Hogwarts Legacy, one of the most popular RPGs of 2023, allowed players to attend the most famous fictional school in the world and embark on their very own magical adventure. While the game did allow players to mostly immerse themselves in a life attending Hogwarts by creating their own witch or wizard, attending classes, and meeting fellow students, some RPG elements were lacking.Chief among those missing features is a true House Points system, in which students can earn points throughout the year to help their house – Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin – win the House Cup.
In theHarry Potterbooks, points are generally earned through good behavior, like answering questions correctly in class or helping professors with extra tasks, and can be deducted for bad behavior like sneaking out after curfew. Disappointingly,Hogwarts Legacydid not have a real House Point system, aswinning the House Cup is entirely tied to the main story of the game. Any upcomingHogwarts Legacysequelshould instead utilize a real House Points system as a sort of morality system for a truly immersive RPG experience.
Hogwarts Legacy 2 Should Have A Real House Points System
Really Winning The House Cup Would Mean More In A Sequel
Hogwarts Legacydoes include the House Cup, but its inclusion feels perfunctory, sinceplayers don’t earn points through exploring the castle and attending classes, but by completing the main plot and defeating Ranrok’s attack on Hogwarts. This experience is very similar to what happens in every earlyHarry Potterbook, with the golden trio earning points for Gryffindor at the last minute through whatever third-act bravery happened that year.
However, for an immersive RPG experience,the sequel toHogwarts Legacyshould add a more overarching system that’s actually impacted by the player’s actions. Playing as an upstanding student and friend, someone who helps all their classmates with tasks around the castle and performs well in class, should earn more points than playing as a delinquent student who ignores classes and fails to build relationships with their peers.
Side Quests And Good Behavior Should Reward Players
Player Choices Should Earn The House Cup
Rather than letting the House Cup be decided by completing the main story, which many players are bound to do,it should be earned by fully exploring and engaging with all that Hogwarts has to offer. The best way to do this is by tying it to side quests, relationship building, and engaging with daily student life. While plot events should impact some amount of House Points, the bulk of it should be earned rather than simply given to players for completing the main plot.
“I Felt Immersed & Almost Guilty”: Hogwarts Legacy Does A Great Job At Making This Feature Feel Unforgivable
Hogwarts Legacy players have a choice whether to learn the unforgivable curses or not, leaving many players divided on what they should do.
For example, a quest that involves helping a resident of Hogsmeade find their missing Puffskein could end in a professor hearing about the good deed and rewarding 10 points to the player’s House. Small interactive quests thatlet players interact with the world more and experience more book-only creatures and spells would help make any sequel far more immersive while simultaneously including more Easter Eggs for longtime fans ofHarry Potter.
Hogwarts Legacy 2could also have House-specific quests foreach of the four Houses.Having special quests for each House would make being sorted actually impact the gameand each quest could have slightly different outcomes depending on player choices that earn or lose House Points. This would also allow players to learn more about their House and its history, which would be especially exciting for neglected Houses like Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.
Deeper RPG Elements Would Go A Long Way To Making HL2 More Immersive
Exploring Hogwarts Means More Than Walking Around The Grounds
A majorcomplaint aboutHogwarts Legacyis that, while it did recreate Hogwarts and the surrounding grounds perfectly,it didn’t allow players to enjoy a full school life the way they wanted. Missing features that would have a big impact include building relationships with classmates and romancing other characters, as well as a morality system that would impact how characters react to you and change the outcome of the game.
The gaming landscape currently has a huge selection of RPGs for players to choose from, likeBaldur’s Gate 3,Elden Ring, andCyberpunk 2077, which each have far more interactive elements for players to engage with their respective world. Any sequel toHogwarts Legacyneeds to step up in terms of interactivity and immersion to attract players, especially if the game is set in the same castle that players have already explored. Sourcing game mechanics from preexisting iconic elements of the books is an easy way to up the ante in any sequel.
Editor’s Note: Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling has been accused of transphobia by those in the LGBTQ+ community. Although not directly involved in the development of Hogwarts Legacy, Rowling does stand to earn royalties from the game. We would like to reiterate our support for trans rights and that trans identities are valid. Support services are listed below for trans people impacted by discussions of transphobia.In the USA:
