Honestly, I wanted this game to be about the Hogwarts experience: taking classes, living the life of a Hogwarts student, kind of like Rockstar’s “Bully” with maybe Sims elements. Instead, they went for an RPG without any meaningful choices and with very limited replayability. The students in Hogwarts don’t even have routines and the school is virtually empty at night: no one sleeps in their beds. Very immersion-breaking if you ask me. Hogwarts Legacy is a solid game. They captured the aesthetics perfectly and the castle is marvelously crafted. You can see a lot of love went into it. Combat is also great. But the story and gameplay… meh. A lot of wasted potential, if you ask me.
Exactly this. The potential to essentially be wizards Bully was so elite. I enjoyed the game but it felt more in the Assassin creed style RPG grind rather than being at school 😂
My son just pointed out to me that Sebastian teaches you more spells than any of the professors😂 5 total! Weasley teaches you 4, Hecat 3. Ronen, Garlick, Sharp, Kogawa, Fig teach 2, Onai and Moon and Howen 1, and Shah doesn't teach any at all.😅
My biggest disappointment is how the open world approach diluted the whole experience which meant that exploring the castle (which i think is what most people were excited about) was not nearly as mysterious or rewarding. I was just spamming revelio instead of organically stumbling onto neat little secrets and puzzles that would have given the castle a greater presence. I would have preferred something akin to Arkham Asylum or City. A moderate open world instead of a massive one, with the tradeoff of being more dense and detailed with far less repetitive mundane xp farming tasks.
I was hoping an they would of taken a little inspiration from “Bully” and made it so you had a reason to go to class outside of a cutscene maybe some mini games
As it’s their first try at it I’d say that they really knocked it out of the park with their execution. The only problem I had was the repetitiveness of the caves.
@@lildominator2953they should have made hogwarts like ten times bigger and had things to actually interact with. Way more locations.....Also, the cut scenes with the keepers and Isadora were so well done that I wish there were way better cutscenes throughout Hogwarts itself with the students and teachers. We need way more involvement with the students and not have the NPC'S seem lifeless. Way more voice actors with actual care in the lines of dialogue. The broom flying should have been way faster and more fluid. The rewards and collectibles should've been more engaging. Hogwarts felt like it drank unicorn blood with the fact that it never fully lived up to the potential that we all thought it would because for the most part, it is lifeless solace and needed more elements included into the game to make it replayable and engaging. The Greathall during the day is embarrassingly bad. They make Hogwarts seem so small.
i disagree strongly -- i fealt so claustrophobic in the castle it was a relief to leave it - the castle was labarynthine and i was always lost and disorientated in it, and needed breaks from going round and round in it tryin to find stuff.
What was Fig even mentoring you on? You get to hogwarts as a 5th year and they review and teach you year 1-2 level spells. You practice and then everyone tells you you’re amazing for doing a spell they’ve lore wise known for 4 years…
@@djlemonbalmI agree but I still loved it for a first try on open world Hogwarts. I think when Hogwarts legacy 2 comes out they will probably hash out some of the problems of this one. Don’t get me wrong it’s not a perfect game by any means but I’m such a Harry Potter fan that I can’t help just enjoying world and combat
2:37:00 Can we also talk about HOW RIDICULOUS is to give you gear spots in Harry Potter? Hermione had a tiny bag that could carry an unlimited amount of things. It shouldn't be too hard to cast that same spell for a 5th year student.
Since it’s the developers first attempt at it. I’d say they did a really good job in this game. Since a sequel has been confirmed I hope they build upon what made the game so special and improve upon its weak points. I’ve played through all of the houses and enjoyed myself the whole time so believe they deserve a 9/10 rating.
Oh damn, a sequel's coming? I adored the game until I got my hands on bg3 which just blew legacy out of the water completely for me unfortunately. Hope they take a page out of Larian's books for legacy 2 story wise
@@lifeunderthestarstvI mean, he just gave a constructive criticism and even gave credit where credit is due. the sequel has the potential to be great because HL is already a great foundation to start with, we’ll see if the developer are up for the challenge.
Unforgivable curses are bullshit in an action-game. You can set goblins on fire, transfigurate them into bombs and explode them, but a single one second killing curse is BAAAAAD. Come on… It’s also the same with poachers capturing and using beasts for their goods is BAAAAAD, but if you do the same it’s suddenly good. Morality just doesn’t work in Hogwarts Legacy.
To be fair, the unforgiveable curses have never made much sense. Controlling somebody's mind, sends you to Azkaban, but conjuring a 10-story tall fire snake or throwing somebody off a cliff with wingardium leviosa is just a slap on the wrist
@@passionoflovers right people in the Harry Potter franchise defeat enemies and potentially kill them with spells all the time but the the moment you save another with an unforgivable you're a villain I mean come on 😂
Transfiguration can only transform someone to a harmless object for a brief moment but we improvised by making it transform people into an explosive barrels
The open world felt so unnecessary. I would've liked a larger castle and its grounds and then at most a smaller scale open world with the Haunted Forest and Hogsmede.
Yeah that thing terrified me, i walked in like, ‘sure, i want a shop’ and i walked out promising to myself that mannequins wouldn’t be in my ceiling at night…
regarding the graphorn riding sequence, you dont need to fight anyone, you can just run past them, thats what i did on my first and only playthrough. so it is possible to just ignore the grunts on the road
I just floo flamed to the door after I got the graphorn, cause I was trying to get to the final trial and didn’t want to waste my time riding there when I could be teleporting. Well.
2:24:42 there was a quest from my playthrough that i thought was top tier. Someone sent me to investigate a friend they hadn't heard from. That missing friend is found wrapped up in spider silk, killed by the spiders they were breeding in their basement
With the moth thing: Once you hit it with depulso enough until the platform rises to the top, you had to use aresto momentum on it. So you don’t have to be quick at all.
The Avada Kadavera choice is so goddamn silly for only having the two most extreme choices of: - no one should have gun - everyone should have gun Like… the subject is a little more complex than that, guys. Remember when San Bakar used the curse to kill Isodora with little fanfare? Based decision, btw. What if he hadn’t done that?
For the imperius curse around 1:55:00 it allows you to mind control the person you cast it on, so sebastian made that guy stab himself which is probably why the other guy was so upset
“you’ll find it hard to connect to professor fig emotionally” you’re right on that. personally, i was more connecter to professor hecat and sharp. i wish there would’ve been an option to choose the mentor from the start. overall, everything in this video is spot on. - a ravenclaw
Yes the professors all have dialogues that tell you about their backstories! They’re unlocked when you’ve done some assignments and you can get to know their past better, but Fig doesn’t have that! Like HOW, he’s THE mentor, how come I know more about why Sharp was limp and Ronen was humorous than Fig’s entire personality? We don’t even know what the f he teaches! The game doesn’t even tell you that, and you attend every professor’s class with the exception of Black and Fig, which kinda makes sense with Black since he doesn’t do shit, but not with Fig because Fig is supposed to be responsible charismatic intelligent mentor figure, not professor I don’t teach just here for the title.
So the game is clearly meant for fans (no shit) but was also made by fans. My biggest issue with the game is your character 's house doesn't really matter aside from a few quests and cosmetics. Maybe they could have made the first class aside from defense against the dark arts be different based on house to learn different spells first.
Even in the books and movies the house that you are assigned to, never really mattered, because there is no established classes for each houses for students to learn spells, and potion-making unique to that house. Imagine if Hufflepuffs has the unique ability to communicate with magical beast, and magical plants and use them in combat. Then can brew potions that can make their spells and basic attacks true critical damage rendering an opponent defenseless for a few seconds. A Gryffindor who could create a nigh indestructible barrier that could also heal the person being casted, and can brew a potion that makes them invincible for couple of seconds. Perhaps a Slytherin could learn a spell that when activated could break almost all shields, and barriers, and then learn making potions that can transform you into a giant snake for a couple of seconds. Then at last Ravenclaws with innate ability to do more with all spells and potions with a potential to one shot opponents with a simple basic spell or have a chance to fully heal from just one basic wigenweld potion without an upgrade from the talent tree then can brew a potion when thrown unto enemies makes them forget how to cast spells for couple of seconds. Something like that.
