The release of Hogwarts Legacy is imminent. The scope of the wizarding school role-playing game in the Harry Potter universe already has us flapping our ears.

Hogwarts Legacy should already be released in 2021. Well, sentence with X – that was probably nothing. Two postponements later, however, it now seems set in stone that we will receive our Hogwarts scholarships on 10 February 2023. Albeit without a seat next to Potter, Granger, Weasley & Co., because Hogwarts Legacy tells a prequel to the Potter novels set around 1890 – in an open game world.

By now we know something about most of the nooks and crannies of the Harry Potter prequel; be it the character editor, the story, academy life, the combat system or the housing mechanics. To help you keep track of this tangled mess, we”ve made use of a very powerful compression spell.

And – Compressio! – lo and behold, here is now all the important advance knowledge about Hogwarts Legacy, in just one article.

Robes make wizards

As is so often the case in this genre, our role-playing journey begins in “plastic surgery”. In the character editor meant by this, we have at least 28 character templates at our disposal, differing in gender, skin colour and ethnicity. What they all have in common is the dark beige school uniform of a red skirt or red trousers, white shirt and dark beige trench coat.

The typical black wizard”s kilt is still missing above it here. You wouldn”t know the Hogwarts students like this, but Hogwarts Legacy is set a hundred years before the first Harry Potter novel. The five other tabs of the editor allow you to customise the heroes in the following categories:

• Name
• Skin colour
• Face Shape (based on 15 templates)
• eye colour
• Eyebrow shape and colour
• Visual aid, if any
• Hair style
• Hair colour
• Scars and other permanent features
• Eye colour
• Eyebrow colour and shape
• Voice colour (two for each gender, with voice pitch adjustable by slider)

In addition, the level of difficulty of the game is set in the character editor. This ranges from the less demanding story mode to the “hard” difficulty. Whether this then affects the enemy AI, the frequency of reset points or simply the enemy health bars, we do not yet know.

Spell Apprentices

We are not alone in the wizarding academy, of course, but meet the following teenagers at Hogwarts, among others:

Wanted? Found!

It may seem a strange notion to visit the venerable Hogwarts University in the late 19th century – long before Direx Dumbledore and Harry Potter. But that”s exactly what we do in Hogwarts Legacy, in the skin of the role-playing game”s typical “blank slate”. That is, in one respect there is something to be said for our alter ego, but we”ll get to that in a moment.

Of course, we first have to find the legendary School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, since it lies outside our plane of reality. It is unclear whether we are supposed to run our heads into a platform pillar like Harry. In a first trailer, we start by roaming the area around the Great Lake, where we discover the spiky university building thanks to our shining Lumos spell.

Wait a minute, did we just say light magic? Yes: our character, as mentioned a teenage witch or boyhood mage of maybe 15 years of age, does not arrive at the fantastic teaching institution as a complete magic noob. In fact, we even have “Old Magic” coursing through our bodies that no one really knows where it comes from. Not even our teachers.

This could also be the reason why we don”t have to bother with a floating school bag, i.e. end up at Hogwarts in our first year. No, our wizarding career begins directly in the fifth of a total of seven classes. Here, the up-and-coming wizards and witches are preparing for the “ZAGs”, i.e. the general wizarding grades.

This is what Hogwarts Legacy is all about

Now the question arises as to what is actually troubling magical Scotland in the year 1890. It should be said at the outset that the story of Hogwarts Legacy is not the work of original author J.K. Rowling. However, the developers at Avalanche Software claim to have worked closely with the Potter creator”s team to depict the “magical world” as authentically as possible.

Well, the studio”s interpretation at least doesn”t sound any more unexciting than Rowling”s stories – and on the main path, it doesn”t leave it at a single narrative thread either. On one plot level, for example, it”s about our more or less well-trained mastery of ancient magic attracting unwanted attention. Meaning the attention of not particularly amiable contemporaries – clearly.

On another level, a hefty goblin revolt is brewing in Hogsmeade, the snowy exclusive town for those who know magic. Much to the surprise of all the witches and wizards, who finally believe that the magical hominids are happy with their subordinate position.

The goblins receive support from the ranks of evil wizards and witches; the latter, incidentally, could also be these contemporaries who are interested in our special magic abilities. At least, that”s what some pictures published by Avalanche suggest. What exactly the alliance of goblins and magic fiends is up to is still a well-kept secret.

