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If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you’ve been waiting for eons, it seems, for a game like this. With its release imminent on February 10, 2023, you might be wondering how to play Hogwarts Legacy early and before everyone else. Do they know something you don’t? We got you.
The latest immersive, open-world RPG from Portkey Games and Warner Bros. lets you live out all your witching and wizarding fantasies that were, until now, limited to the books and movies that defined a generation. It’s set in the 1800s and players will experience life as a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry like never before, as they live the unwritten and embark on a dangerous journey to uncover a hidden truth of the wizarding world. In an interview with ScreenRant, game designer Adam Tew said staying true to the source material, insofar as the wizarding world created by J.K. Rowling, was really important.
“We wanted to make sure that everything felt completely authentic. We knew we would be adding things, we knew it’d be a different interpretation, we knew that we wanted to feel fresh—but we also really, really, really want to make sure that it felt authentic no matter what. So we worked really, really hard to make sure of that.” With all that said, here’s how you can score early access to Hogwarts Legacy.
How to play Hogwarts Legacy early access
Players can either buy the Hogwarts Legacy Digital Deluxe or the Hogwarts Legacy Collector’s edition, both of which will allow buyers to play the game up to three days early, meaning that it will be available from February 7, 2023. The game releases officially on February 10, 2023. As you’d guess, these editions are more expensive.
Hogwarts Legacy. Avalanche Software
The Digital Deluxe version of Hogwarts Legacy costs $79.99 on consoles
and $69.99 on PC. By comparison, the standard version of the game costs $69.99 for next-gen
consoles and $59.99 on PC, meaning that the upgrade from standard to deluxe will cost players $10. For true Potter stans, you can invest in the Collector’s edition
for $434.95.
Buy Hogwarts Legacy for PS5
Buy Hogwarts Legacy for Xbox Series X|S
In addition to being able to play for three whole days longer than everyone else, the Digital Deluxe Edition comes with the following bonus items: Dark Arts Pack (Dark Arts Cosmetic Set, Thestral Mount, Dark Arts Battle Arena) and Dark Arts Garrison Hat. The Collector’s Edition, meanwhile, comes with those digital items as well as physical bonuses: a Life-Size Floating Ancient Magic Wand with Book Base, and Steel Case.
When does Hogwarts Legacy come out?
Hogwarts Legacy will be available in both digital and physical from Friday, February 10, 2023, but as mentioned if you preorder the Deluxe Digital or Collector’s editions, you get to play it earlier from February 7, 2023.
Why is Hogwarts Legacy controversial?
Some fans of the Harry Potter universe have been disenfranchised by its creator, J.K. Rowling, and her anti-trans views. These views, however, have been strongly opposed by the stars of the films, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. But, as per the game’s FAQs, the author has had nothing to do with the game’s development. “J.K. Rowling is not involved in the creation of the game, but as creator of the wizarding world and one of the world’s greatest storytellers, her extraordinary body of writing is the foundation of all projects in the Wizarding World. This is not a new story from J.K. Rowling, however we have collaborated closely with her team on all aspects of the game to ensure it remains in line with the magical experiences fans expect,” Avalanche said.
Indeed, the game has introduced a trans character. When you meet the barkeep Sirona Ryan in Hogsmeade, you ask her about how she knows the goblin Lodgok. Ryan replies: “Hadn’t seen him in years when he came in a few months ago. But he recognized me instantly, which is more than I can say for some of my own classmates. Took them a second to realize I was actually a witch, not a wizard.”
Hogwarts Legacy. Avalanche Software
Avalanche said via email to IGN that: “It has been a high priority throughout the development of Hogwarts Legacy to create a game that is representative and diverse, aligning with our wonderful fan community. Offering players choices in the way they play the game is an element that we have worked on since the start of development. The Character Creator is just one example of that and of course, the large, diverse cast of characters present throughout the game have also had a huge amount of thought from Avalanche and Warner Bros. Games, as well as counsel from outside D&I experts.”
They continued: “The team felt that it was very important to create a game that is representative of the rich and diverse world of Harry Potter as well as the groups of people who play games, which includes the LGBTQIA+ community. We have a diverse cast of characters that players will encounter throughout the game.”
Where and when is Hogwarts Legacy set?
Hogwarts Legacy is set in the 1800s. You play a fifth-year transfer student who arrives at the prestigious wizarding school under suspicious circumstances. Fans will surely love that you get to explore and uncover a world of Hogwarts that hasn’t been depicted in the books or games.
“You want it to be familiar enough, right? It’s like, okay, this is like the thing that I saw in the films, I recognize this tower, that tower, recognize this common room. So we want recognition. But we also want it to be really fun to play. And it seems like a lot of times, what would reconcile those arguments were the books because the written descriptions would give us a little bit of wiggle room, where we could wind up being more authentic by following the books, or achieve a gameplay goal,” Tew continued to ScreenRant.
“We hope ultimately, though, that even the experience of Harry where he comes in – he doesn’t know the castle, he doesn’t know exactly how it works, and you’re kind of seeing it with fresh eyes for the first time [too]. I think we’re hoping that through all of these transactions, by solving all these things, we wind up with enough differences that you’re having that same experience where it all feels fresh, you don’t quite know exactly where it all is, but you know, you’re in an authentic place and the right spot.”
Is Hogwarts Legacy good?
While it’s certainly not perfect—even God of War: Ragnarok had minor issues—fans are seemingly in agreement that this is the best Harry Potter game to ever be released. IGN wrote in their review that “we finally got a Harry Potter game that captures some of that magic. Its open world map absolutely nails the vibe of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it has spellcasting combat that’s stupefyingly good, the characters that inhabit it are charming and unforgettable, and it is positively brimming with countless diversions to soak up dozens of hours of your time. It may not be the most impressive technical achievement and it is certainly cursed with a lack of enemy variety, but none of Hogwarts Legacy’s issues can cast a Descendo charm on this triumphant visit to the Wizarding World.” They gave the game a 9 out of 10.
It’s got a score of 86 on Metacritic, too, with PC Games saying: “Hogwarts Legacy is definitely worth it for fans. The gaming experience mainly suffers from minor technical flaws as well as a certain tonal incoherence. However, if you can overlook this, you can expect a magical adventure with lots of attention to detail. The developers’ enthusiasm for the magical world of Hogwarts shines through at every nook and cranny.”
How long is Hogwarts Legacy?
According to a report by Video Games Chronicle and an alleged leak in January 2023, the main storyline is supposed to take around 35 hours but completionists may take up to 75 hours to 100 percent the game with all side quests. The Reddit thread made the recommendation to “complete as many side quests as possible before advancing the main story,” and found that developers at Avalanche Software have been working on the game as early as 2017.
Hogwarts Legacy. Best Buy
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