Hogwarts Legacy

[-Troopa-]

Official GCB thread for the magical open-world game of Hogwarts Legacy.

We got our pre-order in just in time at 11:50pm last night, so we got the pre-order bonus along with the digital deluxe edition. Maybe the bonus came with the deluxe edition anyway? Not sure, but we mostly wanted access to the game 3 days early and my wife is going to start playing it tonight.

I've been tempted to also get it on the Steam Deck, since I think I'll be more likely to get through it that way, but at the same time I feel like this game is best played on my 85" in the living room. Not a small portable screen.

I still haven't tried setting up Xbox remote play with the Deck yet so that's another possibility. I'm really sensitive to input lag though. It has to work really well.

As for now, I think what's going to happen is I'll be playing Final Fantasy IV on the couch with my Deck while my wife is playing Hogwarts on the TV screen. So, I'll be playing and watching. But once my open-world fatigue wears off, I'd like to hop into Hogwarts too.

@DeadLazy You also got me interested in trying Valhalla again. I played for an hour last year, and it seemed pretty good, but I wasn't up for an Ubisoft-style game at the moment. I had already completed Watch Dogs Legion earlier in the year.

 

[Fuhgeddit]

Still deciding whether or not to get this for Xbox or PS. Thought about getting it for Xbox because I'm starting to like the controller more (as its lightweight and I like the quick resume for the most part that it can handle multiple games.

 

[-Troopa-]

Still deciding whether or not to get this for Xbox or PS. Thought about getting it for Xbox because I'm starting to like the controller more (as its lightweight and I like the quick resume for the most part that it can handle multiple games.

I wonder if the devs made use of the DualSense features. They could do some cool stuff to help you ‘feel’ the magic.

DualSense was probably my favorite thing about the PS5 hardware.

 

[Fuhgeddit]

I wonder if the devs made use of the DualSense features. They could do some cool stuff to help you ‘feel’ the magic.

DualSense was probably my favorite thing about the PS5 hardware.

Me too. And I hear they did. Which makes me think maybe I should just buy it for PS5... considering.

 

[DevilDancer]

I sent a review to my wife and she's interested. She's a Potter person.

Maybe I'll get it for her for Christmas. She'll forget about it long before then.

 

[-Troopa-]

Me too. And I hear they did. Which makes me think maybe I should just buy it for PS5... considering.

Yeah, I've seen some people on Reddit say the DualSense features are really nice for the game. I'd probably lean that way in your case.

 

[DeadLazy]

Sorry dude. I don’t think we should be in here and Catfish can go fuck himself.

But my message for you Troopa is: don’t believe these awful reviews. Scores may be good, but in 40 years of gaming I didn’t think we’d ever see this level of detail.

Last night, when the seasons changed, I shit myself. But combat is also insanely fun.

Technically, it’s the most impressive game I’ve ever played. Scores may be good but it’s still getting trashed on for political reasons. 9 is fair from IGN but to think Elden Ring got 10’s is tragic. Elden Ring is old school compared to the gaming experience Hogwarts delivers.

But this thread is bullshit. Catfish can just not read a post or block me. We don’t need this fucking thread.

 

[deleted-4439668]

Sorry dude. I don’t think we should be in here and Catfish can go fuck himself.

But my message for you Troopa is: don’t believe these awful reviews. Scores may be good, but in 40 years of gaming I didn’t think we’d ever see this level of detail.

Last night, when the seasons changed, I shit myself. But combat is also insanely fun.

Technically, it’s the most impressive game I’ve ever played. Scores may be good but it’s still getting trashed on for political reasons. 9 is fair from IGN but to think Elden Ring got 10’s is tragic. Elden Ring is old school compared to the gaming experience Hogwarts delivers.

But this thread is bullshit. Catfish can just not read a post or block me. We don’t need this fucking thread.

Go fuck yourself you toxic piece of trash

 

[deleted-4439668]

If this piece of shit can get away with cussing everyone out I will do it right back at him every time he does it.

let’s have fun DL

 

[DeadLazy]

Don’t care.

But I do care about how the fucking idiot journalists out there loved Elden Ring.

It’s such a…. Cluster fuck of up its own ass combat with absolutely 0 skill show in any other area.

Even I can design a video game that’s open spaces connected by hallways with shit to fight.

I will never pay attention to game journalism again. Fuck IGN too.
I’m heartbroken.

And I will not be buying Zelda. I already can’t stomach the 10/10 reviews.

I have 0 community connection to gamers or gaming anymore. There’s just nothing left. Don’t think there’s much point in trying to connect with gamers anymore, either. You can find me on my Xbox so I need to remember to turn notifications and all that stuff back on.

 

[deleted-4439668]

.

