Hogwarts Legacywas 2023’s most successful game, which has helped make its inevitable sequel among mainstream gaming’s most-anticipated titles. Naturally, fans of the original are hoping to see a continuation ofHogwarts Legacy’s narrative and character-building, which was a bit lacking in the first game, but there are a number of more substantial changes that the sequel ought to implement as well.
Much has been said about howHogwarts Legacyfalls short of the “Hogwarts simulation” experience that many players were anticipating ahead of its release. Given its setting and the precedent established by the mainHarry Potterbooks and films, many were expecting a game more aligned with the likes ofBullyorPersonathanThe WitcherorAssassin’s Creed. Put another way, there’s a popular opinion thatHogwarts Legacymissed an opportunity to make magical education a bigger part of the gameplay experience, putting it at the heart of its pacing and structure and offering meaningful incentives for participating in student life, similar to howPersonamakes teen culture and academics core aspects of its gameplay and narrative. This would be a good area forHogwarts Legacy 2to focus on, butPersonacould provide it with another good nugget of design wisdom.
The assumption thatHogwarts Legacywould lean further into student lifewasn’t totally unreasonable, as the game was marketed on the back of the Hogwarts fantasy that so many children of theHarry Potterera can relate to having.
Persona’s Anthology Format Provides a Good Blueprint for Hogwarts Legacy
How Loose Connections Helps Persona
DifferentPersonaentries are connected by their titular fantasy concept, embodied by specific lore elements like the Velvet Room, but they all feature distinct casts of characters and settings, which allows Atlus to get greater mileage out of the franchise. This overarching structure letseachPersonagame introduce several new ideas, not just in terms of lore, but also in the realms of character and intimate storytelling, which are arguably far more important. Such a format comes with several miscellaneous benefits as well, like the option to ditch certain characters or story elements that may not have worked in previous games, or which may not be well-suited for a reprisal in a sequel.
Hogwarts Legacy 2 Could Enjoy Similar Benefits By Learning from Persona
While there are definitely somecool thingsHogwarts Legacy 2could do with returning charactersand Hogwarts-specific concepts, being a direct sequel to its predecessor would likely come with more restrictions than opportunities for good storytelling. Indeed, it would be interesting to see how the story of a character like Sebastian Sallow would develop, but for every Sebastian,Hogwarts Legacyhas several characters whose stories are either completed or simply aren’t interesting enough to withstand the strain of a sequel.
But ifHogwarts Legacy 2were to take place elsewhere, such as Durmstrang or Beauxbatons, then it could sidestep awkward narrative issues while opening new creative avenues. It could feature a new cast of students, unshackled by the baggage of the previous game, while also focusing on other major conflicts. There would be no need to incorporate the heroes and villains of the firstHogwarts Legacy, thus giving Avalanche a fresh start for the sequel’s story, similar to how eachPersonagame stands on its own narratively.
Most importantly, adopting the anthology format would helpset the stage for the future ofHogwarts Legacyas a franchise. Even if Avalanche could milk another story out of the first game’s premise, it’s unlikely that it could do so indefinitely, but by establishing a series formula of ever-changing locations, characters, and stories, futureHogwarts Legacygames would have far more creative wiggle room and, by extension, potential.
Hogwarts Legacy
WHERE TO PLAY
Hogwarts Legacy is an immersive, open-world action RPG set in the world first introduced in the Harry Potter books. For the first time, experience Hogwarts in the 1800s. Your character is a student who holds the key to an ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart. Now you can take control of the action and be at the center of your own adventure in the wizarding world. Your legacy is what you make of it.Explore an Open WorldThe wizarding world awaits you. Freely roam Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest, and the surrounding Overland area.Be the Witch or Wizard You Want to beLearn spells, brew potions, grow plants, and tend to magical beasts along your journey. Get sorted into your house, forge relationships, and master skills to become the witch or wizard you want to be Experience a New Wizarding World AdventureExperience the wizarding world in an unexplored era to uncover a hidden truth from its past. Battle against trolls, Dark Wizards, goblins, and more as you face a dangerous villain threatening the fate of the wizarding world.
