Hogwarts Legacy is finally just a day away, as gamers around the world are eagerly waiting to take their first steps inside the famous school of witchcraft and wizardry.
The open-world video game – set within the world of Harry Potter – is available on PC and consoles from Friday, February 10. It is expected to be one of the biggest games of the year, and expectations are extremely high, reports the MEN.
The review embargo lifted on Monday (February 6), and the praise has come flooding in. It appears that after months of anticipation among gamers and Harry Potter fans, the game does in fact live up to its hype.
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While some critics have one or two minor complaints for the game – most notably some slight performance issues – the vast majority have been overwhelmingly positive. Review aggregator Metacritic shows Hogwarts Legacy currently sitting with an impressive 86% based on 42 reviews.
IGN Portugal gave the game a perfect 10/10, while its US counterpart opted for a near-perfect 9/10. IGN US praised the game for capturing “all the excitement and wonder of the Wizarding World with its memorable new characters, challenging and nuanced combat, and a wonderfully executed Hogwarts student fantasy.”
GameRant said the game is “the best thing to come out of the Harry Potter franchise since the original books and movies.” It awarded it 4.5/5 for “perfectly capturing the aesthetic of the Harry Potter franchise” and cultivating “a special atmosphere that will leave franchise fans completely engrossed.”
VGC – who gave the game 4/5 – said: “It’s hard to argue against it being the strongest piece of Wizarding World media since the films concluded over a decade ago. It’s difficult to deny [developer] Avalanche has brilliantly captured the magic of the world of Harry Potter in what’s surely the series’ greatest video game.”
Metro gave Hogwarts Legacy an 8/10, calling it “the best Harry Potter video game ever made” and one of the “most enjoyable open worlds ever explored.” The Guardian was less complimentary and gave it a mediocre 3/5 stars, arguing the game design is “competent but unspectacular,” while admitting that “magical moments” such as riding a Hippogriff and the game’s setting “rescue it from mediocrity.”
Here is a breakdown of the Hogwarts Legacy review scores:
IGN Portugal – 10/10
PS Universe – 9.5/10
IGN – 9/10
XboxEra – 9/10
XboxEra – 9/10
PressStart – 9/10
GameRant – 4.5/5
Screen Rant – 4.5/5
VGC – 4/5
PushSquare – 8/10
Metro – 8/10
Stevivor – 8/10
The Guardian – 3/5
Despite calls for a boycott over comments made by Potter author JK Rowling, Hogwarts Legacy has been topping the pre-order charts for weeks. One Canadian outlet, The Gamer, is refusing to review the game and create online guides for it. Editor-in-chief Stacey Henley said that such promotion would promote Rowling's views which they feel "are harmful to trans people.”
Actor Sebastian Croft, who provides one of the voices in the game, has said he did not know about Rowling’s views when he accepted the role. He said last month: "I believe whole heartedly that trans women are women and trans men are men."
The game's official FAQ says that Rowling was not involved in the creation of the game but confirms the creators have "collaborated closely with her team" in order to implement the "magical experiences fans expect".
Outlining her views on transgender people in 2020, J.K. Rowling denied she was a 'Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist'. She said: "I want trans women to be safe. At the same time, I do not want to make natal girls and women less safe.
"When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he’s a woman – and, as I’ve said, gender confirmation certificates may now be granted without any need for surgery or hormones – then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside. That is the simple truth."
Hogwarts Legacy is available on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox X and S from February 10.
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