 

[deleted-4439668]

.

 

[deleted-4439668]

.

 

[deleted-4439668]

He came looking for a fight but didn’t expect anyone to fight back

 

[east1226]

Should I close out this thread? I honestly don't care, but figured I should ask the community.

 

[deleted-4439668]

I’d say just delete any posts where deadlazy is cussing at people and I’m cussing back at him, but you’d have to delete like half his posting history and you don’t deserve to look through that pile of garbage

 

[deleted-4439668]

Fuck it I’m just gonna bow out too. His toxicity is rubbing off on me. I just had enough of it and ready to fight that mfer

 

[-Troopa-]

Keep my thread open! Let's just chill. Gaming is meant to be lighthearted and fun. We don't need to take shots. Save that for political threads.

I don't really mind having a dedicated Hogwarts thread. Does it really matter if a post is here or there? It's just a way of keeping it organized. I was already thinking of creating one days before Catfish suggested it, since it's a customary thing we've done around here for other big releases. Same reason we made one for the Steam Deck.

Though in this case, it seems like only two of us are going to play/experience it. And since I'm not playing it to the extent that you are, I might not have as much to contribute, but I do like reading what your (DeadLazy) experience has been.

But my message for you Troopa is: don’t believe these awful reviews. Scores may be good, but in 40 years of gaming I didn’t think we’d ever see this level of detail.

I haven't read a single review, to be honest. I just looked at the overall scores of critics. Once I saw it was 85+, I knew they nailed it, because I already knew the world was very detailed from the video previews I saw.

Last night, when the seasons changed, I shit myself. But combat is also insanely fun.

Nice. We still haven't started it yet. Was going to yesterday, but both my wife and I worked late. Very late. Should get going on it soon, probably tonight.

Elden Ring is old school compared to the gaming experience Hogwarts delivers.

FromSoftware have such a passionate fan base and delightfully surprised the gaming community. Old school is what they want. It was hyped up SO much and it delivered.

But yeah, as someone who couldn't really get into Dark Souls when I tried, Elden Ring did nothing for me personally. I didn't mind everyone talking about it for months though because it's nice to see the worldwide gaming community excited about something besides Animal Crossing after two years of dealing with the pandemic.

I'd still like to try Elden Ring at some point. For a game that big, I'd prefer if it had some kind of story tying everything together.

The core problem to me -- similar to how I feel about Monster Hunter (a game I WANT to like) -- is that I just don't enjoy the combat/gameplay. And if I don't enjoy the gameplay, then why bother? But maybe I'll like Elden Ring more than Dark Souls. Doubt it. I'll try though.

 

[-Troopa-]

I could unlock this gear in Hogwarts and pretend I'm playing Elden Ring

 

[DeadLazy]

High fidelity + RT
- depth of field off
- motion blur off
- FPS cap’ed

And we love the animal collection and taking care of them. Adorable fun for sure.

Saying this “is like any other open world game” is objectively not true.

Spell combos are really fun. Levitating and then smashing groups of enemies (spec trees to apply to multiple) is very fluid.

 

[-Troopa-]

High fidelity + RT
- depth of field off
- motion blur off
- FPS cap’ed

I usually prefer motion blur off too, so that all makes sense to me.

Is it running at 60fps with you at these settings?

 

[DeadLazy]

I usually prefer motion blur off too, so that all makes sense to me.

Is it running at 60fps with you at these settings?

No that’s a cap’ed 30 and it will go higher and it’s smooth 90% of the time, but I prefer that consistency. I’ve found one room where took a weirdly big hit but it’s out of mind 90% if the time and only noticeably bad that once. I think*. I’m not sure. Looks and animated great but I think I’m looking at 30. But I’ve found lots of games better at 30, some need the 60. Like Valhalla needs 60.

So many things to discover it’s sort of crazy. If it snows I really will freak.

It’s amazing how fun the combat system is. I need to try hard mode but it’s one the best combat systems I’ve played in a 3rd person RPG in terms of fun. Responsive control.

I will say there is a loss of response with RT on but it’s totally out of thought unless I focus on it and on lower settings the game is hyper responsive, so I notice in the camera if I focus on it. Minor, minor thing.

0 bad bugs or crashing. Once I found a part of step with some collision issues.

 

[DeadLazy]

Make sure and go to the dining hall once fall arrives. At night with the moonlight, crazy.

I realize I started over 2 years late but I’ve had no shortage of next gen feeling stuff and this has just been crazy.

 

[DeadLazy]

I don’t want to put this game on hard, but I will for my second run. I hope it’s really hard because the combat system is really, really good.

Lots of combo potential and it’s rewarding to play well. Levitate, then hit with slow, then smash into the ground, then, throw them. And it all has great feedback and feeling of connecting, with great animations.

