Recent reviews by Wane Gently

(Basically Spoiler Free & Post-Game Finish)
A rather extensive overview on this well anticipated review. Allow me to begin this review by saying that I was in fact very skeptical initially due to the nature and scale of this game, but eventually got it gifted to me by a good friend.
--
Specs & Gameplay Specifics
-GPU: 3060Ti
-MONITOR: 144hz
/
-GRAPHICS: Ultra
-DIFFICULTY: Hard
-TIME TO FINISH: 25 hours (logged in-game)
-OVERALL %: 100% main & side quests, not 100% collectibles.
--
Hogwarts Legacy (HL) is an insanely ambitious project and tons of passion, dedication and effort has been put into it, and it truly shows and so this review will be segmented accordingly.

1) Character Creation & Customization
HL starts you off rather strong in its character creation, allowing you to pick between character gender, dormitory, hair, scars, voice etc. There is definitely not a huge pool of options, and no sliders for detailed changes, instead opting for a build-your-lego style. Still, the options provided are all great looking, save for the one or two times you may run into an NPC with a striking resemblance to your own character, but it is negligible at worst.

You may choose between two voices, one female and one male and then you are allowed a 'Pitch' option to modify it slightly. I get the intent behind this option but cannot recommend anyone use it due to its frankly buggy results. If you care about immersion, then consider leaving it at default to save on the many moments your character will get that slight "robotic" tone that comes from pitching.

And trust me, your character speaks ALOT.

Sooner than later, as anyone could've guessed, you are sorted into a House. The result will be random, or pick the quiz-result option if you link your HP account after taking their sorting quiz. Nonetheless, you are also free to do as Harry himself and disregard the hat, picking your own house.

Much to my surprise, the Houses do have some substance to them with different characters and explorable common rooms. The differences aren't huge, and much of the later game remains exactly the same, but it is a nice touch.

Do note, you are NOT able to enter other houses' common rooms at any point in the game so if you are an achievement hunter then you will need to create multiple characters.

After your initial creation, you can customize your character throughout the game with gear you collect much like any RPG, but they do have a lovely transmog system similar to World of Warcraft that allows you to equip any gear whilst keeping the look you desire. You can even put up/put down the hood on your robe/cape, should you wish.

My only con is that you cannot change or dye any clothes you come across.
-----------------
2) Combat & Spell-Casting
This is the topic that I find the most discussed second only to the story when it comes to HL.

As a nerd of similar games such as Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor & Shadow of War, the combat is simply terrific. Rivaling even those games in certain regards.

You unlock spells throughout the game, most are mandatory, some are optional depending on your choices. (These moments are clear, so you won't *miss* the chance)

The spells can then be upgraded with gear-enchantments and the usage of "Talent Points". Finally, they combine excellently with eachother to allow for insane combo-moves and they end up feeling really smooth to use.

If you play on Hard difficulty, certain enemies have shields that need to be matched by a "Spell-Type", and along with spell-cooldowns, end up forcing you to use some variation.

Combat *can* get a bit repetitive at times but I never found myself rolling my eyes at another battle due to their often quick-pace and difficulty. Do be wary though, should you play on Hard, that multi-wave combat encounters restart ENTIRELY if you die.

Outside of Combat, the game provides a million different puzzles and secrets that unlock levels, more gear slots, stronger variants of certain spells and more. It is definitely a much needed breather and makes the world feel more alive, although for those going for 100%, it *will* be a nightmare simply due to the amount of them and how scattered they can be.

The variation of spells and their uses kept me intrigued for long, and although certain puzzles get repetitive before you finish all the quests, it kept me pondering throughout all of the main story.

Post-game, I eventually gave up 100% as I got bored of fast-traveling through the world to do 2 or 3 puzzles in each and every corner of it.
-----------------
3) The Story (Spoiler-Free)
The MAIN story behind HL is rather straightforward and carries few, if any, truly unexpected twists or turns. It is a straight-forward "Hero of the Land" story, where you end up being a main character due to special circumstances in a murky and mysterious plot that aims to end the world you know and love.

If you are a fan of the movies, then you can definitely see yourself as "The Harry Potter" of this timeline.

The side-stories, however, intrigued me more. Many of the side-quests are one-offs, or two-offs, and have a very simple beginning and end, but throughout the game you get acquainted with and get to know a handful of other students at Hogwarts.

A few of these students have their own quest-line, and their stories range from "pretty good" to "very interesting". They are optional for the most part, but I highly recommend chasing after their quests whenever they send for you. They also provide their own unique rewards.

Without any spoilers, a big speculation people had was that using the "Dark Arts" would have consequences on the story, and this is aided by NPCs (both friendly & hostile) reacting to your usage of it in-combat.

Story-wise? It does not. Barely at all. Aside from a few unique sequences of dialogue, I am a bit disappointed to say that there is no apparent consequence to going full dark wizard on the goblins and trolls.

That actually brings me well to my next to final point;
-----------------
4) The Quests
Quests in HL seem never-ending at first. The main story is always given to you, and gradually over the game you are neatly introduced to characters & recurring side-plots. The pace is smooth and well made, and the quests are segmented into quick 20-ish minute adventures with most side-quests being slightly shorter, around 15.

They never overwhelm you with things, and the quests rarely ever feel tedious or slow. They can, however, be quite challenging (which in my opinion is a welcome change).

Come to think of it, there is only ONE quest that sucked to do and felt reaaallly fetch-questy. But it is, as many things, not mandatory unless you are looking to 100%. (For those who have played the game and are curious, the hint is "Moon")

Outside of that one quest, never have I to this extent felt as motivated to finish ALL my quests as I did whilst playing through HL. It was simply remarkable! Fun, quick-paced, challenging and intriguing.

And just to quickly denote; (!to fit this into the max word limits!)
-----------------
5) The World
You have "3" distinct "sections" to talk about here.

1) Hogwarts Itself
The castle is ENORMOUS and is LITTERED with secrets, collectibles, interesting rooms, unique furniture, moving paintings, ghosts and just a whole heap of exploration.

Many people I know, including myself, opted to not use the fast-travel system anywhere in the castle just so we could use the extra running-time to look around and see all there was to see.

2) Hogsmeade
A charming village filled with NPCs, shops, quests, the lots.

3) The Highlands
The rest of the HUGE world map filled with smaller towns, the forbidden forest, ruins, castles, NPCs etc.

All in all, the world felt truly boundless for my first 14-ish hours, with changing seasons and amazing lighting/wind/snow effects.
-----------------
This is by far my one true GOTY for 2023.

loving it.

Decent game, very unfinished and broken ofcourse since it is an alpha. However- AI seems good. Sometimes too many enemies spawn and the constant projectiles they fire are a pain- not just for difficulty but also feels sloppy. The guns too, seem sloppy and unfinished. They sound lame and are not very responsive nor do they feel like they actually do much damage with very little response. No difficulty setting so you're stuck with the normal one which isn't easy i might add. Overall a fine game. I would suggest waiting before buying since it is early alpha and is yet quite pricey. Graphics are great but sometimes a bit TOO dark. 7/10 so far.

Story is generic. Gameplay is great.. Except for that ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ TANK LEVEL.

Overall 7/10.

Would like an AXIS story... i would LOVE a Soviet Story.

Great shooting, good feel, some optimisation problems and ofcourse a few bugs. Usually not too bad but if you play this regularly you'll notice some.

Despite the price, it is amazing. Ive used GM:S (the original) for ages but this one is simply an upgrade.

Decent Game

where is eddies forehead nationn???

Great

Fun, Innocent and has a decent skill curve. Although it more centers around game knowledge to be fair. Give it a try, it's free!