Hogwarts Legacyhas gotten the gaming wing of the Wizarding World off to a strong start, but Avalanche Software still has room to improve with the sequel. Highlighting the original game’s strengths while addressing its weaknesses would help make the IP both more appealing to audiences and allow it to better deliver on its central promise, that being thefulfillment of theHarry Potterfantasy.
One key pain point that should be massaged duringHogwarts Legacy 2’s development is narrative. The main plot ofHogwarts Legacyis unfortunately bland, derivative, and uninspired, leaning too hard into the “chosen one” archetype that was well-wrought in the source material. The next game doesn’t need to have a Pulitzer-winning story, but it should strive for a bit more complexity and originality, while presenting a world that is meatier and more lived-in. Of course, there are theoretically endless ways to accomplish this, and the ultimate strategies will hinge on the broader creative goals of the sequel, but there could be one clever way to build on what the first game established without feeling too closely tied to it.
Hogwarts Legacy 2 Should Make the First Game’s Hero a Legend
Moving On from the First Game Will Be Crucial for Hogwarts Legacy 2
Frankly, there’s no need to directly continuethe plot of the firstHogwarts Legacy, and doing so would arguably be little more than an unnecessary creative chokehold. The first story is fairly cut and dry, coming to a firm conclusion after the main quest chain’s finale, so reprising the same cast, protagonist, and conflict would be contrived and block off more interesting narrative routes.
At the same time, it would be a bit strange ifHogwarts Legacy 2were to completely neglect the eventsof the first game. One of the more incongruous aspects of the Wizarding World is that, due to its small scope relative to other high fantasy properties, it’s hard to retroactively mix in major lore elements through prequels.Hogwarts Legacyitself presents this particular problem: there are significant plot developments, like the draconic battle beneath Hogwarts, that are never even mentioned inHarry PotterorFantastic Beasts, which feels implausible. This can make the fictional universe feel disjointed and weightless, as though its most dramatic events don’t matter.
This isn’t too big an issue whencomparingHogwarts Legacyto the booksand films that precede it, as one can suspend their disbelief and simply think of the game as being part of its own continuity. But if a sequel were to come out and ignore the events of the game, then the IP’s foundation could be weakened, as there wouldn’t be a sense of interconnectivity. Thus, the titular legacy of the first game’s protagonist needs to be felt.
How Hogwarts Legacy 2 Could Integrate the Story of the First Game
Given the larger-than-life persona ofHogwarts Legacy’s main character, being just one of a handful of wizards that can harness Ancient Magic, it would make sense for other witches and wizards to reference their story from time to time. Therefore, including this hero as a worldbuilding element inHogwarts Legacy 2may be the best way to establish their legacy, rather than featuring them as an NPC or active player in the plot. This would allowHogwarts Legacy 2’s setting and premiseto be unshackled from its predecessor, but it would also help Avalanche avoid the trickier issues of reintroducing the first game’s player-character.
Still, this approach would necessitate some workarounds or minor customization features. PerhapsHogwarts Legacy 2could feature aMass EffectorWitcherstyle of backstory-crafting, allowing players to establish the name or gender of the first game’s hero to avoid unnaturally vague references (e.g. never referring to the character by name). Done right, canonizing the first game’s protagonist as a legend could helpHogwarts Legacy 2feel more cohesiveand dramatically significant.
Hogwarts Legacy
WHERE TO PLAY
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.Explore an Open WorldThe wizarding world awaits you. Freely roam Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest, and the surrounding Overland area.Be the Witch or Wizard You Want to beLearn spells, brew potions, grow plants, and tend to magical beasts along your journey. Get sorted into your house, forge relationships, and master skills to become the witch or wizard you want to be Experience a New Wizarding World AdventureExperience the wizarding world in an unexplored era to uncover a hidden truth from its past. Battle against trolls, Dark Wizards, goblins, and more as you face a dangerous villain threatening the fate of the wizarding world.
