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My favourite part was when John Hogwarts turned to the camera and said; "Maybe, the real Hogwarts Legacy is the friends we made along the way".

This is one of the few games that I get happily wrapped up in side quests and random stuff instead of sprinting for the main quests.

Not a Harry Potter fan at all but the amount of details and inspiration in the castle is just unreal. Every painting feel like they have story to tell. Every statue, pillar, wall feel like it have been build from the ground and not just pixel code made a dev. I cant imagine how HP feel rn.

The game skeptic in me says this game is a 7.5 out of 10. The Harry Potter fan in me says this is a 20/10, this feels like an absolute love letter to the fans. I got spoiled and I don't even care, just being able to play this is a dream come true. I realize after some comments I believe I held my love for this game back to negate my bias for the Wizarding World at large. This game is a solid 9 with the only issue being a hand holdy and long tutorial

I have put 33 hours into the game so far and I just finished my first trial at level 25. Most people will have sped through the main story, but I intend to take my sweet time and fully explore every possible side plot. There is so much to do even without the main storyline and I get lost exploring or decorating the room of requirement.

I know it’s different but they also made Toy Story 3 the game and it has a toy box semi-open world mode where you customize your toy town and solve puzzles and it’s been one of favorite gaming experiences 13 years later. So I was actually excited when I saw they were on this because of that

The Müeller puzzles joke was pure gold. I was expecting typo fixes to pop up on screen as legitimate errors in recording.

I freakin lost it at "*morbin puzzles*" thanks Luke great stuff!

The Morbius puzzles should have been focused within the castle, there's plenty of space

I'm glad Harry Potter fans finally got a game that did the world justice. it's not for me but I can totally see why people love it. if they made a lord of the rings game like this I would lose my shit

This game is great, but the potential is INSANE. It's crazy how many small tweaks that they could make to make the game really good

This game has nailed the HP lore and getting absolutely lost in the massive world is a Potterheads dream come true. I'm about 20 hours in and loving every second of it.

The fact that Hogwarts Legacy is one of the most pre-ordered games is hilarious guess the boycotting didn't work then. I can't wait to try it out.

I am in love with the pure attention to detail and care that went into everything lore related in this game. There are so many hidden easter eggs and references to the books and films. It’s such a fun factor for a HP fan.

Didn't know all that stuff about the developer's history. With a studio who made Disney movie licensed games and Tango Gameworks making horror games that were a bit niche it's pretty fantastic for gaming that these two studios could start the year off with power houses like Hogwarts Legacy and Hi Fi Rush. Both having single player, cosmetics earned in game through player feats, and no battle passes/loot boxes it feels like stepping back in time a few generations to where you could just plug a game in and have fun. Will be very interesting to see the future of these two studios for certain.

Its not perfect but its better than I thought. I'm having a lot of fun playing the game and as soon as I stop i just want to go back and play more. Most of the issues I have with the game are ones that could very well be fixed with a patch. The foundation of the game they nailed it and its something they can build upon. Performance issues and lack of enemies can be fixed in future patch and dlc

dont listen to haters...just play this game

the lack of enemy variety is seriously a major dropped ball...that's why it's so important to get a control group of player feedback while the game is in development imo. Well hopefully, they can remedy that with a DLC.

It would be so sick if it had online duels

The fact the game came out day 1 looking and feeling great is a good sign. They’ll make some updates and I’m sure the game will be even more polished a few months from now

Easily in my top 10 games of all time. A HP fans dream come true.

I’d have to disagree at the stealth being problematic. It’s great and useful.

This is the sort of review I wanted. The other reviewers I watched didn’t even mention that enemy variety was badly lacking nor did I hear them mention the poor AI. To me those are important if I am going to last in a long game. Great review bro.

Some idiot messaged a bunch of spoilers after I posted a question on reddit asking if the game is worth buying. I'm want to buy it for a friend and have no interest in playing the game. Ended up wasting 20 min of his life and pissing him off because I kept asking dumb questions and referred to Dumbledore as Gandalf a bunch of times. Turns out he is a diehard fan of HP but wants to ruin the game for others. Sad life.

Using my broom to drop from above of the poacher camps secretly and becoming invisible before starting an attack is really cool. Having the high ground advantage makes me feel like my character is a badass.

It's a 7/10 game. But it's nails the Harry Potter feeling. Aka if you're a fan of Harry Potter, great game. If you're not, it's a meh. Nothing at all you have not seen.

My first 3 days I did not see any of these things, but now that I have the day one patch the grass now turns to snow when you run through it. I enjoyed the video and its funny how we see things so differently.

I always find your videos super helpful when feeling out new games, truly your calling in life.

Already have 20 hours.. And I don't even feel like I've scratched the surface yet..

