The year 2023 will start strong on the video game planet with the release of Hogwarts Legacy. We take stock of the RPG set in the Harry Potter universe, its release date, its particularities and its pre-orders.
[Mis à jour le 03 janvier 2023 à 16h56] Having narrowly missed out on the Most Anticipated Game of the Year 2023 award at The Game Awards 2022, Hogwarts Legacy looks set to be one of the biggest video game phenomena of the past few years. This crazy open-world RPG project in a universe inspired by JK Rowling’s books is in the final stages of production, with a release scheduled for mid-February. Hundreds of thousands if not millions of fans of the wizarding world are waiting to be able to dive into the heart of this unprecedented adventure, the first images of which have had the gift of impressing both technically and creatively. . We take stock of this extremely anticipated release next February, its pre-orders, its content and its gameplay.
Highly coveted by collectors, the Collector’s Edition of Hogwarts Legacy recently made a big comeback online and is still available on PS4 and Xbox One. As a reminder, this edition offered for the modest sum of €299.99 includes various in-game cosmetics, the recipe for the Felix Felicis potion, a metal case as well as a book and a life-size magic wand. Enough to satisfy the most assiduous collectors of the wizarding world.
Originally announced for 2022, Hogwarts Legacy was finally pushed back to February 2023. A release that will take place on February 10 next on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series, and a little later on Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One. This decision was taken recently by Avalanche Software, justified by the desire to offer a solid experience on the oldest generations of consoles. The game is therefore planned for the 4 avril 2023 on PS4 and Xbox One, and the July 25 sur Nintendo Switch.
If you are still wondering about the nature of the gameplay of Hogwarts Legacy, know that Avalanche Software and Warner Games have decided to offer us an action-RPG in the open world. A new entry in a genre that’s hugely popular for the amount of freedom it offers the player, but which has also seen some pretty clumsy attempts at adaptation in recent years. We can notably mention in the list of dunces the very last Sonic Frontiers, the behemoth Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and the embarrassing Gotham Knights, which prove to us that the open-world RPG is not a guarantee of success far from it.
Regarding the gameplay sequences presented by Avalanche Software, the game does not hide its graphic ambition, offering breathtaking landscapes and changing environments according to the seasons. One can’t help but notice that the open world of Hogwarts Legacy feels authentic, greatly respecting its time and geographic setting with hamlets and villages straight out of 19th century England and Scotland. The player will have the opportunity to explore this universe at will using different means of transport, such as the first magic broomsticks or a hippogriff.
But that’s not all, Avalanche Software also focused on the nature of the fights, and there is something to comment on these few sequences. The game is based on real-time confrontations that can possibly think of The Witcher 3 combat, without the swords. Your character can use a combination of ranged attacks and spells while having the option to dodge enemy attacks. Like Geralt, you will have to adapt your gameplay according to the enemy you encounter. You will also have the opportunity to train in a black magic arena, in order to refine your casting of deadly spells.
You can also customize your character in depth, as well as the Room of Requirement. Indeed, the latter will act in game as a base from which you can plan your various adventures. From the architecture to the various pieces of furniture, this magical little bedroom is totally yours, recreating the feeling of an almost conscious room found in the Harry Potter books. It can accommodate different trophies from your adventures.
