Hogwarts Legacy player gets game early, gives 'honest' verdict

The release of Hogwarts Legacy is drawing ever closer, and even though those who were willing to spend the extra money on the Deluxe and Collector’s Editions are already going to be getting the game earlier than everyone else, that still probably doesn’t feel soon enough for many.

It’s a title that has gamers divided - while some are eagerly anticipating stepping foot into Hogwarts, honing their magical abilities and befriending magical creatures, others are choosing to boycott the game due to its connection to J.K. Rowling, who has been criticised for making harmful comments about the transgender community. Sebastian Croft, who played a prominent role in Netflix’s LGBTQ+ drama Heartstopper, recently apologised for his involvement in the game.

Take a look at the cinematic trailer for Hogwarts Legacy below.

Meanwhile on Reddit, one user who claims to have received Hogwarts Legacy extra early has been giving their first impressions on the game based on seven hours of playtime. Even though they’ve provided so-called “proof” of the game being installed on their console, we should still take all of the following with a pinch of salt - these things can be faked.

When asked how they’d rate the game so far, they wrote: “So far I’m at a solid eight-nine/10 from what I’ve experienced. The world is a lot more detailed that I was expecting. When I travel to certain locations, I encounter new NPCs who don’t repeat dialogue (unlike games like Cyberpunk and The Witcher). The combat is a lot more satisfying [than] I expected as well. There’s hints of Ninja Gaiden and Devil May Cry-inspired combat with the way you can juggle enemies. Really enjoying the game so far.”

However, they also highlighted a number of issues, including an audio bug which apparently makes the main character’s voice lines play twice (like a “weird reverb effect”), as well as “noticeable” texture pop in (although they said that this wasn’t “deal-breaking”).

We’ll just have to wait and see what the official verdict is when the game releases. For those eligible for the 72-hour early access, Hogwarts Legacy will be available to play on 7 February. As for everyone else (on new-gen consoles and PC, that is), release date is 10 February.