I hope they keep updating the game to expand upon the enemies since that appears to be the biggest gripe from all the reviews I have seen

Luke, this is such a great review. It's also so nice to see a reviewer in studio. I really hope I can get my hands on this game in the near future!

Awesome review Luke! Thanks for the thoughtful points youve made on the game. Im glad it turned out well. Side note: you usually mention Cyberpunk and Fallout 4 when it comes to taking the story seriously taking away from the game, but you almost never mention that Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild does the same thing -- the story in that game encourages you to skip exploration altogether since they constantly make it seem like the Gannon is about to break free of Zelda's spell at any given time if you don't hurry.

The inventory space is not really an issue because of the transmog system. simply fast travel to any shop and sell everything besides what the gear with the stats you want. you can replicate the look of every item you got with the transmog. but i do agree, there is no harm in simply increasing the base inventory space.

I was actually on the opposite end of what you described I hated the movies and didn’t read the books but I think that really help me enjoy this game and it ended up really winning me over

Amazing game, only thing I wish the same puzzles weren’t over and over, but the detail in game is 👌

if you like HP at all you'll love the game. It's so nice to have a magical take on the open world genre. Usually I hate collectables. But I actually spent more time doing side content than the main story. Never knew seeing the stairs form at my feet would be better than just running up some static staircase. So much attention to detail and interesting animations that make the world feel alive. I'm much more of a yakuza dense open world enjoyer to a ubisoft large open world, map icon simulator enjoyer. And remember how in cyberpunk if you want to have good stats you're going to look like a clown, but here we can change all gear to look like anything we've already found or unlocked. I never even had inventory problems, I would always sell anything that I wasn't using and no matter how many times I found myself in Hogsmeade, it never got old or boring.

My biggest issue with the game so far has been targeting. The Dueling Championship on Hard took me a few attempts because I kept targeting the wrong person. I watch my wife play on Normal and although she encounters the same issue, it doesn't feel as punishing (which makes it less noticeable).

I think the fact that the game is just so massive in scope and scale on top of the fact that there's just so much to do and see.. the fact that there are no major or game-breaking bugs just shows how hard the devs worked on polishing this and because of that, I'm perfectly fine with a few pop-ins or a little long distance blur on performance mode. Overall it's just fun to play and get lost in the world they've created and I'm so happy the game lived up to the hype. There's never been a moment playing the game where I wasn't having fun or enjoying whatever task I was on. And for people who were saying the side quests were just a bunch of fetch quests idk where they got that from because that's not the feeling I get from it at all. They all seem to be introduced in a way to connect certain dots or introduce new mechanics or spells to you in a way that feels natural. And yes being a massive Harry Potter fan does add a few extra points and for me, the game thus far has been an easy 9/10. That 1 point is from just a few issues and things I wished the game had that it doesn't. But the lack of those things is pretty grandly made up for with all of the other activities and mischief you can get into in this game. And one final thought is that I will say I'm absolutely shocked that at no point did I feel like the world was "empty" or boring. Every location is spaced out in a way with scenes and locations in between them that you never really FEEL like you're just in a pointless area that was only added to increase map size. Every location is rich in detail and intrigue. I could go on and on about this game. No, it's not perfect but it's a DAMNED good first attempt at a game like this and I'm really looking forward and excited to see where they take the franchise next in the video game medium.

Why is no one talking about why WB patented the nemesis system to only not use it in their games.

The "Fidelity and Raytracing" setting is absolutely insane and rarely dips below 30fps (XSX) unless you're sprinting throughout the castle, and seems to run fairly smoothly outside in the open world. Definitely at least worth a try, especially within Hogwarts, because it makes the interior look twice as good.

The biggest thing I was sad about was not being able to play Quidditch... And maybe having like the year end with declaring which House won the House Cup since many a time in the quests the Professors give your House, points for your excellence... Tbh having more things being influenced/dependent on which House we belong would've been so nice, instead of just influencing what coloured dress we wear and what common rooms we get access to...

A sequel to this game will go insanely hard, I feel like they specifically left those things out like quidditch just for it because one thing that will be sick in a sequel I think is broom combat also

I agree with that inventory space at first it felt like I wasn't picking up enough stuff now I know that these marven puzzles increase inventory space ive literally got a broom and just started hashing them off the list before continuing the story. Sad to say I really wished they gave us a bigger inventory at the start and give 5 slots every expansion

I completely identify with your observations. I cannot understand the glowing reviews this game is getting. AC, Cyberpunk and the like get crucified for a glitch, yet HL,has been given a free pass. HL not only is full of technical problems, but the fundamentals (tech, design, visuals, mechanics, game construction) are, at best, last gen. I was wondering why my impression was at odds with virtually every mainstream review site and comment - am I play a different game to everyone else?

