There was a need to address the losers at Wired (especially Jaina Grey) who ‘hid’ behind “The game is mid at best, and its real-world harms are impossible to ignore.” I got the game at day one and let week I decided to play it for the fourth time. This time it was up to create a Gryffindor character. I call him Peter Manticore. Of course most of the cut scenes remain the same and again I see that after 25 months the game never waned its magic. The game kept its addictiveness, If anything, it respawned the magic of the wizarding world. This time around my nice reward was the fourth time that I got towards the Jackdaw character and four times I got a adjusted character story. In this case headless nick came to the aid of the main character. As such I got the challenge in a missing heirloom of Olivander (Ravenclaw), a visit to Azkaban prison (Hufflepuff), the graveyard chase (Gryffindor) and Scrope’s assistance (Slytherin). A setting I always wanted in RPG games and Avalanche delivered. As Wired goes, the utter BS of a 10% rating is the folly of a lifetime. This game is ten times any game Ubisoft has delivered in the last 10 years, so there.
After 25 months there is the larger premise that this game still rocks. Yes, a lot of the puzzles are set and the conclusion is the same, so that is not against Avalanche, that is on us. You see, the premise that this game can entice any player is the setting of a lifetime. It is what real gamers love. And the setting of the surrounding Hogwarts is merely the icing on a delicious cake. I never had the limited edition (with the floating wand) and that doesn’t matter to me. I am a little miffed that the free download of a deserted village (PC only) but that is the price of a console. So, I hope that this part will be included in Hogwarts Legacy 2. Still there is a rather large desire (by a lot of people) that this will be placed in France, and I think it is due to the Ministry of Magic expansion in Universal Orlando (as well as the Newt Scamander movies, a true Hufflepuff he is). Whatever we get, the Harry Potter fans (that teenager from Gryffindor) will love it, no matter the setting they get. We are given from several sources that “Warner Bros. has confirmed that Hogwarts Legacy 2 is not only in development but is a top priority”, a statement for fans to live towards. I would speculate that there is a chance that WB is setting the stage not only for the game, but to see this added in the HP world in the opening in Abu Dhabi in 2026. As such the fans will get their Christmas present a little bigger than imagined, optionally with a bucket of cherries lined in that cake as well. But the last part is pure speculation from me.
The fact remains that the game sold over 30 million copies, at $69 per copy that makes a little over 2 billion. And after 25 months that number strikes true to the game makers. As such the wannabe triple A designers are frothing at the mouth to learn what they did wrong (Ubisoft), as such Avalanche software has the inside track to surpass everyone. Yes, the franchise is part of this and that is part of the charm. Millions of fans could suddenly walk through Hogwarts and watch the space as the movies never let them and that counts for something.
As such my idea was to create a portal (thank you Universal), one that connect these two games. The older person gets to travel back to a younger self and complete the first game (if you only now have it), it would be a little extra stuffing to let Wired know that they had it wrong by 99.9% and consider that this never has been done before. Another reason to do just that. There is an additional idea, what if the first game sets the parameter for the second one? If you were a Hufflepuff student you would be alerted to Helen Thistlewood. As such the Hufflepuff student would get Helen Thistlewood as an ally. In other houses, she would become a dangerous adversary. It would only be fitting that the other houses would have a similar setting on another place with other characters. This too has never been done.
There is nothing like the spark of inspiration to see what you are creatively be possible to enhance anything and this were my ideas and I happily offer them to Avalanche, free of charge (thank you Kenneth Branagh). It isn’t merely the spark. It is what that enables you to do. To that effect, I also wrote something on November 27th 2022, called ‘It starts with options’ (at https://lawlordtobe.com/2022/11/27/it-starts-with-options/) and that is something I can leave to Avalanche software (as well as JK Rowling) as well. The story is everything. This is particularly important to realize in RPG games. Creativity for enjoyment to the gaming community, a setting too much ignored be nearly all. I once stated to Ubisoft “A game that appeases everyone, is a game that pleases no one”, I still believe that to be true, especially in gaming. Ubisoft never heeded my words and on September 26th 2024 we were given “Ubisoft’s board of directors launches investigation into problems in the company” and I gave them my take 2 years earlier. As such I don’t expect a lot to be done. The fact that Avalanche showed them up with a game that blew whatever Ubisoft had to smithereens is enough ‘evidence’ as I see it. And my evidence? I still get a hooting fine time with a game I played three times before over the last 25 months. And it still gets to me. What is what I call a near perfect game and I rate the game 92%, a little higher than most and I accept that it is due to the fact that I am to some extent a HP fan. But the game this large and being this close to flawless takes a massive amount of love towards the game and the developers delivered on this. That is something that should be clear.
Good games are becoming more and more a rarity. I believe it to be due to these game makers ‘relied’ on their Business Intelligence ‘assets’ and tried to appease their audience. Yet the truth is that true gamers are not privy or aligned with ‘influencers’ they like their quiet gaming world and they are for the most solo players. This game delivered and whilst others are so prone to appease gamers, they forget that their adversaries are creating sound chaos on everyone but them. The safest way is to ignore all of them and create the phonebook where the real fans are. (Not sure how to do that) but that is my take on the setting.
So whilst we wait for Hogwarts Legacy 2, I will enjoy my 4th play through of the first game. I reckon that this will keep me busy for another 50 gaming hours, especially as I know most of the challenges that are coming my way. That too is part of the RPG world, especially as we play the game more than once.
Have a great day and try to enjoy a game, a book or a movie today.
Lawrence van Rijn - Law Lord to be 