Hogwarts: Legacy reviews well amidst controversy
The review embargo for Hogwarts: Legacy has been lifted ahead of its official release this Friday (which would mean a lot more if you didn’t get the game three days early with the Deluxe edition) and the reviews are looking pretty solid so far. With an 85 critic score, reviewers point to a compelling narrative set in 1800s Hogwarts with all the familiar magic and creatures you’d expect from the Harry Potter franchise. PSX Brasil had the following praise:
Despite being a masterwork in the audio and visual effect department, some critics (and early access fans) have pointed to quite a few glaring issues that are weighing down the experience somewhat. While not dealbreakers, the very small inventory space and lack of enemy diversity have led to a couple of complaints. On top of this, the shallow RPG mechanics have left quite a few fans disappointed- especially when you consider the potential for a Knights of the Old Republic style RPG set in early Hogwarts. Reviewers at M3 echoed a lot of what players have been saying about the game so far:
Despite its flaws, its clear that the overall gameplay loop and exploration that Hogwarts: Legacy offers is compelling- especially for existing fans of the franchise. You may be surprised to learn, then, that a lot of potential buyers are boycotting the game. But why is this the case? Well, a lot of that comes down to the controversial public statements that Harry Potter author JK Rowling has had about transgender people in the last few years. I’ll save you all of the tweets and small statements, as this all came to a boil with a 3,000 word essay that Rowling Published titled “Five reasons for being worried about the new trans activism”. As you’d expect, this caused a lot of backlash from fans and even those involved with the Harry Potter series directly- such as Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe himself who published his support for the transgender community seemingly in opposition to Rowling’s statements.
But what does this have to do with Hogwarts: Legacy. Well, being a videogame taking place within the Harry Potter series means that it is closely connected to the works of an individual known for their transphobic remarks in the past. This means that JK Rowling is, in some way, profiting from the success of Hogwarts: Legacy. Between this reason and wanting to take a stand against transphobic remarks, fans of the series have opted out of purchasing the new game. In fact, a petition to donate money towards transgender charities instead of Hogwarts: Legacy has reached £6,000 so far. Of course, this is a small proportion of fans and its likely not to make much of an impact on sales- but activists argue it sends an important mesage.
Whether or not you decide to pick up Hogwarts: Legacy for the reasons above or otherwise, it appears to be succeeding in what its set out to do: transport fans into the world of Harry Potter. Being the first real modern AAA game in the franchise, Hogwarts: Legacy is in a similar position to Shadow of Mordor for Lord of the Rings. If you’re a fan of the franchise, you’re going to love it. Even if not, there’s probably something to enjoy. And if you hate Harry Potter or plan to boycott the game, well, you’ve already made up your mind.