Intentionally calling merlin puzzles by the wrong name is top tier comedy right there my man. I needed this.

I’m at my 9hr of gameplay, and I didn’t expect this game would be that great! It even look better than in the recent gameplay previews. The experience is amazing here, especially the amount of stuff you can do with your magic. This was worth the long wait, we finally got a decent probably the best RPG game ever created for a while. It had some details only true fans can recreate. Avalanche did that! Definitely one of my top 5s

You got me with the Morgan puzzles! Sub gained sir!

Appreciate the very honest review... you being able to set aside your HP fan bias, being able to see it and grade it with the "fan filter" on and off.. being objective without it. Good job.

I really believe with a sequel and an increased budget, a lot of these problems can be fixed. I trust this team.

We need this same style game made for Lord of the Rings now.

Waited for ur review and after I saw it I gave it a chance. I’m a 40 years gamer,and I truly played a bunch of games since I was 7. This is a true masterpiece,thx for your content. Keep it up

Yeah I definitely had to prioritize knocking out some Mervin puzzles cuz the tiny inventory was so frustrating

Not even a big harry potter fan. But this game has taken me back to my bully playthrough days, the sense of wonder is amazing here

Great review - love how your overall positive impression don't stop you from detailing the problems with the game.

I like the final fantasy reference with being able to pet cats. Can tell they were definitely an inspiration for this game.

It's been a good few years of small studios releasing bangers way above their belt. Always nice to see,

As far as combat variety goes I believe there is more to it than you said when you are trying to optimize each encounter. For example, when there’s a big enemy like trolls or giant spiders it’s best to use imperio to mind control them and then just let them kill all the other enemies for you and when they’re the last one left then the game allows you to sneak attack freeze them because mud controlled enemies see you as invisible, for evil wizards it’s best to use crucio and it’s talent upgrades to spread the cursed effect to far opponents and then use the avada kadavra talent upgrade to one shot them all. For small troll enemies it’s slightly harder to spread curse easily because they tend to surround you and attack more in your face, so it’s better to use non curse spells and their talent upgrades to do aoe attacks since the small trolls are usually closer together than the evil wizards with their attack distance differences.

Great review. My one thing I don't agree with is the inventory size tweak. As you pointed out, the equipment system really gives no value to holding on to equipment any longer than it takes to equip the new item (and maybe change the appearance if you don't like it). As soon as I my inventory is close to filling up, I fast travel to a couple feet from a merchant and sell off the lower level equipment. The Merlin/Morbin/Morlok puzzles just give you slightly longer until you have to take a 1 minute break to sell it all off. To me, that's no different than my experience with Skyrim where I'd loot a dungeon, then go sell off all my stuff. I would absolutely love if there was a reason to hold onto more equipment to make a reason to need more inventory space.

I think this proves smaller studios, indie devs included, are capable of more than people give them credit for.

Thank you for reviewing this game instead of giving into the idiots who are harassing other game reviewers 💯

Great review! Your language comes across very concise and almost like quality assurance lmao. But besides the point i especially couldn't articulate as well as you do the inventory capacity increasing affects my incentive to more grind than actually explore compared to BOTW.

I'm using an nvme 4x ssd, and the worst that happens for me is my character walks through doors instead of runs, but I have been watching streamers play and seen loading wheels for doors that I go through seamlessly... I think it depends on what transfer speeds your ssd is capable of.

The fact you said Merlin all the different ways like you said you should do, I couldn’t stop giggling because you didn’t break at all 😂

I'm loving this game! its been a while since i played a good western fantasy game, and this is scratching every itch.

This was a great and VERY fair review, thank you for this information

Great merlin puzzles bit 🤣

I like the part where he talks about the megatron trials. The mermaid trials were indeed fun.

Nailed the Merlin bit, Luke. Great review!

Hey buddy, you're very much becoming my favorite youtuber with your reviews and just general positivity. Even when discussing seemingly negative topics, you keep it lighthearted and fair. Even when you have a bias you try to be as skeptical as possible and I thank you for all of that. I shall continue to enjoy your content and hope you never take a downward spin towards mediocrity.

I honestly had no problems with inventory, I did the first 2 merlin puzzles and never felt the need to increase my inventory size anymore but i guess that's because I usually always sell my loot at hogsmead or nearest vendor whenever I can, so my inventory is empty half the time

"The third-floor corridor is out of bounds to anyone who does not wish to die a most painful death." So if we're fine with it then it's back in bounds?

The game is incredible. I’ve been playing it since the early access release and its the most fun I’ve had with a game in years. I’m a big Harry Potter fan, but it really does feel like a great game.

