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Does it get any more cozy than Hogsmeade?
WhenHogwarts Legacywas announced in September 2020, thereveal trailerseemingly promised everything game-playing Potterphiles had long craved.
Magic, the trailer said, binds together our long history.
Sadly for a number of reasons Hogwarts Legacyoffers a decidedly middle-of-the-road take on wizarding cosplay.
Theres an undeniably nostalgic charm to exploring the labyrinthine corridors of Hogwarts.
So too are the surrounding Scottish Highlands, where the bulk of the open-world adventuring happens.
Theyre stunning to gaze upon, changing color evocatively with each passing season.
Hogwarts and its hinterland feels like an uncanny valley populated by earnest, plum-voiced poshos.
Its a pretty-looking void, and the real-world circumstances ofHarry Potternaturally fill it.
An awkwardly worded FAQ on the games website speaks to precisely this dynamic.
But their characterization isnt much deeper than Changs.
And you learn even less about how shes adjusting to her new life.
The result looks modern but feels thin a weak gruel of identity representation.
Rons ancestor Professor Matilda Weasley, meanwhile, is the stern but maternal replacement for Professor McGonagall.
This, of course, is a fallacy, as the fallout to the games release continues to prove.
Hogwarts Legacyhas even caused a mini-crisis in games journalism.
None of this furor has impacted the games commercial performance.
It even reflects poorly when considered alongside the dreadfulFantastic Beastsmovies.
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