Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world action role-playing game that immerses players in a magical universe inspired by the beloved Harry Potter series. Set in the 1800s, a time that predates the adventures of Harry and his companions, players take on the role of a new fifth-year student at Hogwarts.
In Hogwarts Legacy, you are thought to possess the crucial element to an age-old mystery, prompting you to set off on an exciting adventure to reveal the concealed realities of the magical realm.
If you’ve come across reviews or watched gameplay videos of this game, you’re likely aware of the vast array of activities and exploration opportunities it offers. This article serves as a beginner’s guide, providing essential information to help you embark on your journey in Hogwarts Legacy.
Contents
- An Overview of Fundamental Concepts and Characteristics
- Selecting Your Home
- Understanding Spells and Equipment
- Talents
- Spells
- Forbidden Magic
- Core
- Stealth
- Chamber of Necessity
An Overview of Fundamental Concepts and Characteristics
Contents
Selecting Your Home
While the Sorting Hat is featured in the Hogwarts Legacy game, the choice of which house to join ultimately lies in your hands. You have the option to disregard the Sorting Hat’s suggestion and choose the house you favor the most when the opportunity arises.
To enhance your immersion in the sorting process, you might consider responding to the Sorting Hat’s questions in a way that aligns with the traits of your desired house. By doing so, you can encourage the Hat to recommend the house you prefer. Here are the responses you should provide to be placed in a specific house:
- Courage is synonymous with Gryffindor.
- Inquisitiveness is synonymous with Ravenclaw.
- Devotion is synonymous with Hufflepuff.
- Aspiration is synonymous with Slytherin.
While many aspects of the game will remain consistent regardless of the house you are placed in, there are still notable distinctions. These include the house colors appearing in the gear you obtain, unique dialogue options tied to your house, increased interactions with certain fifth-year students, exclusive common rooms, and special Floo Flame fast travel locations that will take you to your house’s wing.
The primary distinctions among the houses you can select from lie in the subtle variations in the narrative that unfold after you finish the Trials of Merlin, an early quest in the main storyline. Each house will feature its own exclusive quest, tailored specifically to its identity.
Understanding Spells and Equipment
A key aspect of this game, likely the primary motivation for many players to buy it, is the spellcasting system. Hogwarts Legacy excels in this area, offering more than 29 distinct spells and charms for players to unlock and use at their discretion. Among the most beloved spells are Avada Kedavra, Levioso, and Incendio, along with many others.
As you progress through the various quests and challenges presented in this game, you will gain access to additional spells. You’ll observe that each spell you unlock is categorized by a specific color.
- Yellow represents control.
- Violet represents power.
- Red signifies harm.
- Sky Blue = Functionality
- Pale Green = Transformation
- Vivid Green = Irredeemable Spell
Among the six distinct categories of spells available for unlocking, it is advisable to equip your Spell Set with at least one spell from the Force, one from the Control, and one from the Damage category. This combination will ensure you are well-prepared for a variety of combat scenarios.
One effective strategy for spell casting is to prioritize executing combos rather than casting spells one at a time. For instance, a powerful combination involves using the spells Incendio, Levioso, and Accio in succession. This combo is particularly effective because Incendio requires the target to be at close range. Start by casting Levioso to lift the enemy, allowing you to follow up with a few regular spell shots. Then, use Accio to draw the enemy closer, and once they are within range, you can unleash Incendio to ignite them.
In this game, it’s important to pay attention to more than just your magical skills; you should also ensure that your preferred spell set is complemented by top-notch gear. While you can buy equipment from Gladrags Wizardwear in Hogsmeade, the majority of your gear will be discovered in Collection Chests during your explorations.
After acquiring a piece of equipment that suits your preferences and putting it on, you’ll notice that every item contributes to your Offense and Defense ratings. As you explore, you’ll come across a variety of gear, which can be a bit daunting initially. However, it’s crucial to regularly review your inventory to ensure you are equipped with the most effective items that offer the highest stats.
It’s crucial and strongly advised to refrain from opening Legendary Chests immediately upon acquiring them. This is because the newly discovered gear scales with your character’s level. Therefore, it would be wiser to wait until you reach a higher level to maximize the benefits from the enhanced stats these items can offer.
As you progress deeper into the game, you will acquire the capability to craft a Loom within the Room of Requirement, enabling you to enhance your equipment. Additionally, as the game unfolds, you will unlock Traits that not only boost your gear’s statistics but also provide distinctive effects.
Talents
While progressing through the primary narrative of Hogwarts Legacy, you will encounter a quest named The Map Chamber. Upon successfully finishing this quest, you will gain access to Talents, which serve as enhancements for your spells. To unlock various Talents, you will require Talent Points, which you earn each time your character levels up after reaching level 5.
Once you’ve accumulated a certain number of points, you’ll have the opportunity to select from five distinct Talent categories, which are: Spells, Dark Arts, Core, Stealth, and the Room of Requirement.
Spells
The abilities in this category primarily emphasize dealing damage, significantly enhancing the power of your spells such as Incendio, Levioso, and Confringo.
Forbidden Magic
This section will concentrate on incorporating Dark Magic into your standard spells such as Stupefy, Flipendo, and Expelliarmus.
Core
The Talents classified under the Core category enhance your fundamental skills. This encompasses aspects such as reducing the cooldowns of basic spells, improving your defense with Protego, introducing new spell combinations, and boosting your evasion skills.
Stealth
Next, we move on to the Stealth category, which, as the name suggests, allows enemies to have a lower likelihood of detecting your presence.
Chamber of Necessity
This last section will concentrate on enhancing the strength of both your plants and your potions.
The unfortunate reality of Talents is that their quantity exceeds the available levels, necessitating careful selection of the most suitable Talents for your playstyle to ensure that your precious Talent Points are not squandered.