Last but not least, there is a problem with the fantastic animal creatures of the Wizarding World. They have been corrupted by a mysterious force, so that they now roam the countryside quite viciously. We can assume that they will also run in front of our wands from time to time. What lies behind the animals” change of heart is described as just as mysterious as our Old Magic. We will see whether there is perhaps a connection and whether the three story levels ultimately converge – but we strongly assume that there is.

Four magnificent houses

Beyond the villains and frothing animal creatures, there is one more difficulty for us to master: catching up on the extensive material of the skipped four classes. Of course, we don”t do that without first joining one of the four houses of Hogwarts. Potterheads already know that the living and learning communities named after their builders each attach importance to very specific characteristics. Such as:

• House Gryffindor: Home to courage, bravery and determination.
• House Hufflepuff: Stands for loyalty, justice and diligence.
• House Ravenclaw: Gathering place for the clever and the learned
• House Slytherin: Forge of ingenuity and cunning

These are differences that the houses also visually display to the outside world. In Hogwarts Legacy, the developers emphasise, special attention has been paid to their individual architecture. These are not empty words, as preview videos published in September show. We not only get to see the entrances to the respective common rooms, but also their furnishings.

Highlighting here would be the common room entrance of the Slytherin house, which actually disappears behind the writhing body of a huge stone snake – or even appears. This animation looks visually really magical. The room itself, with its grey-blue hue and church-like, stone furnishings, seems relatively cool, but its tasteful interior invites you to stay for a while.

In contrast, the passage to Gryffindor House is almost unspectacular behind a Renaissance painting. The carpeted room in 19th-century Art Nouveau style compensates with a warm, feel-good atmosphere. No less cosy is the lounge area of Ravenclaw House, which is otherwise rarely seen. Unlike its Gryffindor counterpart, however, it is decorated in mahogany and light blue tones, and stylistically it looks a bit like the Renaissance.

Finally, there is Hufflepuff. With its emphatically wooden décor interspersed with greenery, this abode can best be described as close to nature. The fresh ambience, by the way, lies behind a strange wine barrel that magically opens up from the centre to the sides. So no matter which of the competing parties we choose, each of the four accommodations is worth seeing and staying in.

Studying until you lose your mind

To ensure that we don”t linger too long after our fellow apprentices in the material, virtual Hogwarts offers us “real” lessons. This means that we mainly attend practical lessons, some of which also serve as a cover for a quest. As a rule, however, successful participation unlocks new areas of the castle and new skills. In this respect, there really is a school day in Hogwarts Legacy. The seven compulsory subjects taught there are:

• Astronomy: Takes place twice a week at midnight in the Astronomy Tower, including stargazing through binoculars.
• History of Magic: Among other things, this covers the history of Hogwarts, witch burnings and goblin revolutions.
• Herbology: Held in the greenhouses and covers raising, caring for, handling as well as using magical plants.
• Defending against the Dark Arts: Here we learn how to fight dark creatures as well as measures against curses, hexes and attack spells. Included: Magical long table duels.

• Transformation: Revolves around the change of form of objects or living beings. This includes human transformation, as seen in the Harry Potter films after drinking a polyjuice potion.
• Wizardry: We don”t like the colour or size of an object? Here we simply change such properties using our magic wand, which we learn to wave along certain patterns. Also possible: erasing memories or giving someone the ability to fly.
• Potions: Brewing potions is complex. Stir to the left or to the right? When exactly does which ingredient go into the cauldron? How are ingredients prepared? Is the brew at the right temperature? We learn this and more as herbalists.

Hogwarts, your options

As is already readily apparent, Hogwarts Legacy places a greater focus on university life. The fact that there are really no Quidditch matches in the game is surprising in light of this, though.

It”s a bit of a consolation that we can talk and make friends with our fellow students away from the classroom. Sometimes we even learn new spells from them for our repertoire, at least if we have been on first-name terms with the person in question for a while. If we manage to increase our sympathy even further, they can accompany us on our excursions through the freely explorable game world if we wish.

