Hogwarts Legacy

Hogwarts Legacy is a sometimes unremarkable open world game that’s severely uplifted by its dedication to the best parts of the source material. It’s one of the most atmospheric IP-based games I’ve ever played, which makes it all the stranger that a lot of the mechanical foundation feels like it’s from the late 2000s.

Hogwarts Legacy is filled with so many mechanics that nothing feels arbitrary, with so much joy to be found within its story and spell books.

In nearly every way, Hogwarts Legacy is the Harry Potter RPG I’ve always wanted to play. Its open-world adventure captures all the excitement and wonder of the Wizarding World with its memorable new characters, challenging and nuanced combat, and a wonderfully executed Hogwarts student fantasy that kept me glued to my controller for dozens of hours.

Hogwarts Legacy starts to feel like countless open-world games of the past decade once you have been playing it for more than 15 hours. However, you get to ride a Hippogriff. It’s those magical moments and the setting that rescue it from mediocrity, but only if the Wizarding World still has you under its spell.

With its stunning recreation of beloved Harry Potter landmarks and thrilling combat, Hogwarts Legacy definitely has its moments. Sadly, it tries to do too much all at once, and never quite settles into a comfortable rhythm, or leverages the player experience against the established laws of the wizarding world.