I actually loved that you can create your own backstory. I was the popular girl in school and one day had magic happening out of no where, as I didnt knew what it was I got badly hurt and got a huge scar in my face, everyone started treating me like a freak and I realized they once loved only for my looks. So I became dark and mean, got admited to slytherin and Im bad to the bone, except with the cats ofc
I clicked on this video as it came up as a recommended. I listened to the whole video whilst cleaning. Instantly subscribed as I'm a big hogwarts legacy fan ( I'm on my 7th play through) but also realise its very flawed. Can't believe you have under a 100 subs. What a fantastic video. I'm always watching HL videos and this is by far my favourite
27:30 Conjuration is a spell that needs to be seriously mastered if you want to use it outside. Many spend years to learn how to use it in the wild. The room of requirement enhances the spell, but only lets certain things conjurable"" There, fixed it for you. But the writers somewhy didn't give it more thought
But then you would have people asking how a wizard/witch who masters all available spells, including the unforgivable ones AND ancient magic, can fight dozens of dark wizards, trolls, goblins and various aggressive wildlife solo, with the ability to tame powerful and legendary beasts but is just a simple noob with conjunction spells for some reason.
are you talking about the hogsmead shop quest? I just finished it recently and my first thought after finishing was "I dont know who were responsible for this but pleeeease give those people a huge raise" 🤩
Same I was like "thats the best side quest!!" Especially when you didn't know about it and go into it blindly thinking you're simply gonna help someone. It was truly a great experience
@@metalpleasure it was playstation exclusive until a recent update so he may not have collected footage for it if he is a PC user edit: i do agree, though. it was the best side quest.
With how the game keeps out outside of the castle, i always wondered why we were a student at all. Us being a teacher or a teacher assistant would have worked much better imo
Same!! I'm so close to getting my platinum trophy and I lowkey don't want to cuz then idk what my objective would be, other than trying to get all the collections on another playthrough
There was an option to put the portrait in the Hog's Head, which is what I did. I don't remember an option to destroy him, but maybe that's just me not remembering it because I couldn't imagine destroying his portrait however irritating he was.
Excellent video! If they do indeed go on to make a second game, I would love for them to implement how your wand deals with different magic. It would also be nice if your decisions actually influenced the story a bit more lol
53:55 I felt the story told the Black Plague through the Wizarding world. The Black Plague is sometimes referred to as the Black Death, and “Black Death” is the entire vibe I got from the storybook scene. I’ve always been curious about natural/major world events in the Muggle world and how they affected/bled over into the wizarding world. The storybook quest gave me a lot of thinking room on this subject. We know that a lot muggle thinks are explained away easily by the wizarding world. Like how the Loch Ness Monster is really just the world’s largest Kelpie and that the Ministry of Magic keeps throwing Muggles off from it by making them think it’s not real. The storybook quest made me wonder if Death got pissed and went on a killing spree and the Wizarding world convinced Muggles it was a terrible plague.
This channel deserves way more subscribers. Your editing, voice work, and ability to keep the script on track, without boring me...well done! Added Edit: I'm right there with you on that horrible voice acting in Moon. The voice slightly works for the Sorting Hat, but I skip every conversation with him!
I'm only 25 mins into the video and I was like wow, this is such a great review let me see how many subscribers this person has. Shocked, I tell you! I subscribed right away.
This is a great detail video! While HL does meet expectation on a number of levels, there does to appear to be room for improvement. It did feel that they focused a lot on certain things more than others. But given the level of quality this game had, it was easy to look over things during the first round of gameplay. I admit as well that the story itself could have been much better. I think the one thing I wanted was a battle with Ranrok's dragon, the one that attacked us at the start. It only appeared once then never again. And despite us encountering dragons later in the game, we never see that one.
So 1 nitpick i have with your commentary is that goblins can do magic with a wand but that wizards have forbidden goblin kind to use wands. Its similaire with house elfs they can do magic but arent allowed wands house elfs however can use magic rather well without a wand but thats beside the point.
Also side note officer singer only needed our players testemony about the w9man that sells the store to us and the gost in the dungeon to send that woman to azkaban. But all evidence against harlow isnt enough like wtf.
Im not a gamer. But i loved this game and world so much...ive played through as every house, and took over my husbands account so i could start over without deleting my old characters. The repetition does get a bit tedious, but for the most part i love every second of it. Sometimes i just walk around the castle looking at all the details and the world, wishing i lived there. Its so relaxing. 😊
Sebastian's storyline had the biggest missed opportunity to make it a GREAT storyline. Instead of Anne teleporting out, Sebastian should have snapped at that moment. Everything he worked for for the entire game is now gone, all thanks to Anne, the one person he was trying to save. So after she destroys the book, that when Sebastian should have had the Dark Arts corrupt him. He should have stood up and told Anne "Alright, you want to die so badly? Let me help you with that." and then cast the killing curse on HER. Have everything he worked for for the entire game be gone in an instant, the one person he cared about the most being killed by his hand, all because of the dark magic he wanted to use to SAVE her. But, ya know, it's not like the writers on this game were PROFESSIONALS or anything. I doubt they could have come up with a better ending than that, giving how little they seemed to have cared to begin with.
In a funny way, the two questions with the sorting hat could apply to any house. I'd wager the sorting hat puts people into the house who needs and or accepts them most rather than fatalistic prophecies
The flying on the broom was what got me wanting the game, and exploring everything. Other then that eh still fun but it was the exploring the games surrounding was a plus for me. This was a great review of the game. Thank you for your dedication ❤👌this review was. This was an easy click to subscribe.
I've just recently completed the main story part of Legacy and I got the 3 options over what to do with the power and I chose to keep it for myself because I wanted the power and it led to.....nothing really. No extra power afterwards, no real different ending other than Fig not coming back. It feels like it should have led to something
I like how your first major complaint basically sums up as "How dare this game about attending a magic school make me go to class? I want to ignore my lessons and do the story!" You realize you're 37:25 There are already surfaces in Hogwarts you can't climb. In the portion you showed it was clearly a jagged sort of cliff face your character could find purchase on and pull themselves up. Also it's very hard to climb up a wall ledge while using your wand, meaning to do the challenge your way, you'd lose the moth because you need to keep using Lumos. It's such a tiny nitpick you blow out of proportion to make the puzzles seem more restrictive. 1:55:15 Answer 1: The Imperious Curse is mind control, you make someone do your bidding. While fighting enemies you're telling opponents to fight for you. Sebastian told the goblin to kill himself. Answer 2: Are you mental? No one ever says "I wish Anne had died instead of using a Curse". His uncle literally scolds him for using a curse. There are several spells Sebastian could have used to defeat that goblin, but he went with an Unforgivable Curse. 2:07:31 AH! You did answer my question. I kept quiet on Jckdaw's death, but then I saw you block a thrown weapon. Those damn statues can throw their weapons. That's how he got killed so quickly that he didn't realize what had happened.
1:28:54 I probably missed something, but was there clues/dialogues/hints in the game suggesting that originally they planned for professor Fig to betray us?
That’s how it felt sometimes, honestly. Throughout all of the missions with him, especially in the beginning,it felt like he was just using your character to get the ancient magic all for himself. It would’ve made a really good twist villain, but I’m glad that he actually turned into a really trusted character
@@xxrooxx2724 Well that´s interesting! I know there has been speculations that Isadora and Sebastian´s storylines, for example, aren´t 100% what they originally planned and some parts were likely cut, so perhaps this too could be a relic from an original storyline where Fig has more shady motives (plus, having a teacher who´s first likable but then betrays us would fit to a HP game). Or he was just written to be a red herring/quirky character...
Subbed! Great video, especially for your first. I have complicated feelings on HL. I genuinely enjoyed the time I spent playing it and certain elements (the castle, Sebastian & Ominis's storylines, etc.) really stuck out to me, enough so that I don't think I'll consider HL a completely forgettable game moving forward. At the same time, though, it's so disheartening how *incomplete* it is. It feels like the devs were rushed to release the game sooner than it really should have been. Not long after it came out, I remember reading about/seeing videos about cut content found in the game files that suggested they may have intended to add certain mechanics to make the game a bit more "alive," e.g. bringing companions on quests with you (they found unused dialogue from certain classmates that hinted towards this iirc), friendship levels/giving gifts, an actual morality system, etc. Assuming it's true, it's so disappointing that whatever their original vision was never got to be totally realized. My hope is a potential sequel brings some of those features with it. Additionally I wish it didn't try to have such a large scale. If it were limited to Hogwarts and its immediate surroundings, the world could be denser with things to discover and explore rather than having large, mostly empty swaths of map, and more time could have been dedicated to building up character-focused stories rather than the pretty weak main quest. Almost like capturing the vibe of the first 2-3 Harry Potter books, which primarily take place in Hogwarts itself and really lean into the mystery and whimsy of the setting and the people in it (to this day this is my favorite part of the original series). HL as it is feels like a missed opportunity to tap into people's fascination with Hogwarts and what goes on there imo.
