Summary
The huge sales and critical acclaim that welcomedHogwarts Legacywhen it released would indicate that a follow-up is likely, potentially meaning that developer Avalanche Software has a successful, long-standing franchise on its hands. Any future games have a lot to live up to, but also much to improve, with the first being plagued with performance issues and a largely unspectacular story, but wrapped in a world that is perfect forthe RPG genre.
Even amidst a plethora of other fantastic games in what is shaping up to be an exceptional year for gaming,Hogwarts Legacywill be remembered as time goes on. One of the reasons for this is because it brings the best adaptation of the wizarding world to the gaming medium to date, and as fans have been asking for something of this magnitude for decades, it can be forgiven for some of its shortcomings. The lore is sufficiently documented in the game’s field guide, and while it has already been used in the first game, the sequel can’t abandon the formula.
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Hogwarts Legacy’s Field Guide is Practical, and Fuels Progress
The field guide inHogwarts Legacymakes a lot of sense, not just when it comes to progression, but it fits snugly into the narrative, also. Being a new student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry means that the player character has a lot to catch up on, and having one concise tool they can use to learn and document their findings as they explore the beautiful open world is a wise inclusion. It’s not a unique gameplay mechanic, however, as a lot of RPGs have some kind of compendium to achieve the same thing.
Should aHogwarts Legacysequeldecide to follow the same protagonist as the first game, it would make sense to bring the field guide back. It’s their eyes and ears, and if the game includes more places to visit and enemies to overcome, players have somewhere to document the additions, showing how much the sequel has improved on the last.Hogwarts Legacy’s field guide is not only useful to give more context into the setting, world, and characters, but finding its pages can allow the player to feel a sense of achievement by simply exploring and stumbling across new areas and places of interest.
Lore is Essential at Hogwarts
Withoutthe lore ofHarry Potterto reinforce it,Hogwarts Legacywould be largely reduced to something of a cookie-cutter action RPG. It’s the relationship with the license it falls under that makes the experience a worthwhile one. Perusing the books in the library’s restricted section and stopping by the herbology classrooms is a chance to appreciate the locations from the books and films at the player’s leisure.
The field guide is also the vessel to reachHogwarts Legacy’s true ending; while that presents its own problems, tying the collectible aspect of the game to the story isn’t a bad idea, and one that should be developed on rather than discarded.Hogwarts Legacyshines brightest when it puts the world at the forefront, frequently givingHarry Potterfans something to love while also doing well to preserve a sense of history and originality that can welcome new players. The field guide is an essential tool for progression, and the most obvious justification for the wonderful world-building in Avalanche Software’s magnum opus. It could be a costly mistake to omit it in the follow-up.
Hogwarts Legacyis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with a Switch release scheduled for June 25, 2025.
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