Several weeks ago, Warner Bros. Interactive surprised the gaming community when it announcedHogwarts Legacy, which isthe long-rumored RPG game set in the Wizarding World ofHarry Potter. Given that the game was just announced, there are still tons of information that players know nothing about, but based on what was shown in the debut trailer, it appears thatHogwarts Legacyis shaping to be the dream game ofHarry Potterfans.
Now, several days ago, a video of an alleged gameplay leak surfaced on YouTube, but the quality of the footage isn’t really that great. Of course, leaks in the video game community are not surprising especially with highly-anticipated games likeHogwarts Legacy. However, as players wait for an official gameplay trailer, here are some elements of gameplay that players should expect to see based on everything that has been revealed so far aboutHogwarts Legacy.
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A Full-Fledged RPG Experience
Now, of course, a full-fledged RPG experience may be too obvious, given thatHogwarts Legacyis being marketed as an RPG. However, it is worth noting that the mobile gameHarry Potter: Hogwarts Mysterywas also marketed the same way, which led to disappointment among fans who were expecting a deeper experience. Now, given that the trailer of the game showed thatHogwarts Legacywill be different fromHogwarts Mystery, then players should expect a true RPG experience that is much closer to theHarry Pottergames based on the movies rather than the 2018 mobile game.
It is also worth remembering thatHogwarts Legacyis an open-world RPG, so while it may be closer to theHarry Pottervideo games thatHogwarts Mystery, the upcoming game will differ from the movie-based games in a big way. Given thatHogwarts Legacyis set in the late 1800sand is not based in any existing story within the Wizarding World, the upcoming game is expected to offer a bigger experience than just following the events of theHarry Potterbooks and movies, allowing players to freely explore Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and other areas.
A Seamless and Authentic Combat Experience
IfHogwarts Legacywill truly live up to the full-RPG label, then its combat system should reflect just that. In theHarry Pottervideo games, combat is pretty much limited to players clicking on a mouse or a button of a controller to cast spells. Several spells can be selected via a spell wheel, and that’s pretty much it. However, ifHogwarts Legacyis aiming to stand out from theHarry Pottervideo game franchise, then it should offer a more complex combat systemsimilar to other RPG gamessuch asThe Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age,and more.
Instead of just pressing a button to cast spells,Hogwarts Legacyshould include traditional skill trees, attribute points, and more to hone their magical abilities. Although there are no separate races in the Wizarding World,the game should still include specializationsthat would give each player a unique ability in combat. While no one knows how Warner Bros. will approach the possibility of specializations, it wouldn’t be unlikely to see paths such as Herbology, The Dark Arts, Potions, and many others.
Better Interaction with Non-Playable Characters
Another trademark of a true RPG game that players should expect to see inHogwarts Legacyis a deeper interaction with the game’s NPCs. As previously mentioned,Hogwarts Legacyisn’t based on the books or the movies, so the developers have every opportunity to bring the story of the game wherever they want. Of course, players should expect to see choices being an important feature that drives the game’s story. It would be nice to see several dialogue options where players must choose the best response that could have rewards or consequences later in the story. Additionally, designingHogwarts Legacywith player choices at the forefront would allow fans to weave their own perspective in the Wizarding World, making them feel that they are truly in control of their destiny.
Hogwarts Legacywill release in 2021 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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