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Credit: Warner Bros.All is not well in the Wizarding World, as Warner Bros. recently hinted that the Fantastic Beasts franchise will not be continuing, which is likely a result of poor box office performances, prickly critical receptions, and all the off-screen controversy.
But it’s not all looking as bleak as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 (2011), as there’s plenty of light at the end of the tunnel, with open-world Harry Potter game Hogwarts Legacy (2023) arriving in February next year.
Related: Everything We Know About the Next Installment In the ‘Harry Potter’ Franchise
The game hasn’t been without its fair share of controversy, though, with some Harry Potter fans threatening to boycott the game for reasons that aren’t entirely understood, although we suspect it has something to do with controversial Wizarding World creator JK Rowling.
But putting all that aside, there’s a lot to look forward to with Hogwarts Legacy. Since its announcement last year, there have been plenty of reveals, such as a number of trailers, each of them teasing different aspects of the game, and an in-depth 15-minute gameplay overview.
Recently, we also learned that you can pick your Hogwarts house before the game is released next year, and that there will be a creepy Hogsmeade Village-specific quest and one that will take you into the Forbidden Forest, as seen in the Harry Potter movies.
It looks like the only thing you you can’t do in the game is play Quidditch (is it possible Warner Bros. is working on a separate Quidditch-focused game?). But otherwise, Hogwarts Legacy looks like a Harry Potter fan’s dream come true.
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And now, just when you thought it couldn’t get any more exciting, there has been a gameplay showcase reveal, which offers an in-depth look at the character customization and the exploration of your common room and other parts of the Hogwarts castle and its surrounding grounds.
Hogwarts Legacy shared the gameplay showcase on its official Twitter account. Check it out below:
“Your next adventure in the wizarding world is coming soon. On November 11th, experience a brand new look at #HogwartsLegacy during a gameplay showcase hosted on twitch.tv/avalanchesoftw and youtube.com/hogwartslegacy”
Your next adventure in the wizarding world is coming soon. On November 11th, experience a brand new look at #HogwartsLegacy during a gameplay showcase hosted on https://t.co/t4mVCPgVlo and https://t.co/LDoBiUGomX pic.twitter.com/beM2Bz68gZ
— Hogwarts Legacy (@HogwartsLegacy) November 10, 2022
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You can check out the full, in-depth gameplay showcase video below, which “drops the wand” on all those Hogwarts Legacy-haters. In fact, we’re pretty sure they’ll be changing their minds about boycotting it in no time after watching this:
It’s almost impossible to know where to start, but the character customization alone looks simply magical. As for the environment, we’ve no doubt that it will feel like stepping into one of the Harry Potter movies.
On that note, who needs more Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies when you have Hogwarts Legacy?
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As per the official Hogwarts Legacy website, here’s the synopsis for the game:
Hogwarts Legacy is an immersive, open-world action RPG set in the world first introduced in the Harry Potter books. For the first time, experience Hogwarts in the 1800s. Your character is a student who holds the key to an ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart. Now you can take control of the action and be at the center of your own adventure in the wizarding world. Your legacy is what you make of it.
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The Wikipedia synopsis, however, speaks more to some of the aspects of the gameplay and the characters you’ll encounter:
Hogwarts Legacy is set in the late 1800s and follows a student starting at Hogwarts in their fifth year. The player character, who holds the key to an “ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart”, is capable of manipulating a mysterious ancient magic, and will need to help uncover why this forgotten magic has suddenly made a resurgence and the ones that are simultaneously trying to harness it.
The player is able to interact with characters previously seen within the Wizarding World franchise including Nearly Headless Nick, The Fat Lady, and Peeves. The player character will also be introduced to new characters such as Professor Eleazar Fig, acting as a mentor figure to the protagonist. Antagonists featured in the game include Ranrok, the leader of the Goblin Rebellion, and Victor Rookwood, the leader of a group of Dark Wizards.
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Hogwarts Legacy is one of many upcoming open-world titles based on major blockbuster franchises. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (TBA) is due out some time next year (possibly 2024), and there’s even an open-world Star Wars video game in the works.
Hogwarts Legacy will be released on February 10, 2023, on all major gaming platforms — Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The Nintendo Switch version release date, however, “will be revealed soon” according to Portkey Games.
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Are you impressed by the latest in-game footage from Hogwarts Legacy? Let us know in the comments down below!