Also, best spell swap system ever for a console or control pad. They effectively give you 16 spells at instant command. Just takes a little getting used to but you can swap to any spell very fast in combat . If needed you can pause and assign a new one easily too. You’ll only have one set for the first many hours of the game and that’s a mistake. They’re easing noobs into deep gameplay I get it, but let players see that depth early on.

Inspiration can be found in your list of challenges.

 

[-Troopa-]

Me too. And I hear they did. Which makes me think maybe I should just buy it for PS5... considering.

You gotta play it on PS5 and buy the special controller too.

 

[DeadLazy]

That things ugly.

The Vivarium and beast keeping is my favorite part so far. I was wondering how they’d handle your student life and the short answer is they don’t and that’s okay, because it’s way more fun having the best wizard castle be the location of your personal wizard tower effectively.

Good decision. The Room of Requirement is your dorm and it’s a lot of fun. If they’d pulled Persona crap on any level, it’d hurt. But it does manage to keep you engaged and feeling like a student, just a privileged one. You’re the child of dictator I guess.

 

[-Troopa-]

Ah, so it's not like in Bully where you attend classes and do class-related work?

 

[DeadLazy]

Ah, so it's not like in Bully where you attend classes and do class-related work?

No you absolutely do. Just don’t let time get in your way. And you have your common room and you’ll go there.

You’ll have to attend class to advance the story but it doesn’t start until you go. And the day night cycle continues on. Because there is plenty to do that needs to be done at night.

And the room of requirements is your base, which will grow and you can decorate and place all your crafting gear.

And it’s essentially segmented quarters and you’ll know, without being explicitly told, when you’re on a mission that will advance you to the next season/quarter of school. But it all works out very nicely.

And that’s all good. If you want to do stuff at night but don’t want to advance the story, you can. I hate when games that.

You’re free to roam but the world stays static until you advance and a few games have done that. Because there is a vast world to explore and it’s a good one. Lots of villages and hamlets and quests and exploration and … everything.

Because of the world, you can dream up any excuse to do anything, but that one thing would be hard: time. It’s simply not addressed. But you do feel like a student attending classes. Just a privileged one who’s dad donated the East wing or something.

 

[DeadLazy]

I do use dark magic on poachers. Crucio. The only one I have so far. Then you can rescue the animals and I did run into a bug where despite unlocking the cage the animal was still trapped. Bummed me out.

We could advance the game to winter break after the next main mission but we’re putting it off and doing tons of side stuff.

And flying will feel wonky at first. Do
not fuck with your controls or something. Once you adapt the broom has tight control. Animals less so, they’re fun though. But your broom is where it’s at. After a day or two you’ll be like a storm trooper on a speeder.

**We finished fall semester and yes, it snowed. Awesome.

 

[Fuhgeddit]

You gotta play it on PS5 and buy the special controller too.

View attachment 902713

I ended up buying it on Xbox. I just like quick resume so much more on the Xbox. Also, not a fan of that controller at all!

 

[Fuhgeddit]

That things ugly.

The Vivarium and beast keeping is my favorite part so far. I was wondering how they’d handle your student life and the short answer is they don’t and that’s okay, because it’s way more fun having the best wizard castle be the location of your personal wizard tower effectively.

Good decision. The Room of Requirement is your dorm and it’s a lot of fun. If they’d pulled Persona crap on any level, it’d hurt. But it does manage to keep you engaged and feeling like a student, just a privileged one. You’re the child of dictator I guess.

I kind of like the idea of Persona stuff, where you get to pick and choose what things you'd like to do, but hey, I guess it may not fit the bill here.

 

[DevilDancer]

Is there a social side to it? Make friends, maybe some romance?

 

[DeadLazy]

I ended up buying it on Xbox. I just like quick resume so much more on the Xbox. Also, not a fan of that controller at all!

Care to elaborate on ps5 quick resume and the controller?

Xbox has been running it great, don’t think you can go wrong.

 

[DeadLazy]

Is there a social side to it? Make friends, maybe some romance?

No romance but you do make some friends. I’m not sure where it goes but the star for me is the Vivarium. Basically your wizard tower and the crafting and doll house stuff is awesome, but rescuing and taking care of beasts is my favorite part.

I will put this game on for years to come, just to hang out in the Vivarium, listen to soothing music and mess with virtual pets in a relaxed way.

I’ve started the animal breeding. Had a baby thestral and gryphon. Totally side tracked me last night.

I love the side characters they’re actually good. Sebastian has a story I’m into, but I don’t know if I can effect the relationship with decisions. But the dialog trees and options are good. I’ll have to play it two or three times to know.

