Worth: $14.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Intro:
… an affable, if not particularly original, open world adventure …
For people of a certain age, the Harry Potter universe – the so-called Wizarding World – can mean a legion of things, positive and negative. There’s the huge cultural impact of the books and movies, the mere mention of which seems to make children and millennials curl up and purr like a basket of kittens. There’s the controversial statements from the author of the series JK Rowling that has made the story of a boy wizard and his adventures at magic school the latest unlikely staging ground of the forever culture wars. And now, to add to the sturm and drang, the open world video game Hogwarts Legacy has entered the chat. So, how is it?
Eh. It’s pretty good, although your mileage may vary depending on your history with the series.
Hogwarts Legacy puts players in the role of a self-named and generated character who is a fifth year student at Hogwarts. Before the witch or wizard even arrives at the iconic school, they’re embroiled in a conspiracy involving ancient magic, evil dragons and narky goblins. The game itself is an open world caper in which you’ll divide yourself between investigating the overarching story and living the life of a student, going to class, forming friendships and punching cones with the house elves. Alright, you don’t actually do that last one, but it feels like a missed opportunity.
Okay, here’s the thing. Your humble word janitor is a rapidly ageing Gen-Xer who grew up reading Stephen King and Guy N. Smith. If you’re like us (or within cooee of that age bracket), you’ll likely have the same slightly baffled reaction to the ubiquitous popularity of Harry Potter. Further, you’ll probably find the Hogwarts Legacy experience pleasant, affable and perhaps a touch bland, like the IP in general. It’s a solid, inoffensive outing with decent mechanics and a strong sense of place. If, however, you’ve spent your young life fantasising about being a Hogwarts student, if you have vehement (and prolific) opinions about which house you’d be part of, and if you’ve made extensive plans about the various spells you’d like to have shooting out of your wand, then Hogwarts Legacy is likely to be the Wizarding World game you’ve been waiting for all these years.
If you’re a member of the Harry Potter faithful and can inure yourself to the capital D Discourse currently doing the rounds on social media, Hogwarts Legacy is an affable, if not particularly original, open world adventure set in a beloved fictitious school that captured the hearts and minds of so many. If you’re a more casual fan? You’ll probably find more engaging worlds – with less baggage attached – to explore elsewhere.
