I'm currently 25 hours into the early-access stage of the game and it's fair to say that this game is incredible. Despite not having received a day one patch yet, I have barely encountered any major bugs or issues that caused my immersion to fade away.
I'm slightly biased when it comes to open world RPG's games with plenty of customization and exploration options, but nonetheless that genre is easy to get wrong. I'm happy to say that 'Hogwarts Legacy' got it right. I also get huge "Elden Ring" vibes but with a sweet and cosy swing to it. Obviously the duels and enemy encounters aren't as difficult (at least not at the point I've reached), but they feel uniquely similar which is cool.
The world design is breathtaking. Every time I'm looking at Hogwarts or another beautiful landmark, I find myself taking a screenshot and uploading it to my Steam account. The graphics are butter smooth and well optimized, which makes this game a joy to play - even on a somewhat mid-range PC like I have myself.
Some spaces in the open world are certainly empty, but there is still so much to do. I'm quite overwhelmed by how many different side-quests and places I can visit. There is so much lore to dive into and characters to meet. I don't think I'll ever run out of adventurous fun.
The combat features are brilliant and don't get tiring for me, at least not yet. With the regular introduction of new spells and ancient magic, you constantly have the ability to create unique combos and make each duel feel somewhat authentic. Flying on a broom or magical creature feels very smooth as well, I can tell they really optimized this feature. Perhaps it is because I play with a controller.
I'm also glad they created an original soundtrack with a touch of the original theme of Harry Potter. Anyhow, I can probably say a lot more but that would transform this review into a novel. There is simply just so much to do, it's insane! So far, game of the year for me. I can't wait for more patches and updates that make this journey even longer. Well done!
