Hogwarts Legacy Switch Review

Hogwarts Legacy has had quite a journey on the Switch since being delayed from the original release schedule. While Witches and Wizards have been able to dive in on the Current Gen consoles for almost a year now, handheld gamers had their hopes locked in the dungeon of when it would release, and more importantly, how it would run when it did. For those of you holding back, have no fear as I made some room on my SD Card of Requirement, got sorted into my house, and went back to school to learn all about Hogwarts Legacy. What’s it Like? Let’s jump on the Hogwarts Express and take a look.

Let’s get the performance out of the way before we dive into the game and its mechanics. The game runs really well and still looks amazing despite the compromises to get it running on the hardware. Of course, there’s a graphical downgrade from the Switch’s Current Gen counterparts, but for a Switch game, Hogwarts Legacy developers Portkey Games and Avalanche have certainly conjured up some magic to maintain performance while looking as good as it does. In my 11 hours of playing so far, I haven’t experienced any major framerate dips, and really the only performance or polish issues I can see are late asset load-ins such as bridges or trees taking a bit longer than expected to switch to the higher detailed models when you get close to them. I would confidently say that Hogwart Legacy is on the same technical marvel level as the sublime No Man’s Sky. Now, for those curious about how it runs, you can leave class early and check the game out, for those looking for extra credit, stay seated for the rest of the review.

I just want to preface this review by saying, that I’m not a huge Harry Potter fan, not that I don’t like it, I have only seen a couple of the movies, and my kids seem to love it, but I am hardly what you would call a fanatic… or perhaps I should say before Hogwarts Legacy I wasn’t anyway…

The game’s opening is very well done, as it follows your custom character, joining Hogwarts as a 5th-year student, set well before the Boy Who Lived ever graced the halls of the renowned school. The game wastes no time in throwing you into the mystery and intrigue of the Wizarding World with a dragon attack, magical duels that are fast-paced and fun, as well as puzzles to solve. This opening is one of the most refreshing and interesting openings of a game I have played in a long time, partly because I’m somewhat new to this world, but also partly due to the game’s stellar character writing, voice acting, and brilliant orchestral score.

It’s not long before you go about your business as a student, completing both lessons to advance your schooling while balancing quests to further unravel the plot of the game. Both quests and lessons are entertaining largely in part due to the aforementioned characters. Some are likable and will become your closest allies, some certainly go against the grain by responding to your exploits with jealousy, or spiteful competition. All of this is done with absolutely stellar voice acting, allowing you to further be enthralled by the magical world around you. You can choose to engage with these characters or move on with your main quests and lessons. None of the choices will have a negative impact on your time at Hogwarts, as even learning and using the forbidden curses seems to go unpunished.

Learning spells is done by tracing the spells in a mini-game, and once you have successfully learned the spell, it then becomes as simple as keybinding it to a slot, and using it. Each spell has different cooldowns, and you can improve them as you level up, assigning skill points to suit your playstyle. Many of these spells focus on combat, which is slick and fast-paced. I found it tricky to start with, but the further into the game I dived, the more I felt like an accomplished wizard, juggling, blocking, and countering enemy attacks. You can also use objects in the environment to aid you in battle, using spells to fling barrels and rocks at your enemies in satisfying combat.

Your time in Hogwarts Legacy isn’t just limited to the school itself (which is impressive in scale and scope in its own right) rather you can explore the highlands and surrounds that offer a myriad of side quests and collectibles to find. Items you find can be used to upgrade your defense and offense, and thankfully, all items can be transmogrified so you don’t look like you’re starring in Harry Potter and the Clown with Bad Fashion Sense. Navigating this world is easy when you unlock fast travel waypoints, and eventually learn to fly. Flying controls are tight and feel great and for me, one of the best experiences of the game so far was participating in a flying lesson on school grounds, and taking an impromptu tour of the campus. It’s moments like these that make Hogwarts Legacy such an amazing experience. All of this is backed with an exceptional orchestral soundtrack, that changes depending on your situation. Exploring and learning have a whimsical and playful score, whereas sneaking through the Forbidden Forest is tense and brooding.

There’s plenty of game here to keep you entertained, with the main story taking about 25 hours to complete, but completionists looking to really dive in can expect about 70+ hours of gameplay. You can keep track of everything with your handy field guide, which helps illuminate the path to your next objective, making navigating the maze of Hogwarts Castle a breeze. There are some longer loading times, and sometimes doors stay closed with a loading symbol, blocking you from entering until the next area is ready. The doors never kept me waiting for long, but loading into areas like Hogsmeade, or the outside world, may have you checking your socials feed for a minute or two.

Witches and Wizards will also unlock their very own room of requirement when they get a little further into the game, allowing you to redecorate your own space similar to the Sims. This area will also allow you to identify rare and magical items you picked up in your quests of dungeon diving, allowing you to become even stronger. This aspect of the game adds even more gameplay and time consumed making sure you live your best wizarding life in your own magical-styled apartment. More recipes and customization items can be unlocked by finding them outside the gates of Hogwarts in chests, or by completing specific missions.

For my vision-impaired witches and wizards, I’m very pleased to report that Hogwarts Legacy offers a lot of accessibility options, including colorblind modes, audio visualizers, scalable visual options, and even arachnophobia modes for people who don’t like Spiders. Here’s hoping more developers follow suit to make wonderful games accessible for all, something I have noticed Warner Brothers Games seem to really care about.

Hogwarts Legacy is a wondrous experience on the Switch, and Portkey Games has conjured some very powerful magic here to make it happen. The performance, scope of the world, and incredible cast of richly written characters make it an absolute joy to play. Yes, there are compromises, but none that took away from completely drawing me into this world of wonder. From learning spells with cheeky classmates to soaring above the castle on a broomstick, Portkey games have lovingly crafted a very magical experience that you can now play in the palm of your hands.

So What’s it Like?

Hogwarts Legacy is like Skyrim, mixed with a family-friendly Dark Souls.