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Harry Potter fans have been eagerly awaiting their chance to attend the famous wizarding school in Hogwarts Legacy. Long-time fans of the series have likely imagined starting their own Hogwarts journey by visiting Diagon Alley and taking the Hogwarts Express as is typical for a new student. However, Hogwarts Legacy bucks this convention, instead giving players a wholly unique experience -- one that starts much more dangerously than simply going shopping.
The Harry Potter books and films, especially the earlier ones, often started off a bit more low-key. While Harry did have to deal with the Dursleys and the occasional obstacle in getting back to school, he was rarely in danger of dying within the first few chapters. In stark contrast, Hogwarts Legacy starts with an action scene that immediately puts the player in mortal danger. The scene is so violent that it actually has more in common with HBO's House of the Dragon than the start of any Harry Potter book.
Hogwarts Legacy's Story Begins With an Unexpected Attack
Players learn immediately through the wording of their acceptance letter that their Hogwarts journey is going to be anything but typical. In fact, players are actually put into the shoes of a 15-year-old student who was accepted into Hogwarts late. The opening scene starts with the player character taking a flying carriage ride with the Magical Theory teacher, Professor Fig, and a Ministry of Magic official. After a brief and mysterious conversation, the carriage ride is interrupted by a savage and unexpected attack by a massive dragon.
Swooping up from the clouds beneath the carriage, the dragon bites the flying vehicle in half, devouring the Ministry of Magic employee in a manner very reminiscent of how Luke and Arrax were devoured by Vhagar in House of the Dragon. There's no question about the Ministry man's fate, as the player can suddenly see the previously invisible thestrals pulling the carriage after witnessing his gruesome death. Both the player and Professor Fig are thrown from the carriage and begin plummeting toward the ground, only to be saved by grabbing a portkey. This introduction to the game is likely far different from the cozy train ride players were expecting.
Hogwarts Legacy's Tone Is Very Different From Harry Potter
Hogwarts Legacy wastes no time letting players know that the rest of the game's tone will be as different from most Harry Potter books as the opening. Instead of a slowly simmering mystery that plays out in tandem with a typical school year, Hogwarts Legacy immediately introduces its antagonists and central conflict. While there are certainly many mysterious elements, especially surrounding the player character's origins and special powers, the Harry Potter series typically took a bit more time to establish each entry's conflict. It also sometimes took an entire book to find out who the antagonist actually was, like Professor Quirrell in The Philosopher's Stone or Barty Crouch Jr. in Goblet of Fire.
Although not unexpected from a video game, Hogwarts Legacy also quickly lets the player know that their journey will be much more action-oriented than Harry's was. Harry Potter fought maybe a handful of duels across the course of eight books, usually against one opponent or a small group. Players get a much different experience, as they are quickly tasked with dispatching a small battalion of magically animated suits of armor. Gamers quickly learn that Hogwarts Legacy is not going to be a cozy life sim set in the world of Harry Potter, but instead a game full of dangerous life-and-death situations.