Hogwarts Legacy (PC) - Europe, US & Canada

Bought this one for the gf because she loves Harry Potter...... I haven't been able to use my Steam Deck ever since....... She's not a gamer but is already 100+ hours into the Hogwarts world and tells me she's not even half way through the story with a smile on her face...

Will update this review whenever I have a chance to try it myself

if there was some games that could describe what a 10/10 slowly becoming a 4/10 the you play it, it would be this game. Started like a Lamborghini, finished the game as a crashed car. not gonna buy anything out of childhood memorys again

The game itself is pretty good, (the first few hours I‘ve played it)

But for PC it’s still a mess. It crashed often and the stutters are making it unplayable.

After hours of trying to fix it, I found a mod that makes it playable. Not perfect but at least playing.

I have 3070 and it struggles.

I cannot recommend it, still after almost two years it’s been released. It’s not in a playable state from the get go.

Very good game

okay I am really sceptical aboutbuyin this game since it is so cheap... a question for all the buyers... do you actually get the game?

I've opted to not buy HL for a while due to the Harry Potter inventor but the games open world and of course me enjoying the Harry Potter World made me get the game for my PC neverteheless. The game cought me right away and even the "tutorial" section was surprisingly fun. First impression of the people was that they could be more realistic but after more than 50 hours of playing everything fits in well.

Graphics are lovely, the villages, meadows, mountains, lakes, everything is beautifully designed with so much love for details. Realistic but then again not hyper realistic, all in all matching the people in a good way.

If at all I would've wished for more different maps for the treasure caves (please forgive my english wordings here I'm no native speaker). Those can seem kinda repetitive, same goes for Merlins quests - while the first few are challenging, once you know hot to solve them you wish for more variance.

But the main story is just so well done. Sidequests for exporing the world, learning the mechanics and a big (not huge) map offering so much to explore, even offering different seasons that are tied to the main story, each with its own beautifully done colours and lightings, be it spring flowers, autumn leaves and halloween pumpkins or heavy snow in winter. Love it.

All of this is perfectly framed with an awesome soundtrack. It's like an orchestra is playing for you only. Maybe just some additional tracks for certain spots would be nice - like Hogsmeade. Why not make it spooky during Halloween or some jingles during winter? Also spoken voices are well done (speaking for the German version) and fit their characters well.

Concerning difficulty I played everything on "normal" setting so far and especially in the beginning it took quite some time to get used to the mechanics. Whoever thinks auto-targetting makes fighting a breeze is wrong. It can be rather challenging and the number of spells, plants and potions that can be used for fights causes a rather steep learning curve - at least for me. My suggestion is to take time for side quests, enjoy the world, level up, improve the armour and bit by bit progress with the main story line.

Now, what's bad about HL? There's not much to say TBH. There're very few bugs; once a fight wouldn't end after leaving the forbidden forrest causing quicktravel to not work, another time I dove into a cave only to fly up afterwards being stuck to the caves ceiling. But that happened just once, all good. Performance is totally fine on my 2023 rig averaging in 4k at 60fps. If I could place wishes I would have wanted more challenging riddles and more differences in the treasure caves. Also I would've wished to find some more "unique" objects in treasure chests, not just stuff to enhance the main characters optics.

All in all I love this game, enjoying every minute in it. I'm the type of player who can play hours just running around, searching Merlins Puzzles (done all of them) or find old magic or open the last treasure cave in between needed steps of the main story. Especially the main story brings so much joy and even after 50 hours of playing nice surprises. Been a damn good buy.

Hogwarts Legacy is a spellbinding journey into the wizarding world that kept me captivated for over 45 hours. Set in the iconic Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, this game lets you live out your magical fantasies in an open-world setting.

First and foremost, the attention to detail in recreating the Hogwarts castle and its surroundings is truly impressive. Exploring the familiar locations from the books and movies is a nostalgic delight. The game's graphics are stunning, bringing the wizarding world to life with lush environments and well-designed characters.

The freedom to create your own wizard or witch and shape their destiny is a highlight. From choosing your house to selecting your wand, every decision feels meaningful. The RPG elements are well-implemented, and character progression is satisfying, offering various spells and abilities to master.

The story, while enjoyable, did leave me wanting more. It felt a bit rushed in places, and I wished for deeper character development and a more complex plot. However, the side quests and interactions with iconic characters from the series add depth to the narrative.

Now, let's talk about the combat. This is where Hogwarts Legacy falls a bit short. The combat system is serviceable but lacks the depth and excitement one would hope for in a magical world. It can feel repetitive and somewhat uninspired, which is a missed opportunity in a game centered around magic and dueling.

Despite these shortcomings, the game's world-building and attention to detail shine through. The side activities, such as brewing potions and taming magical creatures, offer a well-rounded experience beyond the main storyline.

In summary, Hogwarts Legacy is a magical journey that captures the essence of the wizarding world. While the combat may be lackluster and the story somewhat short, the game excels in creating an immersive Hogwarts experience. With room for improvement in future updates or sequels, this game earns a solid 8.5 out of 10 from me. I'm eager to see what more can be added to enhance this already enchanting adventure.

One of the best Harry Potter games. This will take you down your childhood memories when you didn't have to worry about anything :)

If you are thinking of getting this game, definitely go for it. You won't regret it.

10/10