The long wait for Hogwarts Legacy gameplay is officially over. During a special State of Play livestream, nearly 15 minutes of extended gameplay was showcased.
Hogwarts Legacy will allow players to step into the Wizarding Wizard as their own created character. You’ll play as a fifth year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Within the walls of the iconic school you’ll learn spells in class, brew all kinds of potions, duel fellow classmates and uncover the many hidden secrets and passageways of the castle.
The game is set well before Harry Potter walked the halls of Hogwarts, and takes place in the late 1800s. While the gameplay demo didn’t delve into the real meat of the story, it was explained that the main plot will revolve around a goblin rebellion led by a goblin named Ranrok. It was also confirmed that the goblins have formed an alliance with a group of dark wizards; probably safe to assume they have an ulterior motive.
The gameplay demo also revealed that Hogwarts Legacy will offer players plenty of ways to develop the skills of their witch and wizard. The game features a talent system that allows key attributes to be upgraded and new skills unlocked. One ability showcased was the power to turn invisible which is useful for taking down enemies via stealth.
The famous Room of Requirement also appears to be central to the game. Players will be able to use the room as a sort of secret base. Here you can develop your wizarding talents, grow special plants that have multiple uses, concoct useful potions and upgrade your gear. You’ll also have access to a menagerie where you can tame and care for fantastic beasts — this rural space is fully customizable as well.
Alongside the extended gameplay trailer, a PlayStation Blog article has been posted which includes further insight from the development team at Avalanche Software. In particular, this blog post highlights the game’s massive open-world that looks ripe for exploration.
The game doesn’t begin and end at the wizarding school. Hogwarts Legacy will stretch beyond the castle with locations such as Hogsmead, the Forbidden Forest and the Black Lake all housing secrets of their own. The surrounding Scottish Highlands are also explorable, and the countryside is dotted with unique wizarding hamlets to visit.
The blog post also promises that Hogwarts Legacy will offer a rich combat experience. There will be multiple difficulty levels catering to gamers who just want to enjoy the story as well as players who want a tough challenge. Although, don’t expect Elden Ring levels of difficulty even on the hardest setting.
If further confirmation was needed, this article also reiterates that Hogwarts Legacy is a single-player action RPG. While it will be possible to have computer-controlled companions join you on your adventure, the game doesn’t appear to have any form of multiplayer or online component. This is one for the solo players.
Between the extended gameplay demo and this meaty blog post, we now know an awful lot more about Hogwarts Legacy than we did just hours ago. Of course, one key piece of information is still missing: a release date.
Unfortunately, the gameplay presentation didn't offer a firm release date, but it was announced that Hogwarts Legacy is scheduled to launch in holiday 2022 — which roughly translates as sometime between October and December.
