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2023

I know what I said, and I know that it doesn't make much sense to talk about a game in 2023, since we're still in the 2nd month of the year, but I honestly believe that I have already played the game that will undoubtedly be my game of the year for this year. That, or it's going to be really difficult for a game to surpass it, and that's why I'm choosing to talk about it now. I will most likely talk about this game towards the end of the year, but due to me wanting to get this project done, I've decided to add 2023 to this list, main reason being that I really just want to talk about this game. And please keep in mind that I am not going to go into any of the controversies that are revolving around this games release etc. I have my own opinions on that that I don't think fit well in this format, so I'm strictly sticking to my experience of the game and how I am doing with it, a few weeks after its release. So here we go, here are my thoughts on Hogwarts Legacy.

What can I say, Hogwarts Legacy hit all the right notes with me. An open world game based on the world of Hogwarts, and mix that with the gameplay loop of Shadow of War and a fantastic combat system that feels all its own, Hogwarts Legacy is truly going to be one of those games that we look back on years down the road, and remember how good it was and still currently is. And I know this type of gameplay style is not for everybody, but for someone like me that enjoys having a lot to do ala Assassins Creed etc, the minute I looked at the map and saw everything before me, I was ready to go. This game was also a bit of a surprise for me, because the minute I saw that you can get it early through a pre-order, I took the plunge. I knew very little about this game, given that I had only watched maybe 1 or 2 trailers, so there wasn't a whole lot to expect. And boy, when I jumped in for the first time, I must have spent anywhere between 3 and 4 hours just taking it all in, and that was just the beginning. Once you progress enough, the game really starts to open up as you acquire more essentials to make your experience that much more enjoyable. I'm trying to be somewhat vague as I know a lot of people have yet to spend some time with this game, so I am sensitive to spoilers. Plus, I would feel bad if I spoiled any of this experience for anyone else as it is such an experience that it's worth going through yourself.

At the moment, I've clocked around 22 hours of gameplay time, and I have only finished about 41% of what the game has to offer as a whole. I'm incher closer to finishing the main quest, but as its pretty normal with me and these kinds of games, I will take my time. I'll jump in for an hour, do a few things, stop, go back, and do more. Sometimes I'll spend more time if I'm really wanting to do something. But that to me is an enormous strength where I game can continue to pull you in even after spending many hours playing it. It doesn't make you feel like there's too much as you can progress at whatever speed you like. Everything does have a purpose, and given that I have done close to half the game at this point, I would highly recommend doing everything you can. It'll unlock customizations and sometimes spells that you'll need to take on other challenges. Nothing ever really feels forced, and you're basically free to tackle things the way you want.

I know what you're thinking, it should be pretty obvious that an open world game based in the Hogwarts world is no doubt going to be amazing, but you just have to have the right people behind it. And boy, the developers being this game did everything exactly right. You can tell with each time you make progress that every detail was well thought out and executed in such a way that makes you remember situations in the game. And I also know that people don't generally do well with fetch quests etc. I can say again that with as much time as I've had in the game, nothing has ever felt recycled or reused, though the types of quests are somewhat similar. Not so much that they feel the exact same though. But I digress, I really think the love and care shown throughout this game is certainly a gift from the developers. Sometimes, you'll get a dev team that couldn't care less about what they're making, and the experience is sub par at best. I would say Hogwarts Legacy is one of the best experiences in gaming I've ever had. It brings me back to the days when I was grinding through Shadow of War attempting to 100%, which eventually I did. I'm thinking Hogwarts Legacy will get the same treatment from me in the sense that eventually, that number will show 100%, and I'm honestly excited about that.

The other thing that I have always appreciated about these games is yes, the game never really forces you to do anything, so your sense of progression is solely based on you as the player. You're free to go where you want, do what you want, and fight what you want. And despite the obvious quest lines etc, you really don't have to do everything in a set amount of time. You can pretty much take as much time as you want. My younger brother has right around the same amount of hours as I do, and he's finished the main quest, and now he's going back and doing the exploration. I usually hold off on main quest and do the collectibles first. Ether way, you'll find satisfaction out of the experience. I guarantee it.

The only thing I will say about the controversy surrounding it is this: Sometimes, you have to separate the artist from the art. And in this case, it's J.K Rowling against the developers, and I would honestly just forget about J.K Rowling, and support the developers. They created a truly magical experience, pun intended. And I would honestly say that you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you decide to not play this solely based on that. Again, everyone is different and you're free to do as you choose. But I highly recommend checking this out. As I said, we're only near the end of February, and I honestly think Hogwarts Legacy will be my game of the year this year.