Hogwarts Legacy is one of the best Open World games I’ve played in awhile. Now to be fair I am certain there is ton of easter eggs and references to the Harry Potter franchise, but for the most part you can go in blind and still see almost everything the game has to offer. I never watched any of the movies or read any of the books, but still enjoyed the game. The Switch does have graphical limitations, but compared to other open world games on the system looks passable. There were quests and side activities that were far harder than they needed to be, but still doable. There are hundreds of collectibles and activities my least favorite was Summoners Court Questline not because it’s hard, but because of the lack of perception making it incredibly difficult for no reason. There are five parts in that questline and minigame and at first it is used as a tutorial level to teach the player how to bring faraway objects and enemies closer. After that it just becomes a nuisance. While it is a small part of the larger game that makes it stand out more other questlines that have multiple parts either are part of the main story or are more fun to do. While the exploration can feel limited at first as you explore the world the harder the challenges and since you can pretty much go anywhere without consequence it is more a matter of whether or not you are ready for harder fights or difficult quests. Another thing that seemed pointless was the limited gear slots. You can unlock more through the completion of Merlin Trials, but after awhile it becomes obvious that there are more Trials than slots to unlock thus making the vast majority of them just there for experience points. Gear can be upgraded and the various beasts can be cared for giving you materials. Another thing that seemed odd was you can only sell gear and beasts to the trader. You gain materials by rescuing beasts and caring for them and while a unique and fun concept. Aside from the novelty of interacting with these creatures especially with how much of the story is focused on the local poachers is wasted in its reward. I ended up having tons of materials that while yes, I could use them to upgrade serve no real purpose outside of being in my inventory.

I had fun with this game and I do think it is a legitimately great time when it does something right it pulls it off amazingly, but the flaws and annoyances stand out more. I still like and recommend this game especially if you like the world of Hogwarts and its universe.