Summary
It is no secret thatHogwarts Legacywas a massive success at the start of this year. The game finally broughtHarry Potterfans to the Wizarding World and let them live out their magical fantasies within its walls. That led to a fantastic experience for both fans of the franchise as well as a great introduction for newcomers. And even though nothing has been officially announced yet, its success likely means anotherHogwarts Legacylooms on the horizon. But it needs to do a few things differently if it wants to blow players away a second time.
WhileHogwarts Legacydelivered that Wizarding World fantasy, it seemed to falter a bit when it came to the classrooms that dotted Hogwarts. There really was not an in-depth class attending feature, which is one of the things thatHarry Potterfans were hoping would be included. Instead, the Room of Requirement seems to have fulfilled that by giving players the ability to interact with all of those classic classroom activities. That may have worked well and been fun for lore buffs, but the next game may want to approach the concept a bit differently.
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Hogwarts Legacy’s Room of Requirement Should Be a One-Time Thing
The Room of Requirement Was Great for Lore Buffs
Hogwarts Legacyfeatured countless references and lore bits from the greater Wizarding World that fans seemed to love. One of which was the many secrets that were hidden throughout Hogwarts, with one of the biggest beingthe Room of Requirement. Anyone who has watched or readTheOrder of the Phoenixshould instantly recognize it as it played a pivotal role throughout. In that story, it served as the training room for Dumbledore’s Army, and although they were discovered, it helped protect them from prying eyes for much of their training.
The Room of Requirement also appears in The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows where it serves many purposes including the hiding place of Ravenclaw’s Lost Diadem and the location of Draco Malfoy’s Vanishing Cabinet.
InHogwarts Legacy, the Room of Requirement does not serve as the home base of any secret organization. Instead, the player character is granted access to it so that they can catch up on their studies. This gives them a fully customizable room that expands as the game goes on, and they can fill it with all sorts of useful tools like potion tables, magical beasts, and plants. While some players may just forget it exists, many lore buffs will likely love messing around with this room as it is suchan iconic piece of Wizarding World lore.
Removing the Room Could Liven Up Classrooms
Hogwarts Legacy’s Room of Requirement may have been a nice addition, but it also did not make much sense. Even thoughHarry Potterprofessors always do questionable things, it seemed strange that they would be okay with giving a fifth-year student free rein to customize the Room of Requirement to their liking. There may have been an in-universe reason for it that made some sense, but it also felt very superfluous, especially sincethe many classrooms of Hogwartscould have filled a similar purpose and added to the fun in the process.
One of the biggest criticisms ofHogwarts Legacyis that it does not require players to attend class. Since one ofthe main focuses ofHarry Potteris a wizarding school, it would have made sense that the game would include loads of school mechanics. However, the lessons that players attended were simply a part of the story and only really introduced new mechanics for the Room of Requirement. While that was still fun and helped engross players in the fantasy, it could have been so much more.
The eventualHogwarts Legacysequel should consider dropping the Room of Requirement in favor of classrooms. Instead of giving players one room where they can do everything, the classrooms that dot Hogwarts should serve that purpose instead. Potions should have to be made in Potions Class, magical beasts should be tamed in Care of Magical Creatures, and plants should be handled in Herbology. Some players may find it annoying to have to constantly move through the school, but it could truly make players feel like they are living within the Wizarding World.
