show up to help fight the loyalists in an EPIC stand of good vs evil.
You go on to defeat Ranrok, and have the choice to either reveal the magic to the world, or keep it hidden, though I think it always leads you to keeping it away from prying eyes.
Besides this main quest you also have companion quests, from Gryffindor Natsai Onai who you help take down a Rookwood descendant working with Ranrok, and bullying people around Hogsmeade; from Hufflepuff Poppy Sweeting, who you help with poaching rings and taking down poachers around Hogwarts to save endangered creatures; and from Slytherin Sebastian Sallow, who you help in his quest to heal his sister from a curse supposedly cast upon her by goblins.
Ravenclaw doesn't have an active companion, or a companion quest, and has apparently been rather shafted in their house quests as well, which begs the question WHY; but there aren't really that many answers about it sadly.
Anyway, both Natty and Poppy's quests have happy endings, but Sebastian's is a bit trickier because his is also the way to the Unforgivable Curses, and you witness him spiraling more and more out of control out of pure fear of losing his sister, disregarding her own feelings on the matter, to the point where he kills their uncle. This either causes you to have him arrested, or you keep it to yourself and hope he's learned his lesson.
All in all, between all the little side missions, completing your Field Guide, the Companion Quests and the main mission, this is a game chock-full of things to do, spells to learn, people to meet and lessons to attend.
Seriously. You can actually attend a History of Magic lesson and experience just why students regularly fall asleep listening to the ghostly professor drone on!
Overall, this is an entertaining open-world game with a decent plot, and a lot of call-backs to the Harry Potter movie franchise which is probably why you'll get all the warm and fuzzy feels as you make your way through it. Occasionally, it feels a lot like they developers were banking on nostalgia covering up any of the weaker factors, and the character animations are basically pretty much the same for all females and all males with little distinguishing characteristics, if any.
If you're a die-hard Potter fan, this is DEFINITELY the game for you, because you'll probably spend hours just exploring Hogwarts. If you're a hardcore gamer, you'll probably spend pleasant hours working out the best fighting mechanics and spell slots. The story is decent enough to keep you engaged, though there are moments where it could be confusing, and some ideas may not be gripping enough for you to remember all the details from what happened before when you need to wait to progress further before you can return to a specific point.
However, if I were to rank it, I'd say it's probably a solid 7 out of 10, and if I had a console I'd definitely give it a go myself!
xx
*images and video not mine
No comments:
Post a Comment