Challenges
Once you successfully unlock your Field Guide in Hogwarts Legacy, you can begin tackling Challenges. Each level of Challenges offers distinct rewards, which may consist of cosmetic gear transformations, essential upgrades, new recipes, extra inventory space, and much more.
There are five primary categories of challenges you will encounter: Combat, Quests, Exploration, Field Guide Pages, and the Room of Requirement.
As you progress through your Challenges, it’s essential to ensure that you are claiming the rewards from the corresponding menus. This step is crucial, as failing to do so means you might miss out on rewards and benefits that you could have otherwise received automatically.
Additional Missions and Engagements
Side Quests in Hogwarts Legacy are essential to your overall experience, as participating in classes and completing Professor Assignments is a primary method to unlock new spells and charms for your character. These abilities are necessary for tackling the Merlin trials and various puzzles throughout the game.
Similar to the Side Quests you can undertake, Side Activities hold significant value as well. Engaging in events such as Broom Racing and the Crossed Wands Dueling Club is crucial for mastering effective spell combinations and obtaining broom enhancements. Therefore, it is advisable to focus on these activities and side quests as soon as you gain access to them.
Gathering Treasure Chests and Resolving Puzzle Doors
As you immerse yourself in the Hogwarts Legacy game, you’ll venture through the enchanting wizarding world, discovering various chests and containers along the way. Some of these treasures hold greater significance than others. A Collection Chest, in particular, offers a random wand handle cosmetic or conjuration recipes for your Room of Requirement. If you’re on the hunt for these specific chests, you can find them scattered throughout Hogwarts Castle, Hogsmeade, and the expansive Highlands, ensuring you’ll have plenty to explore.
In addition to the standard chests located throughout the map, there are unique chests known as Eyeball Chests, which hold currency. The Collection Chests are the sole chests that can be monitored on both your minimap and your collectible map list, making the search for other chest types a bit more difficult. The shape of a chest can give you a hint about the contents inside.
- Boxes adorned with triangles hold a variety of Conjuration Recipes.
- Cylindrical chests hold a variety of wand handles that you can equip.
Identifying the presence of a Collection Chest is relatively straightforward, as they tend to adhere to a specific pattern. In Hogwarts, many of these chests can be discovered behind locked Arithmancy Doors or by uncovering the secrets of the castle. In the Hogsmeade region, they are typically concealed behind locked doors that necessitate the use of an unlocking spell. Lastly, the Collection Chests located in the Highlands are generally situated within enemy camps.
Pages of the Field Guide
To track the total time you’ve invested in the Hogwarts Legacy game, you’ll utilize a Hogwarts Field Guide that compiles all the knowledge you’ve acquired. Much of the information you’ll gather in your Field Guide will come from discovering Field Guide Pages, which are concealed throughout Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and the expansive Highlands.
Below is a table showcasing the different types of Field Guide Pages you can discover in the game, along with the spell requirements necessary to complete the puzzles.
Field Guide Page Type Spell Required Description Collection Page Revelio Artefacts, Works of Arts as well as Points of Interest that will need you to first get close in order to reveal the Field Guide Page. Moth Frame Paintings Lumos Blank paintings that will show you where a moth is, which you’ll need to find and guide back to the frame for a Field Guide Page. Flying Page Accio An enchanted Field Guide Page that flies around in circles that’ll need to be pulled down to you. Orb Statues Levioso You’ll need to levitate the large orb that statues of wizards may be holding in order to reveal a Field Guide Page. Dragon Braziers Incendio You’ll need to light an unlit brazier, bearing a small dragon, to then reveal a Field Guide Page. In addition to the numerous quests available in the game, the primary method for gaining experience is through the collection of Field Guide Pages and the completion of Challenges. This is crucial, as accumulating experience is essential for leveling up, which in turn allows you to obtain superior equipment, enhance your health, and unlock additional quests and spells.
Retailers and Merchants
As you advance in the Hogwarts Legacy game and venture beyond the confines of Hogwarts Castle to places like Hogsmeade and The Highlands, you will encounter numerous shops and vendors. While your primary purpose for visiting these establishments will likely be to sell or dispose of excess gear, they also offer a range of valuable items and services that you might find useful throughout your journey in the wizarding world.
Here is a compilation of shops in Hogsmeade that you might find beneficial to explore:
- Olivanders
- When you visit Hogsmeade for the first time, this shop will surely be at the top of your must-see list, as it’s the place where you will choose your wand.
- Volumes and Manuscripts
- While you might not frequent this location much at the start of your journey at Hogwarts, as the game progresses, you’ll find yourself returning here more frequently. This is the place where you can acquire Conjuration Recipes for items that will be essential for your Room of Requirement.
- Spintwitches Athletic Requirements
- You won’t just be acquiring your initial broom from this shop; you’ll also return here multiple times to access essential enhancements for your broom down the line.
- Canine Herb and Fatal Mushroom
- You will find this vendor to be incredibly beneficial, especially when you begin tackling Side Quest tasks. They offer an excellent selection of plants and seeds, including Mandrake and Venomous Tentacula, making it essential to get to know them.
- The Enchanted Neep and J.Pippin’s Elixirs
- This shop serves as the ultimate destination for acquiring the necessary components to create particular potions, but be advised that the prices for these ingredients can be quite high.
- Madam Snelling’s Hair Boutique
- If you want to personalize your character, whether it’s by trying out a new hairstyle or altering your skin tone, Madam Snelling is the go-to expert for you.
Concluding Remarks
Here’s a comprehensive guide for newcomers covering everything you need to understand about the enchanting realm of the Hogwarts Legacy game. It is hoped that this article has provided valuable insights and introduced you to new concepts that can enhance your gaming experience, even if just slightly.
