Game: Hogwarts Legacy
Genre: RPG
System: Nintendo Switch (also available on Steam, (Windows) PS4 & PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
Developers | Publishers: Avalanche Software | WB Games, Portkey Games
Age Rating: US T | EU 12+
Price: US $59.99 | UK £49.99 | EU €59,99
Release Date: November 14th, 2023
No review code was used, I purchased the game myself.
Hogwarts Legacy lets you experience what it is like to be a wizard in an open-world environment. You may have even played the now-defunct Harry Potter Wizards Unite mobile game, read books, and watched the movies; then, you will be familiar with some of the game’s environments.
Since its initial release in February 2023, Hogwarts Legacy has sold over 15 million copies. Now, it’s the turn of the Nintendo Switch to host this massive RPG.
Though Hogwarts Legacy is set in the Harry Potter universe, the game takes place a century before Harry’s birth. Furthermore, Hogwarts Legacy does not feature any familiar faces from the Harry Potter novels, though you might hear some names that sound very familiar. Nor does Quidditch make an appearance, though you can fly a broom, so that’s a bonus.
Hogwarts Legacy
When you begin, you are asked to customise your character; there are numerous hairstyles, faces, and eye colours, and you can even choose how their voice sounds. I probably spent too long getting my character just right. In fact, I didn’t like the female character’s voice in the end, and I switched to playing a male as the voice acting is easier for the ears to listen to. So Henry Smith was born and took his first steps into this magical world.
You take on the role of a new student joining the school to learn the mystical arts. For reasons unknown, you have an unusual start to your studies, starting education as a fifth-year student and being admitted late to school. Oh, and you also happen to be able to wield powerful, ancient magic that no one else can.
Professor Fig arrives to provide private tutoring to get you up to speed. These tutoring sessions turn dark when a wild dragon attacks your horseless flying carriage. Then, a Portkey teleports you and the Professor to Gringott Bank, where the story of hidden ancient magic begins.
Arriving at Hogwarts
Later, after arriving at Hogwarts as a senior, the first order of business is to meet the sorting hat and find out which house you belong in. After a couple of questions, the hat had made up its mind, and I ended up in Gryffindor.
However, if the sorting hat gives you a house you don’t like, you can change to one of your choosing. Hogwarts Legacy isn’t about to force anyone to be a Slytherin if they’d rather be in Hufflepuff.
Meeting Professor Fig again, you are told you must find out what an evil goblin named Ranrok and his mate, the dark wizard Rookwood, are up to. Meanwhile, as you piece together evidence with Professor Fig, you are tasked with completing lessons and learning useful spells.
Spending time in Hogwarts, you’ll make friends with a group of NPC characters whose lives may be surprisingly intertwined with Ranrok and Rookwood.
Play it Your Way
After spending many hours with the game, I found Hogwarts is a play-it-your-way kind of game. Basically, you can do what you like like following storyline quests to get through the story. Suppose you like to explore and collect everything, you can do that. Additionally, if you want to fly around on your broom, beating up goblins and spiders, go for it. Or become a beastmaster by catching Hippogriffs and more.
You will have choices to make during the storylines portions of the game. Some of the choices you make are significant, but the majority of them are just there for flavour. For example, Professor Fig asks you to keep a secret early on, and other students will attempt to get it out of you throughout the game.
I was often given this choice when talking to other students. But I kept it to myself. However, later, when the story demanded, my character blurted it out anyway. Even when I spoke out loud like an idiot and talked to my Switch, thinking he would hear me say, No, don’t tell him, Henry blabbed anyway.
Combat AKA Magic
As you progress, you’ll learn and perfect spells as you uncover the mystery behind the ancient magic that only you can wield. Furthermore, your choices shape your character, such as deciding whether or not you want to learn the dark arts.
Casting spells quickly becomes second nature. Swinging your wand about using intricate spellwork with lightning-fast responses. The combination of dodge, parries, and magic results in a seamless, satisfying flow to the combat.
With over thirty spells to learn, alongside more advanced actions such as the parries and combos, it can be a little overwhelming at first, but once mastered, the combat is excellent.
For instance, using magic, you can pull an enemy in towards you with Accio and set them on fire with Incendio. The game offers several methods of approaching fights, making for a fun combat system that meets and will meet any player’s needs.
Offensive and Defensive Stats
Instead of armour, as it wouldn’t suit the world, your school clothes have offensive and defensive stats. By changing your clothes, such as cloaks, outfits, scarves, glasses, and hats, you can increase your stats or set your cosmetic look to whatever you want and sell the rest; the choice is yours.
The huge map provides a ton of content to complete off the main path. There is a phenomenal amount to do between completing main quests to side quests and Assignments. Many of these missions will be automatically given to you, but side quests must be found by talking to NPCs, while many Assignments are optional. Some side quests are the fetch and bring back an item kind, and others are combat-oriented.
What’s this…..Home Decorating?
I was well over 20 hours into Hogwarts Legacy before the game revealed that, as well as being an expansive RPG with skill trees, wizard combat, potion crafting, environmental puzzles, and loads of quests, it’s also a home-decorating game. You are given your room after a certain point in the storyline. In the room, you can add furniture, potion tables and more. It was a surprise finding out that I had my own room, after so many hours of gameplay.
Visuals and Music
Visually, Hogwarts Legacy looks pretty good on the Nintendo Switch, much better than I thought it would. Some environments in the game do look smoother than others, but it runs well, with only the occasional framerate dip.
To fit Hogwarts Legacy onto the Switch, the developers, Avalanche, had to remove some background items and scenery. However, if you haven’t played the game on other more powerful formats, such as PC or PS5, you aren’t going to notice any difference in the environments. I’m amazed that the developers managed to fit Hogwarts Legacy onto the Switch and make the game run.
The NPC’s facial expressions look realistic for the most part, though every character’s hair is a real letdown. Their hair doesn’t look realistic at all and is jagged and spiky in appearance.
Each area in Hogwarts Legacy has its theme music, with new pieces of music that fit into the world like they are meant to be there. I also heard some classical music that everyone knows and loves.
The Nintendo Switch version of Hogwarts Legacy lacks one major feature, as this game isn’t a fully open world. Multiple loading screens between areas exist, and some take quite a few seconds to load. However, the loading screens did not greatly interrupt my gameplay enjoyment. I think the loading screens are added to the Switch version due to the limitations of the Switch compared to other consoles.
Nintendo Switch Controls
The controls on the Nintendo Switch work very well. They feel intuitive, and casting spells works like a dream.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the menus, which feel sluggish to use and explore.
For example, you are given a guidebook after house sorting that helps you keep track of challenges, quests, a map, traits, skill trees, and more. So you are constantly popping into the menu to check your progress or to find out what the next quest is. Considering the menu is used a lot, it makes for some tedious scrolling and could have been streamlined much better.
Conclusion
Overall, if you are a keen fan of the Harry Potter universe, you will likely enjoy Hogwarts Legecy on the Nintendo Switch. What I like the most is walking around Hogwarts, watching students and seeing the talking, moving pictures and bumping into ghosts. As you pass by, some NPCs will throw a couple of phrases in your direction or play a piece of music; this makes the world feel alive.
It’s a huge world with more to offer as you go. It also shows how much effort, dedication and passion Avalanche Software put into the game. Hogwarts Legacy is a labour of love in every detail.
Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot 
Are you looking for some help with the game, you can find our Hogwarts Legacy Hints and Tips Guide here.