A recently released Hogwarts Legacy gameplay showcase shows off the game's exploration and open world, as well as its combat system.

The gameplay showcase went live on the Hogwarts Legacy official YouTube channel. In it were Game Director Alan Tew, Community Manager Chandler Wood, Systems Designer Mekenzy Toner, and Community Host Ben Snow. They watched some gameplay from the game, occasionally giving their commentary and thoughts about what they were watching.

The showcase starts off by showing off Hogwarts Legacy's beautiful landscape and exploration. Unlike the original series of books, Hogwarts Legacy happens during the 1800s, almost a century before the main series. The video showed the player exploring the exterior of Hogwarts. The player character gets on his broom and kicks off from the ground, showing off one of the game's major ways of travel. Flying on the broom lets the player cover large distances quickly, either by flying high above the ground or just above it. There is, however, a catch. The player has a flight meter located at the lower right corner of the screen. When players fly above the ground, the bar starts getting drained. Once it is empty, the player drops down to around ground level. While there, the bar refills, letting players fly high again after a time.

When asked if there were ways to upgrade the broom, Toner mentions that a shop in Hogsmeade sells brooms. Although the shop primarily deals in cosmetic upgrades, the player can help the shopkeep out to get broom upgrades. These upgrades let players fly high for a longer period of time, as well as probably some other features. It's important to note that as long as the player is near the ground, they can most likely fly for an infinite amount of time. After showing off the various forests, fields, and rivers dotting the land, they show off one of the game's hamlets.

These hamlets are basically small villages where wizards dwell. They sometimes have shops, as well as other interactable objects. These places also have various NPCs, with some of them offering quests to the player. The developers mentioned that these hamlets reward the player for poking around and exploring, as they might sometimes have items you will need. As such, players are pretty much encouraged to take their time in playing the game and exploring everything the world has to offer.

Afterward, they showed off another way for players to fly in the air: the Hippogriff. Specifically, they showed off the Onyx Hippogriff, which players can get by pre-ordering the game. They mentioned that each of the different mounts has its own strengths and weaknesses. Brooms, for example, are ideal for when you need to get from point A to point B fast. Hippogriffs, on the other hand, have better land speed and can fly for an extended amount of time, albeit at a lower speed compared to brooms. Deciding when to use each of the mounts will be up to the player depending on their needs.

After some more exploration, they then showed off more of Hogwarts Legacy's landscape, this time covered in snow. The change in seasons not only changes the appearance of the game but also helps in telling a better narrative. That is, you are actually progressing in time as you progress through the main story quest. The change in season also heralds in events, such as holiday celebrations and the like that the player can participate in.

After showing off more of the world, they then change focus to Hogwarts Legacy's combat system. They also take this opportunity to show off the Dark Arts Cosmetic Set, Thestral Mount, and the Dark Arts Battle Arena. These are available in the game's Deluxe edition. Players can also buy it in-game in the base edition of the game. The Dark Arts Battle Arena is a place where players can take part in a wave-based game mode, where players fight wave after wave of enemies. What makes this different, however, is the arsenal of spells the player has. Players can set up the spells that they can use in the arena, although this set-up is censored in the video. However, what stands out is the fact that the player can use the three Unforgivable Curses.

For those unfamiliar, the three Unforgivable Curses are spells are Crucio, Imperio, and Avada Kedavra. In order, these spells can inflict excruciating pain, completely control someone, or outright kill them. This section of the showcase shows off those three spells, as well as some other spells. This includes basic magical attacks, as well as spells that allow them to pick up crates or even enemies. There are also some moments where a shield activates, protecting the player from some spells. It also seems to be tied to a parry system, allowing players to time the shield to prevent damage. It also shows off the game's various potions, which have various buffs such as increased defense, or better cooldown reduction.

This isn't the first time that we've seen Hogwarts Legacy's combat system. They've already talked about the combat system before, however, it's very interesting seeing the combat in this scenario. Not only that, but the fact that you can use the Unforgivable Curses is something that I'm sure a lot of Harry Potter fans are looking forward to.

Finally, the showcase shows off the Room of Requirement, which you can treat as your hub of operations. Players are not just able to place whatever they want in it, but they can also change the room's architecture. The developers mentioned that they wanted to give the players the power to make the Room of Requirement “their own” and the player's “reflection as a wizard.” Players can summon things like carpets, chairs, crafting stations, and more. While some of them are cosmetic, others have a functional use. For example, players can use a Loom to customize gear and even add magical properties. They also have access to planting pots, where players can grow reagents to make potions with. The room expands the more players play the game, so it's worth coming back every now and then to rearrange things, or even just use its facilities.

Perhaps the biggest feature available to players in the Room of Requirement is access to the Vivarium. The Vivarium is like a farm where players can take care of various magical beasts. The Vivarium in the Hogwarts Legacy gameplay showcase housed a Graphorn, a Niffler, a Kneazle, and a Mooncalf. These beasts are not just for cosmetic purposes. Players can feed and even pet these beasts. In fact, it's almost a requirement, as they become more fond of you the more you feed and pet them. Once they are, you can get items from them, magical ingredients which you can use to upgrade and customize your gear. Not only that, but you can also customize the Vivarium, adding ruins or benches to liven the place up. You can even place down a toybox, which lets you play with the beasts using their favorite toy.

All in all, the Hogwarts Legacy gameplay showcase really shows us more of what to expect from the game, from its combat system to its exploration. It also highlights that feeling of wizarding freedom in the Room of Requirement, as you shape it into what you want it to be. This game is definitely something to look forward to next year.

Hogwarts Legacy comes out on February 10, 2023, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. As for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, the game becomes available on April 4, 2023, for the first two consoles, and on July 25, 2023, for the Switch. If you are interested in learning more about the game, you can check out our release date article for it. Otherwise, you can stay updated on gaming news with our gaming news articles.