In just under a month, gamers can finally take their first steps into the Wizarding World as Hogwarts Legacy drops on consoles and PC. The game takes players into the world first introduced in the beloved Harry Potter franchise.
Developed by Avalanche Software and published by Warner Bros. under the Portkey Games label, the action role-playing-game puts players in the shoes of a new student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, who joins the school in their fifth year. The game is set in the 1890s, around a century before the tale of The Boy Who Lived.
As such, it will feature a host of brand-new characters, as well as one or two who will be familiar to Potterheads. According to the game’s official yet brief synopsis, players take control of “a student who holds the key to an ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart.”
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In the open-world game, players are free to roam – on foot, by broom or by Hippogriff – around some of the franchise’s iconic locations including Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and the Forbidden Forest. On their wizarding journey, players will be able to grow their character’s abilities by mastering powerful spells, brewing potions, and harvesting magical plants, all while facing off against deadly enemies including trolls, dark wizards and goblins.
You will be able to choose which of Hogwarts’ four houses to be placed in, while the game also has a morality system with players encountering quests and scenarios that will pose difficult choices and determine what they stand for. The game’s cast of voice actors was revealed on Wednesday (January 11), and it includes Hollywood actor Simon Pegg and a former star of the Harry Potter films, as well as two newcomers to the franchise who provide the voices of the game’s playable avatars.
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Hogwarts Legacy looks set to be one of the biggest games of the year, and is currently the number one preorder on PC storefront Steam, while its PlayStation 5 version sits at the top of Amazon’s preorder chart. So, with less than four weeks to go until Hogwarts Legacy is released, will you choose to be a lion-hearted Gryffindor, or a devious Slytherin.
When is it released?
Hogwarts Legacy will launch on Friday, February 10, 2023 for PS5, Xbox X, Xbox S, and PC. In December, the game’s official Twitter account confirmed the PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch versions had been delayed.
While a specific reason for the delay was not given, the post simply said the team “want to deliver the best possible game experience across all platforms.” Hogwarts Legacy will launch for PS4 and Xbox One on April 4, with the Nintendo Switch version following on July 25.
How to preorder Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy is available to preorder from online video game outlets including Game, ShopTo, Argos and Amazon. It is currently priced between £51.85 and £59.99 for the Standard Edition on PlayStation and Xbox, while the Deluxe Edition costs between £62.85 and £69.99.
The Nintendo Switch version is available to preorder from £45.85. PC gamers can preorder Hogwarts Legacy on Steam from £49.99.
A UK retail exclusive Collector’s Edition is also available from Game for £274.99, and is released three days earlier than the Standard and Deluxe editions. As well as a copy of the game for PlayStation or Xbox, the Collector’s Edition includes a life-size floating ancient magic wand, a steel case, and exclusive in-game features such as a Kelpie Robe, Thestral Mount and a Dark Arts Cosmetic Set.
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