I agree with you on almost every point. The game itself I feel is propped up pretty hard on the Harry Potter IP, but they do a very good job on capitalizing on it in a way that doesnt make me feel like they're just resting on their laurels (hopefully the sequels are the same). It could have very easily been a Ubisoft style open world game, the open world chores are very reminiscent of those to be sure. Especially when you realize you have done 45 or whatever Merlin Trials, and the last 40 or so don't have any meaningful reward other than 100% progress. The quests kept me interested enough to bother going for a 100% despite the glaring plot holes. This game isn't perfect, but it's a heck of a lot better than a lot of other trash that's out there and I hope the next is at least this good.
What a pleasantly mature, sincere critical game review. Very good. Thanks. So I subscribed after just one video (I don't watch shorts or playthroughs with commentary, sorry) as a pretty sure bet on the future: looking forward to your Star Wars Outlaw review.
I think the whole game is awsome... except the main story... you arrive at fifth year without explanation... i know is to conect to players who probably don't want to play with a twelve year old characther but still... Second the main ragnok or whatever story is not deep... Sebastian's story is way better...the goblin is just kill the bad guy... Sebastian has mora implications which is awsome... i genuanly thought i would have to fight ominus at the end or something... besides that... all good
Fantastic video, can’t wait to see more! Idk if you’re focused on analyzing big IP media, but one of my favorite games is “The Forgotten City.” It’s a smaller game, but I think really unique and interesting. I can’t say much more without spoiling. I’d love to see your take on it (and to see it get more attention)!
My biggest issue with the storyline is how the Goblins and Hpuse Elf’s aren’t ALLOWED to use wands but they can use magic (all be it possibly limited but still),, And how they want to be treated as equals and use wands like wizards to have stronger magic. Natsai, “Natty”, talks about how back in “Uagadou - the largest wizarding school in the world - she and others can use magic without a wand, but likes the fair of implementing wandwork into magic-casting.” (Straight from official HP website) So she uses the wand for aesthetic? Because it looks cool? She mentions in the game she’s just as strong without a wand and it feels more natural/more connected to the magic. If this is the case, wouldn’t the Goblins/House Elves be STRONGER with Magic since they can do so without a wand? I’ve seen Dobby snap his fingers and snatch a witches wand into his hand without saying a word. That’s OP asf if you think about it 🤷🏻♀️ I think there needs to be an explanation as to WHY the globins need a wand, why is their magic weaker without wands when that is proven to not be the case for wizards like Natty and her homecastles students.
To be honest i really liked the side quest with the musical puzzle, it felt pretty rewarding and was also a fun easter egg with the iconic Harry Potter theme
30:27 yes I completely agree. I have played this game multiple times, and I am planning to play it again. I believe that the game is set up like this to get the younger generation, and or anyone that's new to the gaming world, interested in this kind of gameplay.
Dude, really? You've never heard of Rookwood? The one in the memory is an ancestor of the Dark Wizard in the game, Victor, and 100 years later Rookwood is a Death-Eater (from the books) Come on man, this is one of the first "bad" things you find in the game?
My point was he deserved a better intro in the game to establish a clear villain arch. And while the book connection is cool it still doesn't help bring life to the character as you meet him as after the tutorial.
Really thoughtfully considered review, and excellent analysis. For me, I found all the battles so tedious. I was in for the intellectual and fantasy sides, not the shit-talking goblins and ashwinders. Horses for courses.
Thank you for this video! This was my first time playing an open world game as I’m fairly new to video games and it just wasn’t as exciting as I had hoped. I’m glad to know that this is not the gold standard of games!
If you want to play a gold standard open world game, I can recommend Witcher 3. However, it's maybe not the best for beginners, but this game has a filled, lived in world, quests with lasting consequences and impacts, and intriguing characters.
From about 2 hour 35 mark is where you talk about precisely the reason why I abandoned this game. I really, really wanted to love this game. And for about the first 20 hours, I did! Exploring the castle and everything around was magnificent! As a massive potterhead it was incredible. But the rewards for exploration, the never ending gear, running out of slots, changing appearance… oh my god. It killed any desire to explore anything. In the first 20 hours it was so interesting to run around and look into every nook and cranny. It was all new and exciting. But after that it’s like “oh, good, get another cave, and another chest and - oh look! - it’s another pair of glasses. “. So boring! Such a shame :(
If you connect your wizarding world of Harry potter account or whatever it’s called for the website where you do a more in depth quiz to see your hogwarts house, wand look and patronus although the latter is irrelevant the other two will instantly be transferred when you play the game as long as your account is connected. Obviously you can still change it (I did) though.
This one time I had to delete progress because my person got stuck in-between things and there was no way to get out and it wouldn’t let me use my map or anything.
As a person with a C.P. who can barely use my right hand, the worse thing about the game is having to direct the camera manually. I can't tell you how many times I've had to do the boom quests because the fucking camera went in different directions. There should have been an option to allow for the camera to move automatically.
53:30 So the Felix Felicis scene in Half Blood Prince is bad then? That's also followed by a very serious scene of Harry having a conversation about his mother with Slughorn. Doesn't mean the Felix scene is tonedeaf. It's just part of the world that there are these magical components like potions that are sometimes goofy.
I've had this game from the beginning and have yet to finish it. All I did was tour Hogwarts. I never felt like a student. I felt like a guest and I was not really interested in the story. I played other games instead, but I guess I will get back to it when the definitive addition gets near.
Also the cutscene at the end of the fight where you choose to take power for yourself, shows your eyes turn red for a moment, you didn't see it cause you wore a mask ;)
Enjoyed the video must have taken a lot of time and thought to put together. A few comments while I agree with your criticism of officer Singer, I believe they were trying to do what happens in the movies, where the authorities and adults don't do anything. This is a device both in story telling where the young under powered character has the chance to become the hero. A classic example is how the powerful Gandalf in LOTR acts as an advisor doesn't beat the villains. Also I believe the game is dumbed down because it's intended for kids. I do agree this could have been handled better and the worst part of the game is the decision you are offered have no consequences.
Some of the cons at least at the beginning (house/wand/patronus) you can take tests on hogwarts legacy’s website to figure out what house and wand and if you link your account to the game, the game will automatically give you those (you still have the option to choose though)
A very good and detailed review. I fell like the story did it's job but it could have been so much better especially with branching paths. I think it was intended to have it in the game but after multiple delays plus working on multiple versions for different consoles ment a lot had to be cut or reworked. Think branching paths would've added way more replay ability. Also such a missed opportunity to have are friends accompany us to the final repository. It could go like this, Fig warns the Staff and we have the option to get are friends in secret. Maybe depending on the quests we've done depends on if they show up. We all fight through the Goblins and the Professors show up, including Professor Black(shows his still gives a damn about the safety of the students). Main Character, Fig, and the companions are find the final repository. They could have different inputs: Sebastian wants you to open it to save Anne, Poppy and Ominous are against it, Natty isn't sure. We make are choice and Ranrok shows up. Fig gets separated and all of us fight him. After each bar is gone a companion using a special attack that takes them out. Sebastian can use a powerful confingo blast, Natty charges in her animagus form, Poppy uses a creature to attack Ranrok, Ominous uses his parcaltongue to call a swarm of snakes. Then the dragon fight happens and Fig dies. In the memorial are friends could console us. Using one of the main themes of Harry Potter: Friendship. Harry couldn't have gotten far without them.
