Hogwarts Legacy
Wizarding World tale is fun, less magical than the books.
Hogwarts Legacy
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Hogwarts Legacy is a single-player action RPG (role-playing game) available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows-based PCs. Players create their own character as a new fifth-year student at Hogwarts amidst a simmering conflict between the wizards and Ranrok, the leader of a goblin rebellion who's obsessed with striking back against the wizards who've oppressed his kind. Firmly aligned with the wizards, your character will use compassion, teamwork, and friendship while working with other students and professors to save Hogwarts. Characters of many racial backgrounds are included, which is a refreshing change of pace compared to most major video game releases. But it's important to note that the good-vs.-evil conflict between wizards and goblins is tricky because, for the most part, the game doesn't address the fact that the goblins (despite some of their aggressive, cruel methods) have justifiable reasons for having major issues with wizards. Spiders of various sizes (including gigantic) are some of the main enemies. There's also the occasional glimpse of blood, and some of the in-game cutscenes feature characters dying in ways that might be more graphic than expected in a game mostly featuring teenagers.
Community Reviews
Great representation!
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THIS GAME BRINGS BACK MEMORIES!
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What’s It About?
In HOGWARTS LEGACY, you're admitted into Hogwarts under special circumstances: You're starting as a fifth-year student! On your way to the magical school with your professor and mentor by your side, you're suddenly attacked by a vicious dragon. At the last second, you teleport to safety, quickly realizing that things aren't quite right. You can see and feel surges of magical energy that few other wizards can. You're able to view glimpses of the past that only someone worthy can access, bringing into question the origin of these mysterious abilities. Why were you chosen? What are you meant to do with this newfound power? With a goblin rebellion underway, spearheaded by the malevolent Ranrok, who's eager to punish wizardkind for their crimes against the goblin race, you'll have to work quickly. Whether it's attending classes, learning new spells, sneaking into restricted areas, or going toe-to-toe with dark wizards aligned with Ranrok, you have an eventful year ahead of you. Well, young wizard? Are you ready to pick up your wand and face the perils ahead?
Is It Any Good?
It's rare when something manages to evoke a genuine, childlike glee in adults and transport them to the whimsical places of their youth so effortlessly; this game's opening hours do exactly that. The beginning of Hogwarts Legacy brings the magical castle to life before the player's eyes. When you get sorted into your house and get to explore the common room for the first time, it's like jumping into the Harry Potter books. Hogwarts itself seems like a living, breathing character, with devious ghosts playing tricks on the students, potions comically blowing up in a classmate's face, and secret areas and items around every corner. In terms of making a strong first impression, few games come close to achieving what Hogwarts Legacy does.
But as the hours tick by and your journey deepens and expands beyond Hogwarts' walls, something happens. The magic that eagerly coursed through your veins fades once the illusion breaks and the game reveals its greatest act of witchcraft yet: hiding the fact that, at its core, Hogwarts Legacy is a fun but mechanically unremarkable open-world game. In many ways, Hogwarts Legacy epitomizes what it's like to return to what used to be your favorite cheap pizzeria growing up as an adult: The food doesn't quite taste as good as you remember, the animatronics are creepy rather than cool, and, as you leave, you end up asking yourself, "Why did I decide to come here of all places, when there were so many better options available?"
There's also another cost of enjoying this particular title. Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling has made hurtful, cruel comments about the transgender community that have further endangered an already targeted group. Separating art from the artist is a tricky business, and while how someone chooses to reckon with Rowling and Hogwarts Legacy is their own business, Common Sense doesn't tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia, bigotry, or any kind of attack against historically oppressed groups.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the concept of good vs. evil in video games (and the general media landscape). With Hogwarts Legacy's wizards-goblins conflict being close to the experiences of real-world oppressed groups, is it responsible to definitively label sides as "good" or "bad"?
Can you separate a creator from their body of work when it comes to being able to enjoy a piece of media if the creator turns out to have hurtful or detrimental viewpoints?
If your favorite creator were to speak ill of your ethnic, racial, or gender-based background, would you be able to support them? How should we structure conversations around this to promote as much open, honest discourse as possible?
Game Details
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Windows
- Pricing structure: Paid ($69.99)
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Warner Bros. Games
- Release date: February 10, 2023
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Book Characters, Friendship, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Character Strengths: Compassion, Courage, Curiosity, Perseverance, Teamwork
- ESRB rating: T for Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Use of Alcohol
- Last updated: February 13, 2023
Our Editors Recommend
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Fire Emblem: Three Houses
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Vast adventure with some combat rewards logical thinking.
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