Hogwarts Legacy reviews have dropped, and the game is off to a good start

After what feels like aeons, Hogwarts Legacy is finally in the hands of the critics, and the verdict is that it is every bit as magical as players had hoped.

The RPG hasn't been without its detractors, though, and its announcement was met with a polarising reaction from Harry Potter fans. In spite of the anticipation and excitement surging it to the top of the bestseller lists on Steam and PlayStation 5, plenty felt that a purchase of Hogwarts Legacy would be an admission of author J. K. Rowling's negative opinions on transgender individuals.

On this front, developer Avalanche Software stated that her involvement in the game was minimal and only related to her team, with the game's director being adamant that Hogwarts Legacy is "for everyone." With the reviews out now, it looks likes that holds true.

Check out the trailer for the PlayStation exclusive quest The Haunted Hogsmeade below:

At the moment, the game sits at a critic Metascore of 90 on the Xbox Series X. "After 35 hours with the game’s lengthy main quest, some dated open-world elements aside, it’s difficult to regard it as anything other than a success for those who’ve long awaited a triple-A Hogwarts game experience," said Video Games Chronicle's Jordan Middler. IGN's Travis Northrup also agreed on the missing opportunities when it came to truly impressing gamers with a technical showcase, but said that fans will be pleased with the overall experience. And praise came for the game's open world, too, with iconic locations as well as new ground to tread.

"With so many secrets hidden out of view, the game successfully captures that sense of excitement you'd almost certainly be buzzing with during your first year at the school. It genuinely feels magical," explained Liam Croft, of Push Square, on their PS5 version of Hogwarts Legacy.

Hogwarts Legacy comes to PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on 10 February. Then, PS4 and Xbox One owners get the game on 4 April and finally Nintendo Switch players enroll in the magical school on 25 July.