The game wonderfully and beautifully designed but the story really made the game feels pretty stale other than Sebastian's quest I wished the game was more about character interaction and the antag being the morally grey stories you have to navigate between right and wrong
this is such a good video and ive watched it 29373 times so i dont want to diminish that but but the PS1 philosopher's stone/chamber of secrets music in the background gets me every time🥲 i love the level of detail in this
i get that hogsmede is “the only all-wizard” village near hogwarts but the open world just feels so…. empty? sure there are NPCs walking the roads but the towns themselves feel so lifeless 😭 hopefully in the DLC we get like some of london or a big city in scotland to play around in. they could even revamp the endgame area to include a big city cause there’s only ONE town 😭
I took learning the curses as the player egging on Sebastian's descent after learning he knew crucio with the ultimate gas light being learning the killing curse
Excellent video describing a lot of the issues I had with the game. I recently went back to play it for my second time and hard a very hard time getting into it like the first time. I think Baldurs Gate 3 ruined it for me, while HL has the illusion of choice BG3 has real choices
@@THYSNAKE almost everyone knew about it because it was actually advertised on a small flyer inside the box for the game. Do this also gave you the House Fanatic robes.
@@THYSNAKEwell if I remembered correctly there was a prompt to log in to WBgames when you open the game, at least that’s how I knew it, I did avoid all spoilers and therefore couldn’t have known that elsewhere. This does get a tad annoying on 2nd 3rd and 4th play through though, as it still auto selects the linked house and u have to pick the other house urself. Well, not the worst problem in any case.
I have done muliple playthroughs, its a decent game. Does the world building well. Enjoyed exporeing authough it does get repetive in some areas. With more repective puzzles, I would say go easy, have a nice backdrop. Idealy few or no fetch or seach puzzles. The merlin trials are ok with this but there are a lot of them. The chest dungions are probably a good example of how not to have a repective puzzle. You need to find the box thing which half the time is hidden just out of reveleo range. You get impatiant with wingatiam leviosa so dipolso it and it decides to fly to the moon and glich out the puzzle. Then theres a puddle that leads to a loading screen sometimes which you have to swim out of. Then a long tunnel with a chamber that does nothing. Then you have to use wingadium leviosa to make an arrow go the right way. Just to get some bad loot and one less icon on the map. I did want to explore the world more on foot in my last playthrough, nice change from flying, got both Highwing and Lord or the shore before getting a broom. Regarding stuctures including Hogwarts, there are unexploreable areas which may be of minor intrest to the player. Some of hogwars towers for example. Regarding story and gameplay, I would have liked to see more of life at hogwarts. I feel some games including Hogwarts Mystory did this somewhat better. The game did great early on. The open world should feel like a weekend adventure. It would have been nice to see diffent directions the story could take or more acutral choises. I agree with some of the charicters feeling off in some areas. Haveing no control over solimans fate is a big one. First playthiugh I didnt want to defeat him untill I realised the game was forceing me to do it.
I wish your choices in the game carried more weight. If you give me multiple options of dialogue, then the things I say and choices I make should have lasting effects! The only real consequences I’ve seen is sending Sebastian away or not. I enjoyed my first play through because I wanted to be a morally good slythern (because I think not all slytherns are evil), so I chose all the good choices and was a kind, selfless girl. But in my second play through as an evil gryfinndor I realize nothing I say or do *really* matters until the very end with Sebastian. Like the story is pushed to go a certain way no matter how cruel/kind you are. I wanted the choices I made to change the progression of the game and the outcomes of event entirely.
First: Ive played it as it came out, and I have enjoyed it very well and actually completed it (which is super rare for me), i dont like action combat and i dont like playing single player rpg much. But i did this. EVEN THO, I did constantly say, it has a lot of nice features, the world itself is made very well, but all the features seem to be in their baby shoes, not rly developed, expanded etc. They had a lot of potential. 8:59 except it's even better, as it can be connected to the Pottermore profile. Which will give you your house and wand in game~
58:59 The 1800's version of "It should have just been an -email- owl". I loved your theory about Professor Fig after his death being a little sketchy, as it would explain so much, and would have made for great writing. It reminds me of how Dumbledore has been a little sketchy throughout the main series, not being forethcoming, or Mad Eye Moody being Barty Crouch Jr the entire time for the whole year, something no character saw coming. IMO Uncle Solomen got what he deserved for having exactly 2 brain cells willing to let his family die. For officer Singer being an incompetant cop...I honestly don't think that's too farfetched, since that sort fo thing isn't all that unusual IRL. For the cons that irked me, I hated how they glossed over the classes, and most of the game/story is taking place outside of Hogwarts school itself. And a final one: every loot chest being RNG, when they should all have been simply fixed from the get-go. Like, after spending hours and hours on a difficult puzzle, and all I get from it is a useless, weak, low-tier piece of gear; that just makes me want to throw my controller across the room for all the time I wasted. The payoff was not worth the trouble of some of those puzzles or huge dungeons I got lost in; thank god for online guides and youtube playthroughs. Overall: I thought this was the single greatest in depth constructive critique video pointing out all the flaws the game could have done better with, and it's surprising you don't have more subs. Avalance should be hiring you to one of the writers for the next game in the series.
Honestly, I wanted this game to be about the Hogwarts experience: taking classes, living the life of a Hogwarts student, kind of like Rockstar’s “Bully” with maybe Sims elements.
Instead, they went for an RPG without any meaningful choices and with very limited replayability.
The students in Hogwarts don’t even have routines and the school is virtually empty at night: no one sleeps in their beds. Very immersion-breaking if you ask me.
Hogwarts Legacy is a solid game. They captured the aesthetics perfectly and the castle is marvelously crafted. You can see a lot of love went into it. Combat is also great. But the story and gameplay… meh. A lot of wasted potential, if you ask me.
In short the npc didnt play their role-play 😂
I would’ve preferred it if the open world was a lot smaller and there was a lot more attention on Hogwarts itself
Exactly this. The potential to essentially be wizards Bully was so elite. I enjoyed the game but it felt more in the Assassin creed style RPG grind rather than being at school 😂
play hogwarts mystery for rpg. That is the closest we have rn to a full school sim
@@GorillaGamerI can't get past their awful point system. I don't like games I have to play for 15 mins everyday or pay for progression.
My son just pointed out to me that Sebastian teaches you more spells than any of the professors😂 5 total! Weasley teaches you 4, Hecat 3. Ronen, Garlick, Sharp, Kogawa, Fig teach 2, Onai and Moon and Howen 1, and Shah doesn't teach any at all.😅
That's honestly fucking hilarious
As opposed to the DADA professor, now we have our newest professor--Dark Arts Professor Sallow 🤣
My biggest disappointment is how the open world approach diluted the whole experience which meant that exploring the castle (which i think is what most people were excited about) was not nearly as mysterious or rewarding. I was just spamming revelio instead of organically stumbling onto neat little secrets and puzzles that would have given the castle a greater presence. I would have preferred something akin to Arkham Asylum or City. A moderate open world instead of a massive one, with the tradeoff of being more dense and detailed with far less repetitive mundane xp farming tasks.
I think they could've cut off half the map and made hogwarts and hogsmeade bigger
I was hoping an they would of taken a little inspiration from “Bully” and made it so you had a reason to go to class outside of a cutscene maybe some mini games
As it’s their first try at it I’d say that they really knocked it out of the park with their execution. The only problem I had was the repetitiveness of the caves.
@@lildominator2953they should have made hogwarts like ten times bigger and had things to actually interact with. Way more locations.....Also, the cut scenes with the keepers and Isadora were so well done that I wish there were way better cutscenes throughout Hogwarts itself with the students and teachers. We need way more involvement with the students and not have the NPC'S seem lifeless. Way more voice actors with actual care in the lines of dialogue. The broom flying should have been way faster and more fluid. The rewards and collectibles should've been more engaging. Hogwarts felt like it drank unicorn blood with the fact that it never fully lived up to the potential that we all thought it would because for the most part, it is lifeless solace and needed more elements included into the game to make it replayable and engaging. The Greathall during the day is embarrassingly bad. They make Hogwarts seem so small.
i disagree strongly -- i fealt so claustrophobic in the castle it was a relief to leave it - the castle was labarynthine and i was always lost and disorientated in it, and needed breaks from going round and round in it tryin to find stuff.
The main thing I disliked was that they didn't include the morality meter.
Meaning no negative consequences to using the unforgivable curses.
What was Fig even mentoring you on?