I think you didn't quite nail the problem with the gear system. Transmog itself is NOT the problem and most of the gear is actually really good looking. The real problem is: You constantly get new loot and you would have to change it like every 2 minutes in theory. Which results in this never ending loop of you changing pieces, applying the transmog look and getting rid of the old stuff.. At one point it got so repetitive that I stopped caring and barely ever changed it. As you said, the numbers don't have much influence on the gameplay anyway. However, my biggest problem with the gear system was that it's basically all RNG based! It doesn't matter If you open a chest in a random broom closet or in the chamber of secrets itself. It's all the same random loot pool and that realisation quickly killed my entire immersion. No more theorizing and wondering about what could await me. Freaking Lootboxes sprinkled around my Singleplayer Hogwarts Open World. How exciting and magical..

I loved the Murder puzzle mispronunciation joke. Greqt vid!

Hogwarts legacy just reminds of Guerilla's success with Horizon they had never done that genre before and absolutely nailed it huge praise to the devs it can only go up from here with DLC and future games, it's a solid 8/10 and has earned its good reception hands down

Those people spoiling really are spiteful. I got spoiled on a fanart of Pikamee, because she was excited to play the game, this added to the fact she got a lot of hate on her stream chat and didn't stream the game... this is the kind of thing that really get to me

Sharing this to my Twitter

Just bought this game! Cant wait to play. Thanks for the quick review Luke!

I agree with most of this. But despite its problems this game is incredibly fun. I’ll sit down to play it on my day off and before I know it 14 hours has passed by and it’s 5am. Been waiting 20 years for this game

It's clear they had a limited budget for this games. And honestly i feel they spent it well. I would not trade a single detail from the castle for more enemies or dungeons. It feels they put enough effort in the enemies and puzzles to keep you engaged and spent the rest into the world and characters. I can see this being a great base for a truly open world BOTW style HP game in the future. I would pay for a game of this quality that lets you go through all 7 years of study at Hogwarts.

I love that you’ve stuck with the Merlin gag from the livestream

Good you mention the optimization issues, because i see many people with the latest gpu systems that have frame drops and stutters. Including myself 3060ti system 32gb Ram. Cant run smooth at medium. I really hope they going to fix this

Player: *gets broom* Also player: "It's morbin' time"

The castle alone is a 10/10

Also, I wanted to ask if this is normal because I'm pretty sure it isn't. My pc is considered 'old' and doesn't have enough vram for Hogwarts, (I'm in the process of buying a new one :D) but as a result my pc freezes. This happens for most of my games but specifically for Hogwarts Legacy after restarting my pc my character profile has been deleted, like its just gone, poof. I contacted WB support but do I go any further with it? Is it considered a bug or can I solve it while I wait for a new gpu? For reference my gpu is a Radeon rx580 and Hogwarts runs on the recommended settings which is medium.

Got me again with the Marvin puzzles 🤣

Honestly, my Series X really isn’t struggling. Yes, I’ve had a couple of loading symbols for the castle doors, but it’s been pretty good. I truly am enjoying this game, it’s quite unique. The combat makes me wants to keep fighting, and keeps me out of the castle. Honestly, it makes me do side quest JUST FOR COMBAT and spells. Man, this game has blown me away.

Didn't even know this game existed let alone did I have any inclination to look into it or play it at all until the screeching online started and then I had to buy it. I know absolutely nothing about Harry Potter never was a fan of the series and didn't even plan on giving this game a look but I'm 20 hours into it now and it's absolutely one of the best games I've ever played definitely the best game I've played since Elden ring.

Best outro ive ever seen my man got the moves!

I don't understand how a game with a lore as extensive as Harry Potter can have such a low enemy variety. There's even a book called "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them".

After finishing the game, I feel reviewers went too easy on this game. It really wasn't anything that special, besides Hogwarts itself. Which you don't spend enough time in by default.

The game is great and honestly feels like an mmo at times. Hopefully this is proof of concept to make this a legit mmo. Can you imagine?

I thought I was gaving a stroke until I realised that your 'Merlin Puzzles' bit was you just having fun 😂

I have never been a Harry Potter fan. I don’t hate it, I just never got into it. However, with this game I had an absolute blast going through the quests. I honestly don’t think this game crutches or is dependent on your previous thoughts of Harry Potter.

My score is 9.5/10 it's simply amazing, game of the year for me. 44hrs in and having a blast!

Challenge: make a video title without 'skeptic' or 'skeptical' in it

Marstin, mervin, Morman, morbin, marvin.....so glad you included that. I was cracking up!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

the Cars 3 balloons look awfully similar to the ones in Legacy.

This game is seriously impressive. They really thought of everything. They truly brought the wizarding world to life. It’s actually fucking crazy