OfHogwarts Legacy’s many features, few are as appreciated as its various traversal systems.Hogwarts Legacyplayers certainly have a good number of entertaining movement options to choose from, and while they are all fairly well-designed, there’s still some room for improvement.
For fans of theHarry Potterfranchise,Hogwarts Legacyis a treatin more ways than one. While previousHarry Pottergames are mostly book and movie tie-ins that follow the source material’s plot to a tee,Hogwarts Legacysimply puts players in the shoes of an ‘average’ Hogwarts student, fulfilling a long-held fantasy of many who grew up withHarry Pottermedia. Key to the realization of thisHarry Potterfantasy are several worldbuilding details, of which broom-flying is perhaps the most exhilarating to engage with. Indeed, the novelty of soaring through the sky in such an appropriately magical manner is a great addition, but from a mechanical standpoint, there’s not much to it. Though with such strong foundations, there’s a lot that the sequel can do to improve this traversal system.
Hogwarts Legacy 2: Deepening Broomstick Movement
Adding In-Air Broom Tricks Would Make Flying More Dynamic
Hogwarts Legacyboasts a beautiful open-world, one that is best viewed from the sky. Coasting through the air and checking out various points of interest, and in such a lore-appropriate way, elevates the game greatly. That said, broom flying can get a bit boring after the first few times, as there isn’t any real learning curve or opportunity for player expression through gameplay. There’s no way to meaningfully alter the moment-to-moment experience of flight, nor is there any risk of crashing or some other in-game consequence.
This is where tricks can come in.Broomsticks inHarry Potterare often portrayed as high-speed, no-nonsense pieces of magical tech, dangerous and demanding a certain degree of mastery. This doesn’t really carry overHogwarts Legacy, so a chance to perform tricks would add some much-needed risk-reward systems, allowing players to engage with broom flight in a more active, gripping way. These tricks could be as simple as pressing a button, or they could be a bit more complex, opening the door to things like inverted flight, barrel rolls, and alternate seating positions.
Mounts like Hippogriffs and Thestrals are likely to return inHogwarts Legacy 2, and the implementation of mid-air tricks could perhaps apply to them as well, although it would probably have to be to a lesser extent.
Adding More Challenge to Broom Flying In Hogwarts Legacy 2
Although it has been received extraordinarily well by consumers,Hogwarts Legacyis far from perfect. A common criticism of the game is its fairly shallow and straightforward gameplay: combat is essentially a version of the much-imitatedBatman: Arkhamsystem with only minor expansions, puzzles are simple, movement is totally frictionless, and so on. The game’s level of challenge and complexity is fair, though, as it’s meant to be a widely marketable and approachable product; it’s not necessarily made for theDark Soulspurists.
At the same time, some sort of meta game would greatly elevate the sequel. Something like broom tricks could serve this purpose, being totally optional yet rewarding ways to engage with the game’s systems. Maybe players could earn gear or upgrades for completing certain trick-based challenges, or enjoy speed boosts after successfully pulling off particular manuevers. In this way, the sequel could still be accessible, but with avenues to more complex gameplay. IfHogwarts Legacy 2pulls the trigger on Quidditch, then a more interactive, multifaceted approach to broom mechanics would be even more justified.
Hogwarts Legacy
WHERE TO PLAY
Hogwarts Legacy is an immersive, open-world action RPG set in the world first introduced in the Harry Potter books. For the first time, experience Hogwarts in the 1800s. Your character is a student who holds the key to an ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart. Now you can take control of the action and be at the center of your own adventure in the wizarding world. Your legacy is what you make of it.Explore an Open WorldThe wizarding world awaits you. Freely roam Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest, and the surrounding Overland area.Be the Witch or Wizard You Want to beLearn spells, brew potions, grow plants, and tend to magical beasts along your journey. Get sorted into your house, forge relationships, and master skills to become the witch or wizard you want to be Experience a New Wizarding World AdventureExperience the wizarding world in an unexplored era to uncover a hidden truth from its past. Battle against trolls, Dark Wizards, goblins, and more as you face a dangerous villain threatening the fate of the wizarding world.