You get to hogwarts as a 5th year and they review and teach you year 1-2 level spells.
You practice and then everyone tells you you’re amazing for doing a spell they’ve lore wise known for 4 years…
Yeah there are things I like about the game such as the visuals and combat, but the writing at large is not interesting.
@@djlemonbalmI agree but I still loved it for a first try on open world Hogwarts. I think when Hogwarts legacy 2 comes out they will probably hash out some of the problems of this one. Don’t get me wrong it’s not a perfect game by any means but I’m such a Harry Potter fan that I can’t help just enjoying world and combat
2:37:00 Can we also talk about HOW RIDICULOUS is to give you gear spots in Harry Potter? Hermione had a tiny bag that could carry an unlimited amount of things. It shouldn't be too hard to cast that same spell for a 5th year student.
We need more mods
Since it’s the developers first attempt at it. I’d say they did a really good job in this game. Since a sequel has been confirmed I hope they build upon what made the game so special and improve upon its weak points. I’ve played through all of the houses and enjoyed myself the whole time so believe they deserve a 9/10 rating.
Oh damn, a sequel's coming? I adored the game until I got my hands on bg3 which just blew legacy out of the water completely for me unfortunately. Hope they take a page out of Larian's books for legacy 2 story wise
This is the right take. Gamers are so damn entitled
@@lifeunderthestarstvI mean, he just gave a constructive criticism and even gave credit where credit is due. the sequel has the potential to be great because HL is already a great foundation to start with, we’ll see if the developer are up for the challenge.
Unforgivable curses are bullshit in an action-game. You can set goblins on fire, transfigurate them into bombs and explode them, but a single one second killing curse is BAAAAAD. Come on…
It’s also the same with poachers capturing and using beasts for their goods is BAAAAAD, but if you do the same it’s suddenly good.
Morality just doesn’t work in Hogwarts Legacy.
To be fair, the unforgiveable curses have never made much sense. Controlling somebody's mind, sends you to Azkaban, but conjuring a 10-story tall fire snake or throwing somebody off a cliff with wingardium leviosa is just a slap on the wrist
@@passionoflovers right people in the Harry Potter franchise defeat enemies and potentially kill them with spells all the time but the the moment you save another with an unforgivable you're a villain I mean come on 😂
Transfiguration can only transform someone to a harmless object for a brief moment but we improvised by making it transform people into an explosive barrels
The open world felt so unnecessary. I would've liked a larger castle and its grounds and then at most a smaller scale open world with the Haunted Forest and Hogsmede.
You didn’t talk about the quest where you get your own store and it forces you into the most terrifying horror quest ever
Yeah that thing terrified me, i walked in like, ‘sure, i want a shop’ and i walked out promising to myself that mannequins wouldn’t be in my ceiling at night…
Looks like he’s playing on Xbox. Did that quest come to that system yet? It was originally PlayStation exclusive
@@FireMedic816 I play on Xbox so yeah that quest is on Xbox
@@Magicaldeathspit99I play on Xbox I haven’t gotten the quest but I don’t think mine is fully updated as I haven’t played in a bit
@@Nugget_Playz47 have you finished the quest where you return the egg to the dragon? The shop quest is only available after that, I think
regarding the graphorn riding sequence, you dont need to fight anyone, you can just run past them, thats what i did on my first and only playthrough. so it is possible to just ignore the grunts on the road
I just floo flamed to the door after I got the graphorn, cause I was trying to get to the final trial and didn’t want to waste my time riding there when I could be teleporting. Well.
“Waking up from your floor nap” had me laughing out loud! It is really strange.
“Apparently the goblins have your permanent GPS location” 😂😂
2:24:42 there was a quest from my playthrough that i thought was top tier. Someone sent me to investigate a friend they hadn't heard from. That missing friend is found wrapped up in spider silk, killed by the spiders they were breeding in their basement
I just did that one a few days ago
With the moth thing: Once you hit it with depulso enough until the platform rises to the top, you had to use aresto momentum on it. So you don’t have to be quick at all.
Never would have crossed me mind 😅 thank for the tip!
Neither of these, there’s a moth spot that raises up to the left of the door as you are raising the platform
i never thought of that LMFAO and im supposed to be a ravenclaw 😭
The Avada Kadavera choice is so goddamn silly for only having the two most extreme choices of:
- no one should have gun
- everyone should have gun
Like… the subject is a little more complex than that, guys.
Remember when San Bakar used the curse to kill Isodora with little fanfare? Based decision, btw.
What if he hadn’t done that?
For the imperius curse around 1:55:00 it allows you to mind control the person you cast it on, so sebastian made that guy stab himself which is probably why the other guy was so upset
it's because he used an unforgivable curse. Which is the most dark magic you could use not really about stabbing himself
“you’ll find it hard to connect to professor fig emotionally” you’re right on that. personally, i was more connecter to professor hecat and sharp. i wish there would’ve been an option to choose the mentor from the start.
overall, everything in this video is spot on.
- a ravenclaw
I wanted to connect to Professor Garlick (because she's hot) but sadly she doesn't have many quests.
@@atab101 companion mod, if you play on the correct platform
Yes the professors all have dialogues that tell you about their backstories! They’re unlocked when you’ve done some assignments and you can get to know their past better, but Fig doesn’t have that! Like HOW, he’s THE mentor, how come I know more about why Sharp was limp and Ronen was humorous than Fig’s entire personality? We don’t even know what the f he teaches! The game doesn’t even tell you that, and you attend every professor’s class with the exception of Black and Fig, which kinda makes sense with Black since he doesn’t do shit, but not with Fig because Fig is supposed to be responsible charismatic intelligent mentor figure, not professor I don’t teach just here for the title.
If you play all four houses in a certain order you get the full story of Jack daw and what happened to him
Dope! What is the proper order exactly?
@@levelinfinityCM not sure you would have to Google it
So the game is clearly meant for fans (no shit) but was also made by fans. My biggest issue with the game is your character 's house doesn't really matter aside from a few quests and cosmetics. Maybe they could have made the first class aside from defense against the dark arts be different based on house to learn different spells first.
Several things don't matter in Hogwarts Legacy that should. That's my general issue with it even though I still appreciate the game.
@@djlemonbalm its like they were afraid of the houses being too different or something.
Even in the books and movies the house that you are assigned to, never really mattered, because there is no established classes for each houses for students to learn spells, and potion-making unique to that house.
Imagine if Hufflepuffs has the unique ability to communicate with magical beast, and magical plants and use them in combat. Then can brew potions that can make their spells and basic attacks true critical damage rendering an opponent defenseless for a few seconds.
A Gryffindor who could create a nigh indestructible barrier that could also heal the person being casted, and can brew a potion that makes them invincible for couple of seconds.
Perhaps a Slytherin could learn a spell that when activated could break almost all shields, and barriers, and then learn making potions that can transform you into a giant snake for a couple of seconds.
Then at last Ravenclaws with innate ability to do more with all spells and potions with a potential to one shot opponents with a simple basic spell or have a chance to fully heal from just one basic wigenweld potion without an upgrade from the talent tree then can brew a potion when thrown unto enemies makes them forget how to cast spells for couple of seconds.
Something like that.
@@shippo008 Proper 👏
thats due to saving time -- and the stupid game balancing thing where no house can be better.
yeah i wish the hat actually decided my house but if i wasn't gryffindor i would literally cry
That damn Rockwood LOL
i kept yelling “ROOKwood, not ROCKwood!”
@@courtkendell He must have never played chess 😉
“You’ll find it hard to connect to professor Fig emotionally”
Meanwhile I’m over here literally crying in the scene after we defeat Ranrok 🥲
Me too 😁
I found him annoying first. But cried at the end 😭
ME! i loved him and was shocked with that ending!!
I shed a tear or two but that was about it
Same. I was screaming 😢
I actually loved that you can create your own backstory. I was the popular girl in school and one day had magic happening out of no where, as I didnt knew what it was I got badly hurt and got a huge scar in my face, everyone started treating me like a freak and I realized they once loved only for my looks. So I became dark and mean, got admited to slytherin and Im bad to the bone, except with the cats ofc
Dang, that's pretty well thought out!
