Based on the sales of the open-world RPG Hogwarts Legacy, it is clear that a sequel will be made. There’s just one small snag…

If there’s one thing we can take for granted in an industry as fickle and ever-changing as the video game industry, it’s that if a title sells well enough, it’s only natural that we’ll get a sequel. Therefore, based on the information we have received about Hogwarts Legacy, which has received great reviews, it is clear that a sequel is already being planned within Warner. However, we are probably on the verge of one of the most complicated sequels in recent times.

The problem is not the narrative

On a narrative level, the truth is that it would be terribly easy to make a sequel. It’s no accident that Avalanche made sure our characters started fifth grade at Hogwarts. He still has two years left at Magic School. Coming up with a narrative pretext for a sequel is practically trivial, even without spoiling the plot of the just-released video game.

So the problem does not exist. Nor would it be extremely difficult to invent new spells or mechanics to continue with the same character, almost Mass Effect-style. The problem could be the setting of Hogwarts Legacy 2.

Hogwarts Legacy is two open worlds in one

Hogwarts Legacy is two open worlds in one. On one side, you have the elaborate witch and wizard school, and on the other, you have an entire valley, which is quite similar to other open worlds we’ve seen in this type of RPG.

It’s unusual for an open-world game to return to that setting in a sequel. Of course, there are well-known cases, such as many games in the Yakuza series. We’ve visited the Kamurocho area several times before, and the Ryu Ga Gotoku studio has done a lot to make it look different.

It’s something that could be done with the open world of the valley or even adding new areas or more square kilometres to explore on the broomstick.

But the caves stay where they are, as do the ruins and the main enemy nests. That wouldn’t be crazy, but it would severely limit the joy and value of exploration that has proven so important in Hogwarts Legacy.

Even more problematic would be what would happen to the main catch, which is Hogwarts. Obviously, the lessons would still be in the same classroom, and there would not be that constant sense of discovery as in the early lessons. Even more demanding would be the work that would have to be done to refill a space already squeezed to the limit with secrets and various collectibles.

If you add up those who bought it for the combat, the original story or the progression system, it would be a fraction of the number of people who started playing for the fantasy of exploring the castle and the magical world.

Recognising this, we can see that a sequel would not have the same impact, nor would it be a much better game, if we were to forgo one of its greatest assets, the rediscovery of Hogwarts and its surroundings. So we come to the next question: what could a sequel to Hogwarts Legacy look like?

Hogwarts Legacy 2 or Uagadou Legacy?

Perhaps the answer lies in the game itself. One of the student friends we meet in the first few hours is Natsai Onai, a young girl from Gryffindor who has recently arrived from another wizarding school, namely Uagadou in Africa. In the wizarding world, Hogwarts is not the only institution dedicated to training young wizards.

According to the official Harry Potter story, many other schools exist in North America, Japan, France and Brazil.

Avalanche may have earned the chance to take us to a whole new place. A place where they bring a fresh perspective to a magical world that until now has only been the stuff of the Fantastic Beasts film trilogy.

New spells inspired by a never-before-seen magical system, a differently structured school and a much more malleable open world. Without the constraints of Hogwarts, but with the advantage of a continued presence in the magical world. At the same time, it is a big question whether fans of the series would want a sequel that lacks the ominous wizarding school…

Source: hogwartslegacy.com