I have zero interest in Harry Potter, but Hogwarts Legacy has me under its spell

techradar.com:

Hogwarts Legacy must have cast an enchantment spell on me during Sony’s State of Play event because I’m utterly spellbound by how good it looks. 

My interest in Harry Potter petered out shortly after the release of the third book, The Prisoner of Azkaban. It’s not because I didn’t like the books, I place the blame solely on the shoulders of the film adaptations. The Harry Potter in my head was usurped by the bad acting of a young Daniel Radcliffe and co. and I’ve never been able to shift their portrayals since. 

So I didn’t expect to have anything but a passing interest in Hogwarts Legacy but I was drawn in by its richly-detailed world, the magical combat mechanics, and RPG systems on show. The State of Play lifted the petrification curse that hit my heart many years ago.

Hogwarts Legacy is the reinvigoration tonic that I’ve been waiting for. I’m excited to rediscover what has always been a fascinating wizarding world, and one that has never been presented so intricately before. From exploring the labyrinthine halls of Hogwarts itself with all its secret nooks and crannies to hopping on a broom and soaring through the sky, Hogwarts Legacy is so densely populated with things to do I can only imagine how excited diehard Potter fans must be.

Even the game’s combat, an area that I was sure would be a stumbling block, appears to be slick, engaging, and – as you’d probably expect – rather magical. You can slam enemies into the ground repeatedly like something out of a cartoon sketch, brew stat-enhancing potions to deliver more damage, burn foes to a cinder with scorching fire attacks, and unleash a firework display of spells from your wand like it’s Chinese New Year. It’s quite the spectacle.

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