Although it’s far from perfect,Hogwarts Legacysows the seed for a compelling and captivating fantasy RPG series. If the nextHogwarts Legacycan meaningfully build on its predecessor, expanding both its gameplay and narrative foundations, then it has the potential to be something special. But it will most likely still suffer from at least one major restriction.
One of the many criticisms ofHogwarts Legacyis its overall narrative. Atmospheric, charming, and memorable as the game may be in some places, its main story is sadly forgettable and fails to leave a long-lasting impression. The tale follows a rather typical “chosen one” formula, but instead of saving the world from a gross, malignant evil, the protagonist is simply caught in the middle of a Goblin uprising, which threatens a far lower-stakes fate. Questionable implications about the civil rights of magical beings aside, the small scope of both the hero’s special powers and the main conflict can be attributed to the game’s place in the overallHarry Pottertimeline, being dictated by what comes after it.
Why Hogwarts Legacy 2 May Not Be Able to Properly Up the Ante
Hogwarts Legacy Is Hogtied to the Harry Potter Mythos
Hogwarts Legacyis set in the same continuity asHarry Potter, as evidenced by the many important character, historical, and world-building connections between the properties. Because of this bond,Hogwarts Legacyis decidedly limited in what it can actually do from a narrative standpoint.
For instance, Ranrok threatens to destroy Hogwarts during the game’s climax, but anyone with a passing familiarity withHarry Potterknows that this cannot happen because this would have led to repercussions in the following stories. In other words, sinceHogwarts Legacy takes place before the events ofHarry Potterand theFantastic Beastsmovies, it can’t take its stakes too far, lest it contradict its inherited mythology or open the broader franchise up to plot holes.
Hogwarts Legacy Can’t Do Much If It Stays in the Past
Although there’s potential forHogwarts Legacy 2possibly being set in the future, there’s a solid chance that this won’t happen. There are a number of reasons for this, but perhaps the two biggest factors are brand recognition and the future of theHarry Potterfranchise.Hogwarts Legacyhad a gargantuan task ahead of it: it had to differentiate itself from the ubiquitousHarry Potterbooks and movies while still feeling familiar. It achieved this, in part, by being set in the 1800s, giving audiences a fresh look at a world that they have seen many times over at this point.
As for the future of theHarry Potterfranchise,the nextHogwarts Legacycan’t infringe on the series' next entries, which is what would happen if it were to take place during or around the events of the books, or even theFantastic Beastsfilms. IfHogwarts Legacy 2was to leap forward in time, telling a dramatic and high-stakes story just after the conclusion ofHarry Potter, then it would lock Warner Bros. into certain plot elements for future films, shows, or books. If the creative minds behindHarry Potterdecide that they don’t like the direction that this theoretical game took with its story, they would have their hands tied.
AssumingHogwarts Legacy 2is a direct sequel, it will have to tread carefully to avoid trampling on long-running canon. The same can be said ifHogwarts Legacy 2delves deeper into the past. This puts an upper limit on the game’s narrative premise, once again locking Avalanche Software out of more lasting or significant plot developments.
