I had high hopes that Hogwarts Legacy would be the RPG we always needed, as its setting is one that I wish I could have explored since I was child. My hopes were not dashed, as the game fully encompasses the beauty and enchantment of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as well as the grounds around it. The Wizarding World is full of mystery, danger, sadness, curiosity, joy–but most importantly–hope, with the developers at Avalanche Software grasping these concepts and bringing the players right into the experience of this magical world.
It’s the 1800s and our protagonist, a late starting fifth year Hogwarts student, just so happens to be a very special witch/wizard. This student has the power to see an ancient magic and manipulate it to their advantage. Our pupil must uncover the reason for the resurgence of this magic, along with taking down those who are trying to harness it.

To start the game, players must choose their character in the typical RPG fashion–choosing preset or designing a character from scratch. Customization options are decent, although I would have liked to have seen more hairstyle options. In general, customizations in Hogwarts Legacy is on par. Transmogrifying can be done to all pieces of clothing right from the get-go, making customizing gear fast, and east. It also doesn’t include some random quests to unlock, or need in-game items to transmogrify.

When finally being allowed to explore the Hogwarts school, I was amazed at how well the studio mapped the castle out. It features areas people have likely seen in the movies, like the Dining Hall (floating candles and all), the Grand disappearing spiral staircase, the Room of Requirement, and many more. However, unlike the movies or books, you get to explore these zones. I found myself getting sucked into the exploration of the castle early on, not even noticing that the map included so much more than just Hogwarts.
The Forbidden Forest, Hogsmead, and Diagon Alley are the bigger named locations I’ve traversed, but the massive amount of space this game has to explore is incredible. The best part? This doesn’t translate to vast amounts of empty space, it’s full of opportunity. There is always a quest, a side quest, a challenge, a trial–the list seems endless. Be it to further my character’s powers or to help the townspeople and my fellow students for that sweet XP. Aside from that, I’ve never felt the pang of tediousness I sometimes get when playing other RPGs.
It also helps that the world itself is visually stunning. The Hogwarts castle is beautifully detailed on the inside, and out. Moving and talking pictures litter the walls, making for an interesting time while walking down hallways. Statues, fountains, and Knights are posted up throughout, with the Knights sometimes coming to life–moving and humming in their suits. The striking differences between sections of the castle, like marbled floors of The Great Hall in comparison to the fields of Flying Class.
The same could be said for the rest of the map. The Forbidden Forest has a dark, menacing presence, with the trees and foliage looking spooky. Hogsmead is filled with lively townsfolk and interestingly designed buildings. Smaller villages that surround these bigger areas are lush with greenery, waterways of all sorts, and tiny houses that would put any code enforcement officer into cardiac arrest. The only issues I’ve had graphically, are the occasional white flashes from lighting. I was running the game on Performance mode (PS5), as I simply didn’t want to take the hit to my frames by using either Fidelity or Fidelity with Raytracing.
However, frame drop still happens from time to time while in Performance, but it’s not enough to effect the gameplay. Surprisingly, frame loss during combat isn’t a problem, even when considering the amount of action happening during encounters with enemies.
Spells are the main source of combat power in Hogwarts Legacy, and casting them is only part of the fun. Combat flows so easily, and with the variety of spells every conflict can be uniquely handled. Dodging and parrying can be done from the beginning (always an added bonus), with the ancient magic wielded by the character being an extremely helpful tool when an extra punch is needed. There are also items like potions and magical plants, like the Mandrake root, which makes the most horrible screeching sound against its foes.
It should also be noted that enemies typically have weaknesses to certain spells, throwing in a bit of strategic maneuvering when it comes to dispatching foes. There is also an element of stealth, as there is a specific spell that allows the character to go transparent. Combat has never felt like a chore, and this is a key point I haven’t been able to apply to other recent games I’ve played.
My biggest complaint about Hogwarts Legacy..the UI. It’s frustrating to deal with, to say the least. There are a number of examples, but here are just a couple to mention: no “select all” buttons–for anything–gear must be destroyed separately and sold separately and there is no distinguishing how many items are being carried vs. how many can held by just picking up another item. The Field Guide map is another sore spot for me, as it requires so much switching between the world map, Hogsmead’s map, and Hogwarts map.
Other than some much needed quality-of-life updates, this game is the breath of fresh air I needed.
Hogwarts Legacy has so much packed into, with an decent story, great graphics, and mechanics that are so graceful. If it wasn’t for the fact that I don’t want to spoil large portions of the game for players, there is so much more that could be said in regards to gameplay, mechanics, and exploration. However, this is one top-tier game and I couldn’t recommend it enough–especially for those who are RPG fans.
Being able to step into the Wizarding World and explore, wand in hand, is a gaming experience I will not forget, and will likely revisit.