But we”re still not there yet! Companions are also following our heels inside the building. Which makes sense in that, according to Avalanche, the magic school can be explored much more extensively than in other games in the Potterverse. And snooping around will apparently be worth it, too, let”s take a look at the features and areas of the castle that have been confirmed (or seen) so far:

• movable rooms
• Movable platforms by magic
• larger puzzle passages with strange apparatuses
• secret passages
• secret chamber
• clock tower
• sick wing
• Great Hall
• Banned part of the library
• Kitchen with employed house elves (by the way, one of them could assist us during missions)
• decadent golden trust student bathroom
• dungeons with complex gear mechanisms

The almost overabundance of things to do and explore is made even greater by the “Room of Wishes”, which acts as a hub, so to speak. There we can brew our own potions and grow herbs.

In the course of the game, the room fills up with further objects and equipment; for example, we gain access to vivariums, with the help of which we can nurse back animals that have been freed from traps. And if all these activities are not enough, you can at least play a game of hide and seek with Hogwarts” poltergeist Peeves and build your very own house in the backyard. This, like the Room of Requirement, can supposedly be completely adapted to one”s own needs. Exactly what that will look like remains to be seen.

Multiple endings?
Friends, teachers and other NPCs provide us with all kinds of quests, such as protecting innocent people from a nasty troll. Completing these quests earns us skill points, which we can then invest in abilities that suit our play style. For example, we can strengthen our spells or increase the effectiveness of home-brewed potions.

Hogwarts Legacy does not have a morality system, but our decisions do have consequences. Game Director Alan Tews said: “Different interactions with different characters can also lead to different choices for the players, which in turn can affect things in the entire adventure, some of which affect the lives of the characters and the end of the game.

While Tews” statement suggests multiple game endings, a leaked trophy list only hints at one ending. It is conceivable that possible alternative endings only differ from each other in minor details, so that it would boil down to one and the same trophy.

Behind the Forbidden Forest

It looks like the university building alone has the potential to chronically overcrowd our to-do list. Maybe that”s why the watering hole is in Hogsmeade: to get our foot out the door.

Speaking of which, Hogsmeade has several ingredient shops for us, as well as clothing shops where we can change our appearance. Little is known about what else lies beyond the walls of Hogwarts at the moment.

It is certain that we will “stumble” across all kinds of monsters (even dragons!) and scattered settlements as the dynamic day and seasons change. There we also find small shops that offer helpful crafting materials, for example. In addition, one or two quests will drop for us during our visits. Apart from that, we will have to make do with what the developers noted during an interview: According to this, we will learn what lies behind the Forbidden Forest and the Great Lake – aha.

At least Avalanche recently showed interesting moving images on the subject of mounts. We already know that we can explore the Wizarding World in flight (on a broom or on the back of a hippogriff). In the new video, however, the player character also conjured a large, horned mount from his pouch in order to run over a group of dark creatures with it. I wonder if there is a creature in the fabled pouch for the journey to water?

From “Accio” to “Wingardium Leviosa “

Among the best documented at this point is Hogwarts Legacy”s action-packed real-time combat system. By April, nearly 20 spells had already been confirmed, including the forbidden death curse “Avada Kedavra” (causes instant death), “Descendo”, which smashes opponents and objects to the ground, and “Petrificus Totalus”, a spell to paralyse the target.

Our witch or wizard can be equipped with a total of 16 spells. Of these, the standard attack and four other spells can be called up via the quick bar. All magical attacks can be combined with each other in a flowing manner, whereby a fight is by no means limited to hurling enemies through the air and grilling them with a fire spell.

The colouring of the magic shields, which refer to the spells in our quick bar, plays an important role here. Accordingly, if a spell marked with the colour red hits a red shield, not much happens. Instead, it must first be broken through by means of a special spell before the opponent can be defeated, for example, with the standard attack.

Furthermore, in addition to regular dodges, we can also use counterattacks that stun the target and redirect spells. In addition, it is important to sound out the right attacks for the right opponents. In the same way, we can turn an encounter in our favour by growing a stone skin via a defensive potion, or keep the attacker at a distance with the help of a screeching mandrake. Occasionally, however, there will also be the classic wand duels with colliding magic beams. Tug-of-war for magic experts? Let”s be surprised.

Positive surprises, by the way, are what you could still wish for from Hogwarts Legacy, as we say with a view to a Quidditch DLC. Broomstick League already showed three years ago that the exotic sport can be implemented well. Even if only for a short time, because the developers of Virtual Basement lacked the expensive Harry Potter licence. Hogwarts Legacy, on the other hand, has it – and whoever says Hogwarts should also say Quidditch.