With all the controversy around the game, I pretty much ignored anything to do with it at launch. Since the game is on sale right now I wanted to know, is it actually any good? If it is I'd like to play it.

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[–] simple@lemmy.world 37 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (15 children)

It's not a bad game but it's easily the most overhyped game I've played this year. I'd describe it as a super generic RPG with a Harry Potter skin. The best thing I can say about it is that the game is very pretty. Hogwarts itself is lively and is pretty fun to walk around in. Everything else, though, is just sooooo generic.

Let's start with the magic system itself: In combat it literally boils down to using the right color on the right enemy. If an enemy has a red shield, use fire. If an enemy has a yellow shield, use your yellow ability. Other than that, just spam your magic until they die. You can dodge but enemies are usually pretty simple and telegraph their attacks hard. For a series so known for its magic, most of the magic boils down to "stun enemy" and "deal damage".

Outside of combat, magic is painfully boring. Your main character will also constantly spoil basic puzzles for you. "Hmm, a rock, perhaps I can use MY LEVITATION SPELL". "Oh, cobwebs are blocking the way, perhaps I can use my FIRE SPELL!" Everything boils down to basic interactions like this.

There's little to no roleplaying, your choices don't matter and boil down to being the nicest guy ever or being an arse for no reason. The story is linear. Your house changes your sleeping area and your clothes and some dialogue but that's about it. The story is very uninspired too, you play as a person with amazing ancient magic powers that nobody else has because you're the chosen one and stuff. Your professor is helping you unearth the mystery of why you're so special while stopping the bad guys from doing evil stuff. Nothing exciting imo.

TL;DR: I guess if you really love Harry Potter you'll enjoy the game for the references they make and magical feel to it, but outside of Hogwarts it's really a pretty generic RPG. The combat's repetitive, the open world feels empty and boring, the game overstays its welcome by being so long, etc. Overall I'd only buy it on deep discount, like $10-15 or something.

Edit: Oh, and there's no Quidditch in this game. Instant 0/10!

[–] Ech@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Outside of combat, magic is painfully boring. Your main character will also constantly spoil basic puzzles for you. “Hmm, a rock, perhaps I can use MY LEVITATION SPELL”. “Oh, cobwebs are blocking the way, perhaps I can use my FIRE SPELL!” Everything boils down to basic interactions like this.

This is probably my biggest pet peeve with modern games. From straight up spelling out the answer to puzzles to nagging the player for not being "immediately" in the next mission area (I'm literally on the way, shut the fuck up!), there is just no space for the player to explore or figure things out or just chill. Makes me want to mute it entirely sometimes just to avoid the constant pestering.

[–] cstine@lemmy.uncomfortable.business 12 points 1 year ago (2 children)

To be fair to Hogwarts Legacy, I would strongly suspect that a good number of the people actually playing that are actual children that probably need someone to point out things like that to them, since they probably don't have the same level of experience playing games as you do.

However, if I hear one more thing about how travel was so inconvenient before the invention of floo powder, I'm going to punch something.

[–] Argurotoxus@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I was able to figure out that I needed to light a deku stick on fire and roll over cobwebs to get to the floor below in Ocarina just fine at 7 years old.

And that's not even touching on the Water Temple.

People, especially game devs, underestimate children.

[–] Rokk@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

At the same time, in Pokemon Red I didn't know where to go at all after the 3rd gym and when I did eventually find that cave I didn't know flash was a thing, so that was painful.

I think I had a level 45 Venasaur by the 4th gym!

[–] Mikelius@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

My first was Yellow and I didn’t know you could re-order your party so my pikachu was 20 levels ahead of everyone else.

[–] Ech@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Some people can use help on puzzles, sure, and I don't hate when a game gives some hints or guidance there, but it can be a bit egregious (God of War was terrible with this, and I heard Ragnarok was even worse). What really drives me up the wall is the constant hectoring by npcs or even the player character to get to the next mission checkpoint, often in open-world games where a lot of the fun of the game is exploring outside of the narrow mission path. It's like devs have such little faith in their game that they want the player to just finish it as soon as possible and not investigate it too much.

I'm replaying RDR2 and a huge part of the enjoyment of that game is just going off and hunting or running into random encounters. For the most part, the player can just go off doing their own thing, ignoring the plot entirely. Can you imagine how awful it would be if Arthur was constantly muttering about how he should be on his way to this point or another, just to progress the story?

[–] SadTrain@lemmy.fmhy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

I have that problem with any linear RPG/adventure game. They paint the path from start of game to completion with VERY obvious yellow paint. I wanted to like games like Darksiders, but the game felt very "on rails".

I don't want every game to be open world, but don't put breadcrumbs down for me either. Let me figure it out.

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