At current, fans have very little information about the upcoming Harry Potter game, Hogwarts Legacy. What is known is that the game will be an action RPG set in the late 1800s. Hogwarts Legacy was supposed to release in 2021, however, delays saw this release date pushed back to 2022. Fans will be hoping that Avalanche Software takes this extra time to further flesh out the game world, as the reveal trailer showed a project ripe with potential.
One exciting feature that has Harry Potter fans talking is the ability to choose a house in Hogwarts Legacy. This feature could be huge for the roleplaying aspect of the game, with the different houses in Harry Potter having very clearly defined traits. Whether the players will be able to put these traits to action in-game, however, remains to be seen. Gryffindor is one of the more notorious houses in the Harry Potter franchise, with a few very clearly defined traits that could translate perfectly to the in-game world.
Gryffindor's Hero Complex
Anybody that’s watched the Harry Potter movies can attest to the fact that Gryffindor has a major hero complex. When watching the ending scenes of the final Harry Potter movie, a pattern begins to emerge as all of the Gryffindor students begin to take center stage in The Battle of Hogwarts. The Gryffindor students simply can’t help themselves when there’s a battle and will jump into situations headfirst despite the potential cost of their own life. This could be one of the most important traits for a Hogwarts Legacy character to have, as it will force the player into increasingly interesting situations.
A hero complex is often considered a negative trait in regular conversation, however, are there any video game protagonists that don’t have one? In one of the endings of Far Cry 3, Jason Brody decides to stay on the island because he’s grown attached to the idea of being the savior of the people. Another example can be seen with Skyrim’s main character, the Dragonborn. Sure, the Dovakhiin is Skyrim’s true savior and the only one who can end the dragon crisis, but any regular person in that situation would turn their back on the people that very nearly assassinated them. The Dragonborn, however, sticks around, even going so far as to travel to the Nord afterlife to fulfill their hero complex.
In video games, a hero complex can make for entertaining gameplay, which is exactly why many players will likely pick Gryffindor. Players often want to be a significant part of the in-game world, either as a hero or as a villain. Perhaps Gryffindor players could be rewarded for their house choice with an increase to stats that allows for a more aggressive playstyle. The Knight class in Dark Souls, for example, has the highest base vitality, allowing the player to approach the game as one would expect a knight to play. Something similar in Hogwarts Legacy could be a just reward for picking Gryffindor.
Gryffindor's Adventurous Trait
Gryffindor’s sense of adventure goes without saying. The entire Harry Potter series is dedicated to Ron, Hermoine, and Harry’s adventurous quests throughout Hogwarts and beyond. In the final film even the likes of Neville Longbottom, who had made attempts to put a stop to the main trio’s quests in previous films, had joined in. The likes of Slytherin, however, looked to put a stop to the events of the final film, advocating for handing Harry over to Lord Voldemort. This yearning for adventure is a trait that could be the most widely adopted in Hogwarts Legacy, with players looking to explore the world of Harry Potter.
Hogwarts Legacy is an action RPG, a genre often associated with exploration and adventure. It will be exciting to see just how this will be translated into gameplay, but fans will be hoping to see their adventurous side satiated. For many fans, upon watching the Harry Potter films, there existed a desire to visit Hogwarts. While this has previously been possible in the Harry Potter movie games, the last of these was released prior to even the PS4 and Xbox One era. The hardware of the PS5 will allow Harry Potter fans to explore Hogwarts as they never have before, hopefully through an immersive open world. Allowing the player to explore as they wish could enable them to get the most out of the experience.
Throughout the Harry Potter movies, Gryffindor students’ adventurous spirit is often rewarded. Examples such as Neville Longbottom finding the Room of Requirement, or Harry taking his Liquid Luck to obtain information from Slughorn come to mind. Perhaps some kind of perception boost for Gryffindor players could accurately capture this experience in-game. This boost could make finding loot or quest items much easier for the player by including clues or simply increasing the drop rate of rare items. The adventurous trait is one of the most significant for Gryffindor’s house, and as such, it is important that this is properly captured.
Hogwarts Legacy aims to release in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.