Summary
The Wizarding World is undoubtedly most famous for its portrayal in theHarry Potterbooks and films, which were set during the 1990s. To avoid retreading old ground, Avalanche Software’sHogwarts Legacyset its story during the late 1800s. While this setting provided some interesting opportunities, it ultimately restricted the game in many ways. As the sequel toHogwarts Legacywill likely deviatefrom the first game in many ways, Avalanche should consider going a different direction with the setting.
Hogwarts Legacyplaces players in the shoes of a late arrival to Hogwarts in 1890. The school and grounds will likely be familiar to fans of theHarry Potterbooks and movies, but certain aspects of the story and general premise will also ring some bells for those versed in Wizarding World lore. The central conflict of the game, the general world building, and the knowledge of what is yet to come in the Wizarding World make the 1800s setting interesting, but they also pose some fundamental issues that a sequel would do well to remedy.
RELATED:Hogwarts Legacy’s Inseparable Tome Needs to Return in a Sequel
Hogwarts Legacy is Restricted by its Setting
As the sequel toHogwarts Legacyhas to reckon with issuesrelated to its spells, so too does it have to work around the creative roadblocks set in place by its setting. Since it takes place before bothFantastic BeastsandHarry Potter,Hogwarts Legacyis more constrained than it needs to be. This manifests in part by forcing the game’s story to conform to the predefined history of the franchise; the plot can’t be too significant or world-altering, or else players will wonder why the events were never mentioned inFantastic BeastsorHarry Potter.
In the same vein, players familiar with the Wizarding World know that certain events must and must not occur, because of what has already been established in the previous entries. For example, if a villain is threatening to destroy Hogwarts, most players won’t feel any tension, because they know Hogwarts goes on to exist for Newt, Harry, et cetera. This limits the potential forfearsome enemies inHogwarts Legacy. So, when characters like Ranrok threaten to cause great and lasting harm to the Wizard community, it’s hard to take seriously, since the player already knows that isn’t going to happen.
Hogwarts Legacy Can Break Its Chains by Taking Place After Harry Potter
Many storytelling restrictions would be removed if the next entry in the franchise jumps ahead to a point after the events ofHarry Potter. If Avalanche went down this route, the nextHogwarts Legacycould carve its own path, building a story that can be truly unpredictable, introducing all-new characters and conflicts, rather than being stuck in the past.
Even if the sequel toHogwarts Legacytones the story downa notch, making it more lighthearted, this change in setting would still serve as a boon. The potential for a low-stakes story is far greater in the future setting, as there is no looming threat of characters like Voldemort or Grindelwald coming to upset the order of the Wizarding World. In the future, wizards could live in peace, perhaps alongside other magical creatures or even muggles, since the conflicts of prior Wizarding World stories have been resolved.
It’s also worth noting thatHogwarts Legacyis yet another prequel toHarry Potter. TheFantastic Beastsfilms have already shown what Hogwarts and wizardkind was like before the 90s, so there isn’t as much novelty to the setting. Instead of worrying about howHogwarts Legacyfits the timelineof the greater IP, Avalanche should jump far ahead of the established timeline and carve a new path altogether for the sequel. This change in setting would be drastic, but theHogwarts Legacysequel could still tie back to its predecessor via the Ancient Magic storyline, perhaps similarly to howAssassin’s Creedconnects its various settings through the Templar conflict. By taking this step, the nextHogwarts Legacycould be bold, inventive, and truly special.
Hogwarts Legacyis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. A Switch version will release on November 14.
MORE:Hogwarts Legacy Has a Clear Area for Improvement in a Potential Sequel