I clicked on this video as it came up as a recommended. I listened to the whole video whilst cleaning. Instantly subscribed as I'm a big hogwarts legacy fan ( I'm on my 7th play through) but also realise its very flawed. Can't believe you have under a 100 subs. What a fantastic video. I'm always watching HL videos and this is by far my favourite
Awesome! Thank you!
With no new game plus why 7 times doesn't it get boring doing everything after 4
27:30 Conjuration is a spell that needs to be seriously mastered if you want to use it outside. Many spend years to learn how to use it in the wild. The room of requirement enhances the spell, but only lets certain things conjurable""
There, fixed it for you. But the writers somewhy didn't give it more thought
But then you would have people asking how a wizard/witch who masters all available spells, including the unforgivable ones AND ancient magic, can fight dozens of dark wizards, trolls, goblins and various aggressive wildlife solo, with the ability to tame powerful and legendary beasts
but is just a simple noob with conjunction spells for some reason.
Oh god your use of the soundtrack from the old three games delivered a punch to my nostalgia!
It's incredible to me that you recognized that!
@@THYSNAKEI recognized it too, I obsessively played those games when I was younger
I'm sad the haunted mansion is not mentionned in the best sidequests....
are you talking about the hogsmead shop quest? I just finished it recently and my first thought after finishing was "I dont know who were responsible for this but pleeeease give those people a huge raise" 🤩
Same I was like "thats the best side quest!!" Especially when you didn't know about it and go into it blindly thinking you're simply gonna help someone. It was truly a great experience
@@metalpleasure it was playstation exclusive until a recent update so he may not have collected footage for it if he is a PC user
edit: i do agree, though. it was the best side quest.
@@chance_ yeah I assumed he was ps because he played on controller but he could just have connected it
The reason I believe there isn’t much backstory is because they probably found it hard tp design a character backstory that suited all of the story’s
The broom is too slow. I wanna be able to zip around fast af like harry on fire bolt
With how the game keeps out outside of the castle, i always wondered why we were a student at all.
Us being a teacher or a teacher assistant would have worked much better imo
All I wanted was a Wizarding student sim, I didn’t wanna explore unnamed hamlet #394
(Before watching) “ohmygerd if one more person gushes about the Sebastion storyline I’ll scream”
(After) THANK YOU
I never ever get tired of replaying this game I've played it twice this week LOL🎉😂
Same!! I'm so close to getting my platinum trophy and I lowkey don't want to cuz then idk what my objective would be, other than trying to get all the collections on another playthrough
I lowkey love everything about Hogwarts legacy! But Merlin trials...demguise.. And alohamora mini game😅
I'm now almost through with my second 100% file. I just enjoy the fact that I can play in a Harry Potter/Hogwarts world so much
I love Ominis but I never understood his story about Sebastian’s parents being reckless, they didn’t do anything 😅
There was an option to put the portrait in the Hog's Head, which is what I did. I don't remember an option to destroy him, but maybe that's just me not remembering it because I couldn't imagine destroying his portrait however irritating he was.
Excellent video! If they do indeed go on to make a second game, I would love for them to implement how your wand deals with different magic. It would also be nice if your decisions actually influenced the story a bit more lol
Thanks, and totally agree!
You are the first reviewer to 100%inline and formulate what i was feeling throughout the whole game. Especially that damned door
53:55
I felt the story told the Black Plague through the Wizarding world.
The Black Plague is sometimes referred to as the Black Death, and “Black Death” is the entire vibe I got from the storybook scene. I’ve always been curious about natural/major world events in the Muggle world and how they affected/bled over into the wizarding world.
The storybook quest gave me a lot of thinking room on this subject. We know that a lot muggle thinks are explained away easily by the wizarding world.
Like how the Loch Ness Monster is really just the world’s largest Kelpie and that the Ministry of Magic keeps throwing Muggles off from it by making them think it’s not real.
The storybook quest made me wonder if Death got pissed and went on a killing spree and the Wizarding world convinced Muggles it was a terrible plague.
This channel deserves way more subscribers. Your editing, voice work, and ability to keep the script on track, without boring me...well done! Added Edit: I'm right there with you on that horrible voice acting in Moon. The voice slightly works for the Sorting Hat, but I skip every conversation with him!
Cant believe this is your first video, great job dude! cant wait to see more
What did you think about the “Minding Your Own Business” side quest? 👻
I think it’s the best side mission in the whole game👏🏼
Looked epic, was exclusive to Play Station for the first year of the games release though, so was missed during both my play throughs
Great first video
This was really in depth and I think I agreed on almost every point.
Looking forward to your next video
Thank you so much, Glad you enjoyed it!
Wait, you have less than 500 subs? Really? How? This video is so well made and has this many views. You deserve more mate
I'm only 25 mins into the video and I was like wow, this is such a great review let me see how many subscribers this person has. Shocked, I tell you! I subscribed right away.
My graphorn s actions was... Opened up the map and used floor powder. Sad that I missed it.
This is a great detail video!
While HL does meet expectation on a number of levels, there does to appear to be room for improvement. It did feel that they focused a lot on certain things more than others. But given the level of quality this game had, it was easy to look over things during the first round of gameplay.
I admit as well that the story itself could have been much better. I think the one thing I wanted was a battle with Ranrok's dragon, the one that attacked us at the start. It only appeared once then never again. And despite us encountering dragons later in the game, we never see that one.
So 1 nitpick i have with your commentary is that goblins can do magic with a wand but that wizards have forbidden goblin kind to use wands.
Its similaire with house elfs they can do magic but arent allowed wands house elfs however can use magic rather well without a wand but thats beside the point.
Also side note officer singer only needed our players testemony about the w9man that sells the store to us and the gost in the dungeon to send that woman to azkaban.
But all evidence against harlow isnt enough like wtf.
Im not a gamer. But i loved this game and world so much...ive played through as every house, and took over my husbands account so i could start over without deleting my old characters. The repetition does get a bit tedious, but for the most part i love every second of it. Sometimes i just walk around the castle looking at all the details and the world, wishing i lived there. Its so relaxing. 😊
Sebastian's storyline had the biggest missed opportunity to make it a GREAT storyline. Instead of Anne teleporting out, Sebastian should have snapped at that moment.
Everything he worked for for the entire game is now gone, all thanks to Anne, the one person he was trying to save. So after she destroys the book, that when Sebastian should have had the Dark Arts corrupt him. He should have stood up and told Anne "Alright, you want to die so badly? Let me help you with that." and then cast the killing curse on HER.
Have everything he worked for for the entire game be gone in an instant, the one person he cared about the most being killed by his hand, all because of the dark magic he wanted to use to SAVE her.
But, ya know, it's not like the writers on this game were PROFESSIONALS or anything. I doubt they could have come up with a better ending than that, giving how little they seemed to have cared to begin with.
In a funny way, the two questions with the sorting hat could apply to any house. I'd wager the sorting hat puts people into the house who needs and or accepts them most rather than fatalistic prophecies
The flying on the broom was what got me wanting the game, and exploring everything. Other then that eh still fun but it was the exploring the games surrounding was a plus for me. This was a great review of the game. Thank you for your dedication ❤👌this review was.
This was an easy click to subscribe.
I've just recently completed the main story part of Legacy and I got the 3 options over what to do with the power and I chose to keep it for myself because I wanted the power and it led to.....nothing really. No extra power afterwards, no real different ending other than Fig not coming back. It feels like it should have led to something
Excellent touch using the music from the old Harry Potter games.
I like how your first major complaint basically sums up as "How dare this game about attending a magic school make me go to class? I want to ignore my lessons and do the story!" You realize you're
37:25 There are already surfaces in Hogwarts you can't climb. In the portion you showed it was clearly a jagged sort of cliff face your character could find purchase on and pull themselves up. Also it's very hard to climb up a wall ledge while using your wand, meaning to do the challenge your way, you'd lose the moth because you need to keep using Lumos. It's such a tiny nitpick you blow out of proportion to make the puzzles seem more restrictive.
1:55:15 Answer 1: The Imperious Curse is mind control, you make someone do your bidding. While fighting enemies you're telling opponents to fight for you. Sebastian told the goblin to kill himself. Answer 2: Are you mental? No one ever says "I wish Anne had died instead of using a Curse". His uncle literally scolds him for using a curse. There are several spells Sebastian could have used to defeat that goblin, but he went with an Unforgivable Curse.
