Hogwarts legacy, to resume the title of the article, is it worth playing?
We will try to answer this question, after all it has been asked to us several times during the live shows. But that has certainly gone through the minds of many people who have been voluntarily, or not, overwhelmed by "cyclone Rowling".
I want to clarify that, in this article, we will deal with a subjective review linked exclusively to the video game!
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Hogwarts Legacy – An (almost) 360° experience
Let's start with the sensorial aspect of the work of Avalanche.
We can safely say, and I challenge anyone to say otherwise, that Hogwarts Castle is a feast for the eyes. Whether we're outdoors or inside the castle, walking through the multitudes of corridors and rooms is both rewarding and positively mind-boggling. Fans of the Potter world will be thrilled to explore and research the numerous callouts and references to the books and films in the series. Because, we assure you, every corner and every glimpse is a real caress of affection.
The amount of work, between study and development, required to deliver the most faithful reproduction of Hogwarts into our hands must have been incredible. And that alone would justify the five years of software development!
You read correctly, "already only this". Indeed, once we leave Hogwarts, we will be able to head towards the first wizarding settlement: hogsmeade.
If after the first start we could have had an idea of the high graphics sector, once we reach the village we get the proven proof!
It is clear that the developers have put considerable effort into the project in terms of graphics. They wanted to create something big and not just a simple commercial “shortcut”…
If the eye wants its part, the ear is no less!
The soundtrack is immersive and evocative. It has nothing to envy to its cinematic counterpart, always perfect at all times. It is able to enhance all the moments that we will live on Hogwarts legacy.
After this first exhilarating impact of the game, let's tackle all the facets it offers, from the most to the least successful.
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Roleplaying in Hogwarts Legacy
First let's address the issue of roleplay. First because it is a GDR and secondly because in "LostInDice inn" it is a very popular topic.
On this point, unfortunately, Hogwarts legacy show a little side. Every moral choice, evil or benevolent, undertaken has no consequences in the game. Just a few more acidic or more loving responses respectively from the NPC you are dealing with. We speak, throughout the student game, a handful of comments.
The use of spells without forgiveness is allowed without retaliation of any kind. It will be possible to use it without consequence even inside the castle in front of the professors, therefore, decidedly untruthful given the seriousness of simply learning Dark Magic.
Fortunately few missions, but there are some, require a specific condition to deal with them. Once resolved, good and bad weather can take place. The most striking example is the total stealth mission in the infirmary tower, under penalty of restarting the mission itself. Once completed, it will see the possibility of our character returning, a few moments later, to the same place in "New Year's party" mode without any repercussions.
Unfortunately, all this makes it very difficult to identify with our character in the situations that occur during the game.
The face is the mirror of the soul
To mark this gap, between one's own actions and the consequences, it is done by the minimum facial and gestural expression of the character. Unfortunately we are faced with a decidedly disappointing aspect. However, everything is largely compensated for by the never praised enough dubbing in Italian. This is neat and pleasantly fitting to the characters assigned, except for some sporadic cases of excess of emphasis contrasting an effective tranquility of the dialogue.
Another great credit goes to the excellent lip synchronization with the Italian words which makes the dubbing even more pleasant to follow.
A bird's eye view of griffins, brooms and other magical means
To move on to exploration we absolutely have to talk about the excellent flight performance! In the first videos shown, he had made us turn up our noses a lot. Now, with the pad in hand, we have definitely changed our minds. The character's clothing movements are consistent. Whether he is astride one of the brooms (different only in terms of aesthetics and not in terms of performance), or astride one of the magical creatures. The yield of the flight is important because it will often and willingly accompany us outside the castle.
Another magical means of movement is the Floo. Which is nothing but teleportation points scattered throughout the map that can be unlocked when found, but immediately reported.
The explorable map went beyond my wildest expectations. It's not huge, mind you, but given the already announced work on the Castle of Hogwarts School and Witchcraft, I think it's pleasantly large. It is absolutely beautiful to fly over and discover. It's full of interactions, from locating small wizarding settlements, to classic bandit hideouts to "clean up". To then move on to the many challenges and collectibles that the game offers.
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The Room of Requirement, animal pens and other amenities
Another mention of merit goes to the "Room of Requirements”. This is a space in the castle, totally customizable, used as a real production center for various in-game utilities. We could brew potions and breed different plants that will help us in combat.
We will also have an outdoor space where we can host the magical creatures that we will save from the clutches of poachers. The more we take care of these animals, the more they will reward us with unique ingredients to upgrade the protagonist's equipment.
Unfortunately, the upgradeable characteristics that the game takes into account are only three: HP, Strength and Defense. It will also be possible to "set" the garments with power-ups dedicated to individual spells. On the other hand, the amount of clothes, suits, cloaks and accessories that will personalize the aesthetics of our alter-ego are of a completely different kind. There really is something for all tastes!
Each item will have the ability to be "transmographed" freely with any face-up wearable item in the same equipment slot. The player will therefore have the full opportunity to give vent to his fashion flair.
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The combat system
We conclude by focusing the lens on the combat system which was already widely well explained in the showcases prior to the game's release date.
It is a kind of reactive and colorful magical fencing. If you use a pad, and above all you have a certain skill, we advise you to set it to the highest difficulty. Just to have a minimum of challenge degree just in the most "crowded" clashes.
As we have already anticipated, each defense spell of the most formidable opponents corresponds to a group of spells marked and recognizable by a color. To break the defense of the current enemy, it will therefore be necessary to cast a spell of the same group (color). We will therefore have to carry out a sequence of combos to reduce its life bar.
The game, from this point of view, does not offer many spells. With those available, however, it will be possible to create different combinations, more or less effective, depending above all on the type of enemies we are going to face.
Conclusions on Hogwarts Legacy
To get to the heart of the matter, and answer the recurring question of whether or not it is worth playing ad Hogwarts legacy, we must, inevitably, give two different assessments.
The first is aimed at players unaccustomed or indifferent to the world of Harry Potter. These, without a shadow of a doubt, will surely enjoy playing it and enjoying all the work done by this small software house. The game, it should be remembered, however, is not free from defects and these affect the final evaluation (8/10).
A completely different story is for those who love the magical world of Harry Potter. In fact, the game gives its best, often sending the enthusiast into "jujube broth". The exemplary reproduction of the magical atmosphere of the "Wizarding World" in the audio/visual marriage takes us right back to getting lost in the magic and in this beautiful dedication of Avalanche to all the skilled wizards who have always dreamed of attending and experiencing Hogwarts castle!
The vote, in this case, grows up to an enchanting 9/10.
