Summary
It was a monumental task to do right byHarry Potteras it’s loved by millions across the globe, but Avalanche made it out largely unscathed. The wonderment of roaming the halls ofHogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardryis spellbinding, and the attention to detail with the visuals is something to marvel at. The sales ofHogwarts Legacywere huge, so a sequel seems likely as it has all the quality, and room for improvement, that a sequel can take advantage of.
ThoughHogwarts Legacyis a game that captured the essence ofHarry Potter, it’s not without its flaws. Indeed, there are a lot of things in the franchise’s lore that could have been taken advantage of that weren’t. The House Cup is one such example because while its presence is felt in the castle, save for one cutscene for keen side quest completionists, it doesn’t have any bearing on the game’s core design or progression loop.
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Hogwarts Legacy’s House Cup is an After Game Afterthought
Though the main narrative ofHogwarts Legacyhas the protagonist hone an ancient magic in the hope offoiling Ranrok’s plans, there are two quests that players can complete after the antagonist has been defeated. Speaking to Professor Weasley to check in on their progress in side quests and field guide completion is a nice way to put a cap on the experience and look back at what has been achieved. However, the second of two post-game quests will require the protagonist to reach level 34, which can mean more grinding in the open world to trigger a cutscene that reveals the game’s ‘true’ ending.
In said scene, the House Cup is revealed to have been won by the player’s pre-selected house, due in no small part to their ‘heroism’ during Ranrok’s evil schemes (not unlike how Gryffindor won the trophy inThe Sorcerer’s Stone). It’s a nice pay-off and does well to see offHogwarts Legacy’s story in a way that feels in keeping with the lore ofHarry Potter, but there’s no denying that the idea of having the houses compete for points during the year has a lot of potential. That seems to have been wasted by the first game, and a sequel could correct the problem.
Hogwarts Needs More Competition
Classes can be attended inHogwarts Legacy, but while it’s a common criticism of the game to not be punished for attending them, there’s also no reward for making the effort to be in the classroom. It would be a good motivator to keep players involved in the school ecosystem and its extracurricular activities if they get some kind of game progression stat for doing so. The House Cup would be perfect for this, adding points to the pot for those who are role-playing the ideal student.
That progression could be either integral to theHogwarts Legacyfollow-up likeMass Effect 2’s’side' content is to the suicide mission, for example, or just another thing to keep players entertained and invested in the world for a little bit longer. Either way, it’s a sufficient carrot on the stick to give more incentive to take advantage of all the game has to offer, and so when the House Cup is presented to the winners, it’s not just another cutscene, it’s a genuine reward for valid and noticeable hard work.
Hogwarts Legacyis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with a Switch release scheduled for July 23, 2025.
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