The detail of the world is what’s driving me forward here, even if I can already tell there are probably going to be games with better storylines and combat systems. I am eager to explore more of the castle and of the surrounding area, which I’ve barely touched so far. But again, so far this game feels a bit on the rails from a narrative perspective, where the only meaningful choice I’ve been presented in any capacity so far is which friend to take to Hogsmeade. The interactions aren’t Horizon Forbidden West level, but they’re solid enough. The voicework is good, and I think they’ve done a good job with the NPCs, particularly my new best friend Natty, a Gryffindor from Uganda. I’m getting “Cyberpunk 2077 lifepath” vibes so far. I can’t say for sure just yet, but I’m guessing a Slytherin playthrough will not look meaningfully different than a Ravenclaw playthrough which will not look meaningfully different than a Hufflepuff playthrough, outside of some surface difference like the location and style of your dorm. It also seems like every side quest I’ve gotten would be also be given out if I was in any other house. So far, my character seems set on a very specific path with little room for deviation. But this is another element of the game that feels like it’s going to prove to be a little light, the RPG concept. She also accidentally looks like my younger cousin, I realized, once I exited the creator (hi Elisabeth!). I like my character, a Slytherin who I have tried to make nice and not evil. Though again, early hours, and perhaps more complexity is added in time.

Most magic systems in most other games I’ve played, Elder Scrolls, Elden Ring, The Witcher, all seem a bit more fleshed-out than what we’re seeing here. I do understand the complaints of “Forspoken has better magic combat better than this!!” and I mean yeah, it does. The spellcasting combo animations are nice, but actual combat feels a bite rote. A good chunk of it is this weird type-matching minigame where your fire spell breaks red shields, your levitation spells breaks yellow shields, your summoning spell breaks blue shields and so on. I have not been all that in love with the combat system so far, which seems a little vanilla, even as I’ve learned more combat spells over time.

Is hogwarts legacy online