Hogwarts Legacy. The game presents a lot of potential to fans, promising the kind of magical adventure that they have come to love from the Wizarding World franchise.
The PlayStation State of Play demonstration for the game reveals a great number of aspects that fans are excited about, such as attending classes at the school, and the idea of a new storyline for the Wizarding World franchise. However, there is still a lot about the game that fans don't know, and may not find out until they begin to play for the first time. Regardless, Redditors have a great many predictions based on what they have seen so far about what to expect from the title.
The Story Will Differ Depending On The Chosen House
Game developers have revealed that players will choose their own house at Hogwarts, as opposed to being sorted by personality traits. This will allow players to shape their character in their own way and choose which of the four wizarding houses they wish to attend.
This leads Warlike_smoke to predict that Hogwarts Legacy's "story and characters diverge a lot based on what path you choose." This would allow players to complete the story as part of, say, Griffindor, and then go back and try it again as a Slytherin, offering the same plot from a completely different perspective.
The Game Will Be Story-Driven
Since Hogwarts Legacy is based on the Harry Potter novels and other storylines within the wizarding world, Redditor CyclonicSpy predicts that the game will have a "great dynamic story" that drives the rest of the game.
While even just having the opportunity to explore the ancient school that fans have only read about or seen in the movies would be enough, a truly quality plotline would make the game even more memorable. While JK Rowling has not been reported to be involved in the storytelling of Hogwarts Legacy, there are plenty of canon works about the bits of wizarding history that are happening during this time period that the developers could include.
The Combat Will Be Simple
The combat in the wizarding world revolves around the use of wands and spells to hex, curse, or charm opponents. Translating this to a video game can be complicated, leading Redditors like ShallowDramatic to predict that the game will simplify wizarding combat in order to create a -friendly game.
This feels that combat will likely translate to "press x three times, then square, or perhaps triangle if you feel like seeing some fire." While fans can still hope that this game will bring something revolutionary to battles, it is likely that this tried and true model will be what players see.
The Map Will Be Scenery Focused
One of the things that Hogwarts Legacy is the opportunity to explore the grounds of Hogwarts and the rest of the wizarding world. Many of these places have only been read about in the books or seen briefly on the screen, but this game potentially gives fans the opportunity to really be a part of the fictional world.
However, Redditor Majorasblaze guesses that the map will be completely focused on beautiful sceneries and less on actual interactable features. "I have a feeling they're going to be pretty empty and focused on looking accurate over gameplay," they said. This has been true of other open-world games and fans are hoping that Hogwarts Legacy might have something different for fans to enjoy.
The Combat Will Be Melee Style (Not First-Person Shooter)
Every Harry Potter video game of the past has gone about combat differently, some to more success than others. For Hogwarts Legacy, Redditors are divided about what format the combat should take. Since the obvious weapon of choice in the games is going to be a magic wand, the boundaries and rules are somewhat blurred, giving game designers several opportunities for creative liberty.
Redditor LoompaOompa predicts that the combat will be melee style, meaning that the "player just points their character in the general direction of an enemy to shoot," as opposed to aiming. If this is the case, hopefully the game developers create alternative ways to make combat a challenge.
Strong Spells Will Be Limited
One thing that had many Redditors surprised in the PlayStation State of Play for Hogwarts Legacy was the use of the Avada Kedavra curse. This curse is described as being the only instant kill spell. It is often regarded as a dark art and is never seen used by a "good" character in the franchise.
Despite this, the developers have seen fit to include it, but Redditor Jbafofi4 believes that it will come with its limitations. "I'm guessing you have to level up to be able to wield it," they said, adding that there are probably limited times that the instant kill spell can be used. It is also possible that there are moral repercussions to using a spell like Avada Kedavra, which creates an exciting dynamic for gamers who like to be unlimited in their decisions while gaming.
Dumbledore Will Be There In Secret
So far, it has only been revealed that the game will take place near the end of the 19th century, which leaves a lot of possibilities open. Fans have been curious about whether or not Dumbledore, who is one of the most important characters that could be in Hogwarts Legacy, will be included. He was born in 1881, meaning that he would start Hogwarts in 1892, so his appearance as a student is very possible.
Redditor Fredvdp predicts that if Dumbledore is one of the player character's classmates, his name will not be revealed right away, stating that there will be "this annoying kid who occasionally shows up," who is later revealed to be Dumbledore himself.
There Will Be Set Times For Attending Classes
Many Harry Potter fans have been dreaming about attending Hogwarts since they first read the books or watched the movies. Since the State of Play demonstration showed actual classes in session, fans have been discussing and theorizing how that would work in a video game.
Redditor Ahintoflime theorizes that every day, players will be required to go to two classes and must "get there by a certain time." They go on to say that players can choose to skip class, of course, but will then risk getting caught, potentially affecting the player's moral alignment.
The Seasons Will Restrict Map Access
Another reveal in the PlayStation State of Play is that the game will feature a cycle of seasons. Whether the seasons will follow real-time like Animal Crossing is unknown, and would surely add a complicated dynamic to the game, but could also add some fun features.
Redditor Hanky2 predicts that no matter how the seasons are measured, the use of season means that Hogwarts Legacy "isn't going to be a completely open world [game]" in the traditional sense, but this could be a good thing. Certain seasons may restrict access to areas while granting access to others, allowing the game time to cycle and change, giving players something new to discover as time goes on.
It Will Follow A Social Link System
Fundamentally, Hogwarts is a high school, and there is little more important in a high school than social status. This dynamic in an open-world video game can potentially create a lot of opportunities for fun side quests and provide hours of entertainment as players run around talking to NPCs.
Redditor Persona games. "They could really take things to the next level," they said, hoping that if the game does include the format, the developers will improve it beyond anything seen before.