But there isn’t a social system I can quantify yet, just optional quests I can pursue (some are main quests) with these characters.

You get three magic doors in your tower (at least) that lead to three biomes. In the room of requirement and the biomes it’s for you to control and put all your crafting and decorations and it’s very, very good.

 

[Fuhgeddit]

Care to elaborate on ps5 quick resume and the controller?

Xbox has been running it great, don’t think you can go wrong.

Xbox has multiple game quick resume, you can only quick resume one game on PS5. And I am not a fan of the controller Troopa posted, I usually dislike controllers like that, that are branded.

 

[DeadLazy]

But the star of the show is Hogwarts itself.

I love architecture and Hogwarts is the Mona Lisa of video game architecture. It’s insane.

Game critics were not mentally equipping to review this game. It’s about so much more than combat. Exploring Hogwarts is a joy just for people who enjoy architecture.

The Artists and designers really deserve credit and recognition for the architectural designs featured through out the game, but Hogwarts is a masterpiece.

Every marble floor, painting, gargoyle pillar and arch is awesome.

 

[DeadLazy]

2.7 gig update dropped.

 

[-Troopa-]

I hope they add some more camera options. It's uncomfortably close to the character at times when inside. Just a small quibble.

We got started on it last night. The beginning of the game feels like a long tutorial, but that's alright... they gotta introduce everything so that's how it goes sometimes.

I snagged this nifty looking Merlin's Cloak from the Twitch promo.

 

[HotDoommaN]

Can I avadacadabra Hogwarts mofos?

 

[DeadLazy]

Can I avadacadabra Hogwarts mofos?

Yes but I have not gotten to it yet.

 

[HotDoommaN]

Cool then, my dream was always to do a drive by on my broomstick 2000 and avadacadabra Slitherin mofos.
If I can do that the game is 10/10 for me.

 

[DeadLazy]

I hope they add some more camera options. It's uncomfortably close to the character at times when inside. Just a small quibble.

We got started on it last night. The beginning of the game feels like a long tutorial, but that's alright... they gotta introduce everything so that's how it goes sometimes.

I snagged this nifty looking Merlin's Cloak from the Twitch promo.

It is long. Then depending on your style if play it will be a while before you’re flying; get the room if requirement; and so on.

I sort of get through all that and unlock most stuff but it hasn’t stopped adding new stuff. I don’t think it will.

The room if requirements and my Vivarium are now massive. Actually three Vivarium. Just keeps growing.

 

[DeadLazy]

Cool then, my dream was always to do a drive by on my broomstick 2000 and avadacadabra Slitherin mofos.
If I can do that the game is 10/10 for me.

You aren’t going to go GTA on it that’s for sure. Just drop that style of play from your thoughts.

Closest relative is Witcher 3. But if not going GTA doesn’t suit you, pass.

So far I have crucio And use it on poachers.

 

[DeadLazy]

*I was given the opportunity to pass on learning crucio too. But it involves a lot of decisions and I actually like the character that’s leading us down a dark path.

I’m 100% blind so I’ll need more play through to tell you what changes if anything.

Lots of Witcher style dialog options.

patch:
- took cap off FPS high fidelity + RT and depth of field on, hitting much higher frame rates inside (maybe 60 ish) and still stable over all.

-got imperio now too.

I have to work all weekend so hope you enjoy troopa.

 

[BOP_G_A_Pster]

But that's one of the unforgivable curses, you'll end up in Azkaban for sure.

 

[DeadLazy]

IGN review basically nailed it, give or take.
- don’t be afraid to finish the main story. You’ll get plenty of time to finish everything else and I’m glad we waited to do all the extras.
- High fidelity-& RT, motion and depth of field off. Pretty damn good and 60 in most dungeons.

Still playing but we were close to main story and wanted to finish so I would not be distracted and then I’d do everything else at my own pace. We finished today. Early morning we started. Final time was 39 hours but I’m only 50% complete and tons left to do.

9/10 is accurate but doesn’t tell the whole story. Still, good IgN review. The patch made a big difference though so might have been higher.

I am still blind but we will start a few more characters later this week. Now, we will each play a separate character too.

 

[DeadLazy]

Try turning camera sensitivity all the way up and camera acceleration all the way down. It cures the slightly wonky camera for me. I hadn’t been thinking about it but saw ab article and it’s way smoother.

Turned Depth of field and motion blur back on and unrestricted FPS after I made the change.

 

[-Troopa-]

Yeah, that camera trick is helpful. It was one of the top posts on the Hogwarts subreddit too.

 

[-Troopa-]

 

[-Troopa-]

Oh lame, they removed the Reddit post. It was funny.

Someone levitated a cow and then it rolled down the hill.