“So what are you going to do with it?” Professor Fig asks me as I approach the glowing red orb. Hogwarts Legacy’s final repository, loaded with dark magic long hidden from the wizarding world, is as daunting as it is tempting. My mind is already clear on what I want to do with him: I want to keep his power to myself, bend him to my will, and become the most powerful dark witch ever.
He defeated the rogue goblin Ranrok in a grueling final showdown. He moaned pitifully on the floor, and I grabbed my wand to control Isidora’s magic myself. My eyes sparkle scarlet for a split second as I draw power from the dead goblin, raising my wand to unleash a devastating bolt of magic that is sure to change everything. And suddenly the screen goes black.
I arrive in the Great Hall as the school toasts the loss of Professor Fig. I solemnly raise my cup, and… that’s it. I throw away my controller and curse the skies. It was my highlight of the villain era, and it absolutely sucked.
delusions of grandeur
(Image credit: Avalanche Software)
When I started playing Hogwarts Legacy, I had already decided that I wanted to be the bad guy. Talking about branching quests and multiple endings led me to believe that there would be real consequences for my actions. I am sorry to report that there were absolutely none. No matter what I did, no matter how many kedavra’d avadas, there seemed to be only one conclusion I was leading to. The universal ending is that I must return to school even after attempting the most devious act of magical betrayal in front of One Who Must Not Be Named, and it was the greatest disappointment ever.
There are dialogue choices you make throughout the game that really feel like pivotal moments. Whether it was deciding whether to learn the Unforgivable Curses or not, or defending Sebastian to his uncle and seemingly exiling them both from Feldcroft, the game gave me the ruthless illusion that I could channel my character towards some kind of “bad ending”, or at least. least one end where I didn’t find myself on the right side of the tracks. The professors trusted the helpless hands of this fifth-year freshman a lot, and I wanted to make sure they were sorry.
I’m not being dramatic when I tell you that I did everything wrong under the sun to ensure that my dark reign of terror was lifted over Hogwarts. I chose my words carefully during the sorting ceremony to ensure I was placed in Slytherin. I quickly learned the three unforgivable curses from my best friend Sebastian Sallow, there I offered Imperio to a blind man who just wanted to help us. I even have a twisted scar right under one of my eyes to show how strong I am, you know?
I stole all the salvaged items for my poor unfortunate classmates. I used Crucio on the spiders and tricked Sebastian into dark magic. I even tried to completely ignore my darling Poppy Sweeting, because her story seemed too cheesy for villains like me. So why the hell, after all that, am I sent back to class with nothing more than a warning from Weasley to find out about my OWLs? It doesn’t make sense, and I’m angry about it.
Without consequence
(Image credit: Avalanche Software)
I’m not being dramatic when I tell you that I did everything wrong under the sun to ensure that my dark reign of terror was lifted over Hogwarts.
If there’s one thing I think Hogwarts Legacy has been significantly lacking, then more than Quidditch or Sirens or Wizarding Chess, it’s the ability to get a bad ending as compensation for your misdeeds. The world is beautiful to explore, and the careful architectural design of the castle and its surroundings means that I will return to the game again and again, but by denying us a bad ending, I feel like the game completely misses one. fundamental aspects of being a witch or wizard.
It’s an RPG, but you’re typed into the role of being a nice guy with no ability to sway the moral compass. The ability to abuse your magic has always been on the cards for any wizard, with the threat of a stay in Azkaban a warning to stay on the right path. But you’re not locked up for using forbidden spells. You cannot get a different ending by stating that you want to steal storm magic and use it on yourself. By giving no consequences to your actions, Unforgivable Curses are now simply curses. You can torture, manipulate, and murder as many enemies as you want, and at most you’ll get a worried comment from a close classmate.
If you’re worried that using dark magic will affect your outcome, don’t. Like it or not, you will have to pass these tests anyway. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to kidnap and raise Thestrals, because apparently poaching is only bad when others do it.
The release of Hogwarts Legacy has been the subject of criticism and debate due to JK Rowling’s public stance on gender identity, which continues to challenge inclusion at the heart of the Harry Potter community. Here is our explanation on the Hogwarts legacy controversy.