More addictive than a good Quidditch match. Hogwarts Legacy [RECENZJA MUGOLA]

After all, much more recognized developers were able to “lay out” on Harry Potter, and successful games about a young adept of the magical arts who discover the secrets of Hogwarts were created like medicine. Suffice it to say that the two best rated “Potter” productions on Metacritic are those from the LEGO series.

Fortunately, my predictions turned out to be wrong. Avalanche Software not only carried the burden of this project. The Salt Lake City studio did much more than that. It created a game that could easily compete with the best RPGs on the market – such as The Witcher 3, Elden Ring, or the Mass Effect series.

We don’t meet Harry Potter in Hogwarts Legacy. The action of the game takes place many years before the events we know from JK Rowling’s novels. However, the creators draw heavily from the original book, and the atmosphere of Wizarding World almost spills out of the screen.

At this point, it is worth noting that JK Rowling herself, who has been criticized in recent years for statements about transgender people, did not participate in the work on Hogwarts Legacy. What’s more, the creators of the game placed a transgender character in it, which seems to have a symbolic dimension.

Just visiting Hogwarts is a lot of fun. The school of magic attended by the main character of the game has been rendered with incredible meticulousness. Many hours will pass before you manage to get to know every corridor and every room (including the “forbidden” ones), and after these many hours, Hogwarts will still be able to surprise you with something.

Hogwarts Legacy photo: Hogwarts Legacy

Hogwarts itself, however, is only the beginning. The game map covers a much larger area. During the game we will also visit the village of Hogsmeade and several smaller locations. The whole thing makes an amazing impression. I can boldly say that it is one of the most beautiful and complex worlds that we will encounter in games. In my opinion, Hogwarts Legacy is second only to Red Dead Redemption 2 and the aforementioned The Witcher 3 in this respect.

As for the plot, it is this one also follows in the footsteps of JK Rowling’s books. We play the role of a young adept of magical arts, who – for unknown reasons at first – can wield ancient magic. Our hero quickly gets involved in an intrigue in which the main role is played by wizards, sorcerers and a cruel goblin.

The game is based on three main elements – science, exploration and fighting. During our stay at Hogwarts, we discover the secrets of magic. We learn spells that Harry Potter fans are very familiar with. There was no shortage Revelio (reveals hidden objects), Levioso (levitation), Incendio (fire spell) repair (fixes objects) or Lumos (magic lamp).

Hogwarts Legacy Hogwarts Legacy

Spells are divided into basic and combat. As the name suggests, the latter will be useful primarily during combat. In the lower right corner of the screen there is a quick selection menu, to which we can assign up to four spells at a time.

There are more than 30 spells in total. Among them there are also unforgivable spells – Crucio, Avada Kedavar and Empire. These are the most effective attacks, which at the same time are unworthy of a true wizard. It’s even more a pity that Hogwarts Legacy doesn’t feature morality mechanics, so casting these spells doesn’t have any plot consequences.

As for the fight itself, it’s amazing dynamic, spectacular and… difficult. Don’t be fooled – Hogwarts Legacy is not a game for the youngest. Some clashes with groups of enemies are hellishly demanding, and mastering effective spell combinations requires a lot of skill.

Hogwarts Legacy Hogwarts Legacy

If we get bored of fighting and following the main storyline, there are plenty of side activities waiting for us in Hogwarts Legacy. We can go in search of “collectibles” hidden on the map, fly on a broom or face environmental puzzles.

Is there anything I didn’t like about Hogwarts Legacy? Yes – the dialogues are definitely lame here. At times I almost grit my teeth listening to the dull conversations of the characters, and some of the characters have the charisma worthy of a petrified Muggle.

When it comes to graphics, Avalanche Software’s title can be an uneven game. Hogwarts itself is simply breathtaking, but in other locations there are already some shortcomings and compromises. I was also not impressed by the models of the side characters, which seem overly simplistic and devoid of emotion.

The music and sound effects are in a class by themselves. Let this be evidenced by the fact that I have been listening to the official soundtrack of the game for several days now.

Hogwarts Legacy Hogwarts Legacy

Hogwarts Legacy is without a doubt the best video game set in the Wizarding World universe and will delight both long-time fans of the wizard with a scar on his forehead and people who – like me – have never been a Harry Potter enthusiast. We are dealing here with a racial RPG, which is distinguished by a great atmosphere, an interesting plot and a very successful combat system.