2:07:31 AH! You did answer my question. I kept quiet on Jckdaw's death, but then I saw you block a thrown weapon. Those damn statues can throw their weapons. That's how he got killed so quickly that he didn't realize what had happened.
1:28:54 I probably missed something, but was there clues/dialogues/hints in the game suggesting that originally they planned for professor Fig to betray us?
That’s how it felt sometimes, honestly. Throughout all of the missions with him, especially in the beginning,it felt like he was just using your character to get the ancient magic all for himself. It would’ve made a really good twist villain, but I’m glad that he actually turned into a really trusted character
@@xxrooxx2724 Well that´s interesting! I know there has been speculations that Isadora and Sebastian´s storylines, for example, aren´t 100% what they originally planned and some parts were likely cut, so perhaps this too could be a relic from an original storyline where Fig has more shady motives (plus, having a teacher who´s first likable but then betrays us would fit to a HP game). Or he was just written to be a red herring/quirky character...
Subbed! Great video, especially for your first. I have complicated feelings on HL. I genuinely enjoyed the time I spent playing it and certain elements (the castle, Sebastian & Ominis's storylines, etc.) really stuck out to me, enough so that I don't think I'll consider HL a completely forgettable game moving forward. At the same time, though, it's so disheartening how *incomplete* it is. It feels like the devs were rushed to release the game sooner than it really should have been. Not long after it came out, I remember reading about/seeing videos about cut content found in the game files that suggested they may have intended to add certain mechanics to make the game a bit more "alive," e.g. bringing companions on quests with you (they found unused dialogue from certain classmates that hinted towards this iirc), friendship levels/giving gifts, an actual morality system, etc. Assuming it's true, it's so disappointing that whatever their original vision was never got to be totally realized. My hope is a potential sequel brings some of those features with it.
Additionally I wish it didn't try to have such a large scale. If it were limited to Hogwarts and its immediate surroundings, the world could be denser with things to discover and explore rather than having large, mostly empty swaths of map, and more time could have been dedicated to building up character-focused stories rather than the pretty weak main quest. Almost like capturing the vibe of the first 2-3 Harry Potter books, which primarily take place in Hogwarts itself and really lean into the mystery and whimsy of the setting and the people in it (to this day this is my favorite part of the original series). HL as it is feels like a missed opportunity to tap into people's fascination with Hogwarts and what goes on there imo.
I agree with you on almost every point. The game itself I feel is propped up pretty hard on the Harry Potter IP, but they do a very good job on capitalizing on it in a way that doesnt make me feel like they're just resting on their laurels (hopefully the sequels are the same).
It could have very easily been a Ubisoft style open world game, the open world chores are very reminiscent of those to be sure. Especially when you realize you have done 45 or whatever Merlin Trials, and the last 40 or so don't have any meaningful reward other than 100% progress.
The quests kept me interested enough to bother going for a 100% despite the glaring plot holes. This game isn't perfect, but it's a heck of a lot better than a lot of other trash that's out there and I hope the next is at least this good.
What a pleasantly mature, sincere critical game review. Very good. Thanks.
So I subscribed after just one video (I don't watch shorts or playthroughs with commentary, sorry) as a pretty sure bet on the future: looking forward to your Star Wars Outlaw review.
It would have been cool if they gave you a time turner so those wait from night to day or whatever would make more sense!
I think the whole game is awsome... except the main story... you arrive at fifth year without explanation... i know is to conect to players who probably don't want to play with a twelve year old characther but still... Second the main ragnok or whatever story is not deep... Sebastian's story is way better...the goblin is just kill the bad guy... Sebastian has mora implications which is awsome... i genuanly thought i would have to fight ominus at the end or something... besides that... all good
Fantastic video, can’t wait to see more! Idk if you’re focused on analyzing big IP media, but one of my favorite games is “The Forgotten City.” It’s a smaller game, but I think really unique and interesting. I can’t say much more without spoiling. I’d love to see your take on it (and to see it get more attention)!
This is a really good video but you calling inferi inferni is like professor Black giving professor diggs eulogy
My biggest issue with the storyline is how the Goblins and Hpuse Elf’s aren’t ALLOWED to use wands but they can use magic (all be it possibly limited but still),,
And how they want to be treated as equals and use wands like wizards to have stronger magic.
Natsai, “Natty”, talks about how back in “Uagadou - the largest wizarding school in the world - she and others can use magic without a wand, but likes the fair of implementing wandwork into magic-casting.” (Straight from official HP website)
So she uses the wand for aesthetic? Because it looks cool? She mentions in the game she’s just as strong without a wand and it feels more natural/more connected to the magic.
If this is the case, wouldn’t the Goblins/House Elves be STRONGER with Magic since they can do so without a wand?
I’ve seen Dobby snap his fingers and snatch a witches wand into his hand without saying a word. That’s OP asf if you think about it 🤷🏻♀️
I think there needs to be an explanation as to WHY the globins need a wand, why is their magic weaker without wands when that is proven to not be the case for wizards like Natty and her homecastles students.
odd cause the elves magic seems extremely strong
I can’t be the only one who expected the castle to be…. bigger?
To be honest i really liked the side quest with the musical puzzle, it felt pretty rewarding and was also a fun easter egg with the iconic Harry Potter theme
30:27 yes I completely agree. I have played this game multiple times, and I am planning to play it again. I believe that the game is set up like this to get the younger generation, and or anyone that's new to the gaming world, interested in this kind of gameplay.
Dude, really? You've never heard of Rookwood? The one in the memory is an ancestor of the Dark Wizard in the game, Victor, and 100 years later Rookwood is a Death-Eater (from the books) Come on man, this is one of the first "bad" things you find in the game?
My point was he deserved a better intro in the game to establish a clear villain arch. And while the book connection is cool it still doesn't help bring life to the character as you meet him as after the tutorial.
@@THYSNAKE If that's your point, I accept it, still I think you were a bit too harsh, but that's okay too.
Really thoughtfully considered review, and excellent analysis. For me, I found all the battles so tedious. I was in for the intellectual and fantasy sides, not the shit-talking goblins and ashwinders. Horses for courses.
Thank you for this video! This was my first time playing an open world game as I’m fairly new to video games and it just wasn’t as exciting as I had hoped. I’m glad to know that this is not the gold standard of games!
You're welcome!
If you want to play a gold standard open world game, I can recommend Witcher 3. However, it's maybe not the best for beginners, but this game has a filled, lived in world, quests with lasting consequences and impacts, and intriguing characters.
From about 2 hour 35 mark is where you talk about precisely the reason why I abandoned this game.
I really, really wanted to love this game. And for about the first 20 hours, I did! Exploring the castle and everything around was magnificent! As a massive potterhead it was incredible.
But the rewards for exploration, the never ending gear, running out of slots, changing appearance… oh my god. It killed any desire to explore anything.
In the first 20 hours it was so interesting to run around and look into every nook and cranny. It was all new and exciting. But after that it’s like “oh, good, get another cave, and another chest and - oh look! - it’s another pair of glasses. “.
So boring! Such a shame :(
The Grand Staircase is a waste. I prefer the turning stairs.
okay this is a great video and great editing. i cant believe youre under 200 subs! youre underrated
If you connect your wizarding world of Harry potter account or whatever it’s called for the website where you do a more in depth quiz to see your hogwarts house, wand look and patronus although the latter is irrelevant the other two will instantly be transferred when you play the game as long as your account is connected. Obviously you can still change it (I did) though.
This one time I had to delete progress because my person got stuck in-between things and there was no way to get out and it wouldn’t let me use my map or anything.
As a person with a C.P. who can barely use my right hand, the worse thing about the game is having to direct the camera manually. I can't tell you how many times I've had to do the boom quests because the fucking camera went in different directions. There should have been an option to allow for the camera to move automatically.
53:30
So the Felix Felicis scene in Half Blood Prince is bad then? That's also followed by a very serious scene of Harry having a conversation about his mother with Slughorn. Doesn't mean the Felix scene is tonedeaf. It's just part of the world that there are these magical components like potions that are sometimes goofy.
About the voice acting, i think all voices are spoken by the main characters
Fabulous... thank you for your time in putting this together. Now to work on the growly voice 😉
I've had this game from the beginning and have yet to finish it. All I did was tour Hogwarts.
