Hogwarts Legacy: 5 Best Features (March 2022)

Avalanche Software put on quite the show last night with its official Hogwarts Legacy State of Play event. With 20 minutes of gameplay footage and a deeper look at the slew of genres the upcoming game will envelope, fans have taken to social media to express their views. And boy, the comments are anything but disappointing.

When all's said and done, Warner Bros. has been struggling to craft a quality Harry Potter game for twenty years now. Other than a solid PlayStation One game from well over a decade ago, the series hasn't really landed all that well on the gaming front. But with that said, Hogwarts Legacy is shaping up to be the wizarding game to end all games. And after yesterday's showcase, we're starting to believe it. But is it GOTY material? Well, putting these five features forward, it's not exactly off the table.

5. Beyond Hogwarts

Hogwarts Legacy will be an open world game. This is something we've known about for quite some time now. And that's a huge step in the right direction for Avalanche, as every game that has come before it has stuck to the uninspired playground structure like glue. However, things will fortunately shift gears later this year, with not only Hogwarts opening its doors to root around in—but the whole of the wizarding world.

The fact that you can learn to fly on your broomstick and travel the world between classes is an award-winning feature in itself. Whether it's going for a pint of Butterbeer in Hogsmead or uncovering one of the many secrets that lay in wait beneath the school grounds—Hogwarts Legacy gives you all of J.K. Rowling's wildest creations to spool through at will. Of course, this alone is enough to convince a few million die-hard Potter fans to cast their ballot papers come voting day.

4. Room of Requirement

A hefty feature that stunned a huge number of streamers at State of Play was the customization. Specifically, the Room of Requirement, which is built to act as a central hub for your exploits through Hogwarts. Not only is it forged to provide your character with all the necessary tools and materials to further advance your skill set, but also stand as a fully-customizable staging ground to do with as you please.

What this means, of course, is that players can kit out their own plot of land, which crams into the unpredictable yet unmistakably convenient Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. As a fifth year student looking to catch up on studies, this basically means anything and everything is at your disposal, leaving you to craft whatever it is your heart desires.

3. Elden Wand?

It's hard to ignore the amount of combat that was shown during the State of Play event last night. But it was a welcome addition to the presentation nonetheless, as Avalanche had clearly gone through all the necessary hoops to develop a system that would make hardcore Potter fans head over heels in love with it. And to be fair, parts of what was shown did sit on a line pretty close to Elden Ring's combat.

Of course, we can't confirm something from a short gameplay video, meaning we'll have to put a pin in it for the time being. Though, from what we've seen so far, it's evident Hogwarts Legacy will feature plenty of riveting action sequences—all of which will incorporate mind-boggling spells, tactics, and companions. As for the creatures and opponents that will sprout up during the adventure, the gameplay snippet did go on to reveal a pretty wide variety, meaning no two battles will ever be the same. Or, at least that's what we've been able to make of it.

2. Dungeons & Secrets

Beneath the safety net of Hogwarts's supposedly impenetrable castle walls idles a cloak of secrets. Secrets that, with a whole lot of intuition, can be unearthed and explored. And the best part is, side quests can be completed with a companion. Depending on who you build relationships with beforehand, you will have the ability to recruit from a wheel of friends to assist you in your shenanigans. Or, you know—you can just do them alone.

Hogwarts Legacy will be sure to keep you second-guessing as you turn over every stone and grain. Boasting mounds of explorable buildings, dungeons, and caves, the game will give you far more to see than an old broom cupboard under the stairs, that's for sure. Plus, going by what Avalanche has already teased, I think we can all go ahead and expect one of the biggest wizarding worlds known to the role-playing genre. No pressure or anything, Avalanche.

1. It's not Harry Potter

To be fair, the fact Hogwarts Legacy has been able to find its own two feet without the assistance of any familiar faces is an achievement in itself. Without Harry, Ron, and Hermione present to sail the ship into port, Avalanche has definitely taken a risk, not knowing whether setting the game outside of the Harry Potter world will even pay off or not. And yet, despite the lack of movie and book references, there's still that, I don't know—magic. And it is lighting up the room, even without a familiar Patronus in sight.

Other than a few ghosts (good evening, Sir Nicholas), Hogwarts Legacy will have next to nothing in common with the Harry Potter timeline. That's good news, when you think about it. It means no amount of prior knowledge will serve you any good when enrolling in 1800s Hogwarts. It's a whole new experience to enjoy, and we, being just a few people, can't wait to see it as fresh-faced pupils.

Hogwarts Legacy will release this Holiday 2022 on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.

So, what's your take? Do you agree with our top five? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.

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