Over the last three weeks a new game has taken the world by storm, and sadly no… it’s not Dead Space. Although the remaster of the classic EA space zombie horror game has been exciting to see in development, the newest big hit has come from the Wizarding World with the action RPG Hogwarts Legacy. 

Taking the spotlight early with its release on February 10, the wand wielding game has risen to number three on steam for concurrent players. Two days later, the game beat the record with 489,000 online players, dethroning Dota 2 from its record-setting 319,024.

Why is the game so popular though? Hogwarts Legacy is an upcoming video game set in the Harry Potter universe. Developed by Avalanche Software and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, the game is set in the 1800s and allows players to create their own character and explore the iconic Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Upon my own trip through the home of magic I found the game almost addicting to play, whether I was exploring the Forbidden Forest or taking a stroll through Hogsmeade. The Hogwarts Legacy map is enormous, encapsulating the castle, Hogsmeade, and the Scottish Highlands, with plenty of landmarks to be found. With plenty of locations to explore I never found any part of running around boring or dragged out which seems to be a common occurrence in most games nowadays moving back and forth between the same location and seeing the same things. 

As well as seeing all the beautifully put together scenery, traveling around the map was not half as fun as fighting the enemies that filled the world. From trolls, to dragons, goblins and so much more, the game felt full of life and vibrant.

That’s not to mention the 24 of spells given to your character to fight mentioned enemies – with so many to choose from, encounters with beasts and other wizards are full of using combinations of spells to fend off the dark forces.

Although most aspects of the game are outstanding, all good things have a downside. While the game excels in exploration and combat, I found the story lacking and almost not fulfilling. The plot of the game revolves around an ancient ability that your character discovers and develops throughout the story, the only problem seems to be that the power sidelines all conversations leading them down a rabbit hole of drawn-out dialogue and viewing countless amounts of memories. 

On some occasions I found myself viewing my phone more than the person talking in the game. Nevertheless, select missions made conversation bearable, such as one in which the character travels to the infamous prison Azkaban to solve a murder.

While you are exploring, fighting, or listening to lengthy conversations, you may indulge in the mass number of collectables found throughout the world that the developers seemed to have a weird obsession with, as to the fact that there is an entire page devoted to it that can be found in the pause menu. Ranging from eggs to trials, just about anything can be collected in the wizarding world, meaning to all those 100% completionists…buckle up.

In my own personal opinion, Hogwarts Legacy offers engaging content for long-time fans of the franchise and deserves recognition for its impact in the gaming world. From its release I’ve enjoyed seeing the story unfold and I hope to see more like this game whether it’s from Warner Bros. or another developer. 

I’ve granted the game a rating of 8/10 and I highly suggest you get your hands on it.