I never felt like a student. I felt like a guest and I was not really interested in the story. I played other games instead, but I guess I will get back to it when the definitive addition gets near.
Such a well done video on a channel with so few subs? The world (and youtube) is not fair.
Don't worry, views are more important than subs
Also the cutscene at the end of the fight where you choose to take power for yourself, shows your eyes turn red for a moment, you didn't see it cause you wore a mask ;)
I love how you use music from the early 2000s games!
This is just Jedi Academy with extra steps 😂
Enjoyed the video must have taken a lot of time and thought to put together. A few comments while I agree with your criticism of officer Singer, I believe they were trying to do what happens in the movies, where the authorities and adults don't do anything. This is a device both in story telling where the young under powered character has the chance to become the hero. A classic example is how the powerful Gandalf in LOTR acts as an advisor doesn't beat the villains. Also I believe the game is dumbed down because it's intended for kids. I do agree this could have been handled better and the worst part of the game is the decision you are offered have no consequences.
There's no PS1 Hagrid. That's really all that needs to be said.
Having the sorting hat use the tutorial for your house would’ve been I great feature
Some of the cons at least at the beginning (house/wand/patronus) you can take tests on hogwarts legacy’s website to figure out what house and wand and if you link your account to the game, the game will automatically give you those (you still have the option to choose though)
A very good and detailed review.
I fell like the story did it's job but it could have been so much better especially with branching paths. I think it was intended to have it in the game but after multiple delays plus working on multiple versions for different consoles ment a lot had to be cut or reworked. Think branching paths would've added way more replay ability.
Also such a missed opportunity to have are friends accompany us to the final repository.
It could go like this, Fig warns the Staff and we have the option to get are friends in secret. Maybe depending on the quests we've done depends on if they show up. We all fight through the Goblins and the Professors show up, including Professor Black(shows his still gives a damn about the safety of the students). Main Character, Fig, and the companions are find the final repository. They could have different inputs: Sebastian wants you to open it to save Anne, Poppy and Ominous are against it, Natty isn't sure. We make are choice and Ranrok shows up. Fig gets separated and all of us fight him. After each bar is gone a companion using a special attack that takes them out. Sebastian can use a powerful confingo blast, Natty charges in her animagus form, Poppy uses a creature to attack Ranrok, Ominous uses his parcaltongue to call a swarm of snakes. Then the dragon fight happens and Fig dies. In the memorial are friends could console us.
Using one of the main themes of Harry Potter: Friendship. Harry couldn't have gotten far without them.
Yes! So glad I'm not the only one who distrusted Fig ...
The game wonderfully and beautifully designed but the story really made the game feels pretty stale other than Sebastian's quest I wished the game was more about character interaction and the antag being the morally grey stories you have to navigate between right and wrong
this is such a good video and ive watched it 29373 times so i dont want to diminish that but but the PS1 philosopher's stone/chamber of secrets music in the background gets me every time🥲 i love the level of detail in this
i get that hogsmede is “the only all-wizard” village near hogwarts but the open world just feels so…. empty? sure there are NPCs walking the roads but the towns themselves feel so lifeless 😭 hopefully in the DLC we get like some of london or a big city in scotland to play around in. they could even revamp the endgame area to include a big city cause there’s only ONE town 😭
I took learning the curses as the player egging on Sebastian's descent after learning he knew crucio with the ultimate gas light being learning the killing curse
Excellent video describing a lot of the issues I had with the game. I recently went back to play it for my second time and hard a very hard time getting into it like the first time. I think Baldurs Gate 3 ruined it for me, while HL has the illusion of choice BG3 has real choices
1:28:00 I mean, to be fair it is the British police we are talking about here
1:08:00 i just avada Kadavra'd rockwood and it was a one shot kill. Surprised they let you do that but made it a super easy boss fight 😅
I guess he’s still just a guy and avada can kill a guy no matter whom 🤷
For the house selection. Those who had an account and took the quiz it linked with those results
Yea I heard about the account thing, wonder how many players actually knew to do this?
@@THYSNAKEi knew but wanted to play sliteryn
@@THYSNAKE almost everyone knew about it because it was actually advertised on a small flyer inside the box for the game. Do this also gave you the House Fanatic robes.
@@THYSNAKEwell if I remembered correctly there was a prompt to log in to WBgames when you open the game, at least that’s how I knew it, I did avoid all spoilers and therefore couldn’t have known that elsewhere. This does get a tad annoying on 2nd 3rd and 4th play through though, as it still auto selects the linked house and u have to pick the other house urself. Well, not the worst problem in any case.
I have done muliple playthroughs, its a decent game. Does the world building well. Enjoyed exporeing authough it does get repetive in some areas. With more repective puzzles, I would say go easy, have a nice backdrop. Idealy few or no fetch or seach puzzles. The merlin trials are ok with this but there are a lot of them. The chest dungions are probably a good example of how not to have a repective puzzle. You need to find the box thing which half the time is hidden just out of reveleo range. You get impatiant with wingatiam leviosa so dipolso it and it decides to fly to the moon and glich out the puzzle. Then theres a puddle that leads to a loading screen sometimes which you have to swim out of. Then a long tunnel with a chamber that does nothing. Then you have to use wingadium leviosa to make an arrow go the right way. Just to get some bad loot and one less icon on the map.
I did want to explore the world more on foot in my last playthrough, nice change from flying, got both Highwing and Lord or the shore before getting a broom.
Regarding stuctures including Hogwarts, there are unexploreable areas which may be of minor intrest to the player. Some of hogwars towers for example.
Regarding story and gameplay, I would have liked to see more of life at hogwarts. I feel some games including Hogwarts Mystory did this somewhat better.
The game did great early on. The open world should feel like a weekend adventure.
It would have been nice to see diffent directions the story could take or more acutral choises.
I agree with some of the charicters feeling off in some areas. Haveing no control over solimans fate is a big one. First playthiugh I didnt want to defeat him untill I realised the game was forceing me to do it.
I wish your choices in the game carried more weight.
If you give me multiple options of dialogue, then the things I say and choices I make should have lasting effects!
The only real consequences I’ve seen is sending Sebastian away or not.
I enjoyed my first play through because I wanted to be a morally good slythern (because I think not all slytherns are evil), so I chose all the good choices and was a kind, selfless girl.
But in my second play through as an evil gryfinndor I realize nothing I say or do *really* matters until the very end with Sebastian.
Like the story is pushed to go a certain way no matter how cruel/kind you are.
I wanted the choices I made to change the progression of the game and the outcomes of event entirely.
First: Ive played it as it came out, and I have enjoyed it very well and actually completed it (which is super rare for me), i dont like action combat and i dont like playing single player rpg much. But i did this. EVEN THO, I did constantly say, it has a lot of nice features, the world itself is made very well, but all the features seem to be in their baby shoes, not rly developed, expanded etc. They had a lot of potential.
8:59 except it's even better, as it can be connected to the Pottermore profile. Which will give you your house and wand in game~
58:59 The 1800's version of "It should have just been an -email- owl".
I loved your theory about Professor Fig after his death being a little sketchy, as it would explain so much, and would have made for great writing. It reminds me of how Dumbledore has been a little sketchy throughout the main series, not being forethcoming, or Mad Eye Moody being Barty Crouch Jr the entire time for the whole year, something no character saw coming.
IMO Uncle Solomen got what he deserved for having exactly 2 brain cells willing to let his family die. For officer Singer being an incompetant cop...I honestly don't think that's too farfetched, since that sort fo thing isn't all that unusual IRL.
For the cons that irked me, I hated how they glossed over the classes, and most of the game/story is taking place outside of Hogwarts school itself. And a final one: every loot chest being RNG, when they should all have been simply fixed from the get-go. Like, after spending hours and hours on a difficult puzzle, and all I get from it is a useless, weak, low-tier piece of gear; that just makes me want to throw my controller across the room for all the time I wasted. The payoff was not worth the trouble of some of those puzzles or huge dungeons I got lost in; thank god for online guides and youtube playthroughs.
Overall: I thought this was the single greatest in depth constructive critique video pointing out all the flaws the game could have done better with, and it's surprising you don't have more subs. Avalance should be hiring you to one of the writers for the next game in the series.
Damn this is an amazing video and covered every single issue and positive I had of this game