CEBU CITY, Philippines – Potterheads and gamers are in for a treat this year with the first, open-world, and role-playing game (RPG) for the Harry Potter franchise.
Warner Bros. Studios and its newly acquired subsidiary, Avalanche Studios, have recently teased fans videos and a State of Play preview on Hogwarts Legacy.
Hogwarts Legacy, published under the Portkey Games label, is set to be released within the fourth quarter this year, according to its official website. However, no specific date was mentioned.
As the first RPG in the multi-billion-dollar Harry Potter franchise, news of its upcoming release sent gamers and Potterheads on a nostalgic and exciting trip to the world of witchcraft and wizardry.
Some fans even praised the developers for carefully integrating several elements about Hogwarts from its source material into the gameplay.
While the game itself has yet to be made available commercially, here is more information about Hogwarts Legacy.
Consoles Supporting Hogwarts Legacy
Consoles supporting Hogwarts Legacy included PlayStation5, PlayStation4, PlayStation4 Pro, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, PC, and more recently – Nintendo Switch.
Gameplay Modes
According to developers, Hogwarts Legacy will be a single-player experience and does not have an online or co-op mode.
Story
Hogwarts Legacy is set in the 1800s, approximately a century before Harry Potter and his friends come into play into the wizarding world.
As an open-world game, players can set their own pace of the story. They will be admitted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a new, fifth-year student.
And just like the students in the Harry Potter books and movies, players will have to attend their Herbology, Charms, Potions, and History of Magic lessons to get through the day.
On the sides, they can explore other quests by engaging in extra-curricular activities which, according to gameplay preview, can help players level up their skills and character.
“Players will be able to explore a fully realized Hogwarts Castle where they will attend classes, discover dungeons, secret passageways, and challenging puzzles,” developers said.
Warner Bros. Studios and Avalanche, however, disclosed that while Hogwarts Legacy heavily takes its inspiration from J.K. Rowling’s creations, the British author has ‘no direct involvement’ in coming up with the game.
“These experiences have not been written by J.K. Rowling and will not be direct adaptations of the books and films…J.K. Rowling is supportive of Portkey Games and has entrusted the design and creation of the games to WB Games and the developers involved,” they added.
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