Will Hogwarts Legacy Have Multiple Years?
No, Hogwarts Legacy focuses solely on one single school year in the 1890s, meaning you do not get to progress through several years at Hogwarts or watch your character age over the course of the game.
Immersing Ourselves in the 1890s Era
Hogwarts Legacy transports players back in time to the late 1800s, over a century before Harry Potter‘s adventures. Specifically, the game takes place from 1890-1891, providing a window into Hogwarts long before the iconic trio roamed its halls.
As fans, we‘ve only gotten small glimpses into the centuries-old history of Hogwarts prior to now. Getting an entire game centered on this era is beyond exciting. From the fashion to customs to classes, Hogwarts Legacy allows us to fully immerse ourselves in wizarding life of the time.
While one year may seem short, it‘s incredibly rich with lore and locations we‘ve never gotten to experience up close before. We‘ll take every second we can soak in!
Reliving a Fifth Year Full of Mystery and Adventure
Rather than start as a new first-year, our character in Hogwarts Legacy begins their journey as a fifth-year transfer student. This gives us certain liberties in terms of wandering the castle or grounds freely that eleven-year-olds might not have.
Fifth year is also when students start preparing in earnest for their O.W.L. exams to determine future careers. So there‘s a great sense of anticipation and importance ascribed to our studies.
As evidenced by Harry‘s own fifth year, this mid-point era of adolescence tends to be filled with peak levels of drama, mystery, and adventure! Based on trailers so far, Hogwarts Legacy will be no different, plunging us into a dark conspiracy that threatens the wizarding world‘s very existence.
25-30 Hours For Main Story, 65+ Hours For Completionists
Most players seem to be completing Hogwarts Legacy‘s main story and side quests in 25-30 hours. This covers all the chapters and priority missions advancing the central plot surrounding the ancient magical conspiracy.
For those like me who want to uncover every corner of the map and achieve 100% completion, expect to spend around 65 hours based on estimates. This includes maximizing your characters‘ levels, collecting every cosmetic item, finishing all side quest chains, and unlocking every trophy/achievement.
Below is a table comparing playtime for main story vs. full completion in Hogwarts Legacy:
| Type of Playthrough | Estimated Hours |
|---|---|
| Main Story | 25-30 hours |
| 100% Completion | ~65 hours |
So while we don‘t get seven years at Hogwarts, the developers have packed an incredible amount of content into this single era!
Three Possible Endings, But No True Morality System
Without spoiling anything, your dialog and quest choices in the later portion of Hogwarts Legacy will determine which of three endings you get:
- Good Ending
- Ambiguous Ending
- Bad Ending
However, there isn‘t really a morality or reputation system where you can choose to play definitively "good" or "evil." You can make certain questionable decisions in quests that NPCs may frown upon, but you aren‘t locked into an alignment.
And while some endings are colored as more ominous than others, you cannot make your character go full dark wizard. So moral choices exist, but may disappoint those hoping for extensive gameplay paths tailored to a evil-leaning protagonist.
Max Level Cap Of 40
The maximum level your character can reach in Hogwarts Legacy is 40. This cap will likely seem reasonable for most players to achieve within a normal playthrough.
If you engage in lots of additional activities like completing monster hunts, exploring the map thoroughly, or replaying missions, reaching level 40 should come naturally without crazy amounts of grinding.
Based on averages, players seem to be hitting max level anywhere from 30-45 hours into the game. That leaves plenty of room for end-game content beyond just character progression.
Customize Every Detail – Except Your Quidditch Post
Hogwarts Legacy bestows an incredible amount of customization options upon players to make their wizard uniquely their own. This freedom covers:
- Character creation features of face, hair, skin color, etc.
- Outfits and cosmetics to show House pride or personal style
- Wands with various wood types, core materials, flexibility, and lengths
- Companions formed from magical beasts like owls, puffskeins, mooncalves etc.
- Suite decor and furnishings in your Hufflepuff or Slytherin dormitory
- Ability unlocking through skill trees of Dark Arts, Core, Stealth, etc.
- Over 200 spells across disciplines like Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and more
Unfortunately (at least for diehard Potter fans like myself), hopping on a broom and participating as a seeker or beater for our House quidditch team is not an option. Here‘s hoping the developers hear our cries and eventually add some sports gameplay via DLC!
Still, just about every other aspect of a young wizard‘s life is available to customize. And honestly, with over a hundred locations to explore spanning from the castle to Forbidden Forest to Hogsmeade and beyond, our adventures will be epic with or without quidditch.
Addressing the Kneazle in the Room…
It would be remiss not to acknowledge the elephant (or kneazle?) in the room regarding controversy surrounding Hogwarts Legacy.
Ever since the game‘s announcement in 2020, debate has raged regarding creator J.K. Rowling’s comments on the transgender community that many have deemed hurtful or transphobic.
In light of this, some former Harry Potter fans and allies of trans rights made clear they would boycott Hogwarts Legacy. Others argued they could separate appreciation for the Wizarding World from views of its original author.
From a business perspective, Warner Bros and developers Portkey Games responded by reiterating that Rowling was not directly involved in creating the game. However, her status as owner of Potter IP rights ensures financial benefit regardless.
I don‘t aim to sway anyone regarding their personal stances on this complex issue. Just know that sadly, tension and lack of empathy exists on both sides surrounding Hogwarts Legacy currently.
As gamers who all share a common passion, my hope is that we can unite regarding the game‘s objective merits while also having open-minded dialog around supporting all people in our community.
But those are just my two Knuts! Now back to eagerly awaiting release!
The Magic Lives on Even in a Single Year
At the end of the day, while limited to a lone 1890s-era school year, Hogwarts Legacy grants fans an immersive RPG experience like no other Harry Potter game before.
We‘ll be able to lose ourselves in the mystery, customization, lore, and magic that made us fall in love with these books and movies from the start. And really, who WOULDN‘T want to hang out with Hagrid in his cottage or duel dark wizards in the dead of night??
So while the lack of all seven years stings for diehards like myself, we can rest easy knowing Hogwarts Legacy captures the true spirit of Hogwarts for a new generation. Now let‘s get brewing potions and mastering charms, shall we??
