Summary
Despite succeeding in many areas, Avalanche Software’sHogwarts Legacystumbles when it comes to implementing dark magic, a key element of theHarry Potterworld. With that said, there are certainly some ways that theall-but-announcedHogwarts Legacysequelcould tighten things up in this regard, making the dark arts a worthwhile inclusion.
The main issue with dark magic inHogwarts Legacyis how the game trivializes it as a gameplay mechanic. The player can learn all three Unforgivable Curses - a title that is not arbitrarily granted, as the use of these spells is generally considered inexcusable and is portrayed as evil in every rendition of theHarry Potteruniverse, includingHogwarts Legacy. However, these spells are reduced to mere combat mechanics in the game, as players will experience no consequences for using the Unforgivable Curses; NPCs will still treat the player normally, the story will be virtually unchanged, and there are no gameplay downsides. This is not only amissed opportunity inHogwarts Legacy, but it also greatly harms the role-playing experience and sense of immersion.
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How The Sequel to Hogwarts Legacy Can Enhance Dark Magic
There are some ways that Avalanche can improve the implementation of dark magic in theHogwarts Legacysequel, although what this will look like will depend on what the premise of the game is revealed to be. Whatever route the sequel takes with its setting and narrative, it will be crucial for dark magic to play a significant, game-altering role.
If dark magic is going to be made available to the player, then there should be weight behind their decision to use it; Unforgivable Curses shouldn’t be treated the same as regular spells. One possible route for the sequel could connect tofan-favoriteHogwarts Legacycharacter Sebastian Sallow. Sallow is the character that teaches the player dark magic in the first game, and he slowly descends into darkness throughout his quest line, ultimately destroying his ties with his family. If theHogwarts Legacysequel is a direct continuation of the first game, then Sallow could be a significant character who is following the path of darkness. This would be where dark magic would come in as a gameplay mechanic.
Sallow could become the gateway to an alternate story path, mimicking games likeInfamous2, where players could choose to be “good” or “evil” depending on which character they chose to side with. This would be an elegant solution toHogwarts Legacy’s elephant in the room, as there would be natural, meaningful narrative content behind using dark magic. Perhaps the player could be locked out of the “good” story path if they use Unforgivable Curses too many times, or the curses themselves could be unavailable until they progress to a certain point in the “evil” path.
This would make the use of dark magic more interesting and powerful, as the spells would have real consequences for the story and wouldn’t just be super-powered attacks with no drawbacks. Implementing a system like this would also deepen the game’s combat, forcing players to carefully consider their options in a tough battle. Aside frommaking spells more interesting inHogwarts Legacy 2, this would allow for a more robust role-playing experience, greatly enhancing immersion and offering replay value far beyond what was seen in the first game.
There’s an argument to be made that the best wayHogwarts Legacycould have treated the dark arts would be to leave them out of the game entirely, at least as a gameplay mechanic. There’s no real need for the player-character to know a torture spell or an instant-killing spell, and the spells can wind up damaging the game’s sense of immersion. However, the franchise can’t un-ring that bell, so Avalanche Software should take steps to make dark magic more purposeful anddeep in theHogwarts Legacysequel.
Hogwarts Legacyis out now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with a Switch version releasing on November 14.
