Hogwarts Legacy had some high highs, low lows, and a whole lot in-between. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot to say about the game, as it ended up being a fairly mediocre experience.

As for the good, holy hell, the world they created is incredible. Just walking around Hogwarts, seeing the scale and attention to detail, was awe-inspiring. It was very immersive just walking around the castle as a student, which was exactly what I was hoping for out of the game. This extends to the open-world as well. Walking around Hogsmeade and flying around the map on my broomstick made me smile just a little bit every time. I am willing to make the claim that the broomstick is one of the best methods of open-world traversal in a game I've played. So yes, the playable space of this game is amazing. It's a shame then that the things you do in the world are boring and uninspired.

This is where I, unfortunately, have to address the negative points. There is so much worthless, time-wasting content in the open world. If it was just a boat load of Merlin Trials that dotted the map, it'd be fine, but then you add like ten more lifeless, copy-paste map markers with lame incentives to complete them? I am less forgiving of that. Most of this game's content felt like padding for the sake of extending runtime rather than actually giving the player something meaningful and interesting to do. This extends to the gear system. I am so sick of being handed piles of differently colored gear with minimal statistical differences in open-world games. It never adds anything. At least the different clothing options were cool, I just didn't need them tied to the limp gear system. Combat was occasionally interesting but was more style than substance. The story was also extremely forgettable, which sounds like it should be impossible given all of the interesting ideas you can use from this IP. I, sadly, found myself mostly mashing through dialogue through most of the game. The Sebastian questline was the one exception to this. These quests prove that the game is capable of compelling stories, characters, conflicts, and choices, and it's a shame that potential didn't extend anywhere else. I feel like that sentiment sums up this game. Hogwarts Legacy had some incredible potential, but it failed to live up to it in most respects. It feels like this game exists in-between the tension of developer passion for the IP and publisher mandates. I kind of wish this game was instead a smaller-scope Hogwarts student life sim instead of this everything-and-the-kitchen-sink game we got. I did have enough fun to see it through to the end, but just barely.

Huh. I guess I had more to say than I thought.

I struggle to find the right words to convey how much I adore this game. It was an incredible experience. It had the highest of highs but was also capable of slowing down so you could really connect with the characters, world, and story.

Probably the best-looking game I've ever played? The number of times I just stopped what I was doing and took in my surroundings with my jaw agape. And I NEVER normally do that in games, at least not as consistently as I did here. I could not stop taking screenshots and messing with photo mode.
I could gush about this game for so long.
I cried multiple times.
I adored the combat by the end.
I was so attached to the characters (I cheered when Clive finally kissed Jill, I'm man enough to admit that).
THE MUSIC!!!
The way I said out loud, multiple times: "This is the coolest thing I've ever seen in a game."
I cannot say enough good things about this game. Incredible. Literally, my only complaint is that I got a little tired of the amount of sidequests. They were a fun diversion to learn more about the world in small doses, but I ended up mashing through dialogue on a couple of them. This is but a minor nitpick, however. I can see why this game disappointed many people, but for some reason it just all clicked for me.

Amazing experience. It had me wrapped around its finger so tight that I procrastinated starting the final mission. THAT IS VERY RARE FOR ME. Ugh, what an unforgettable game.

I used to think that I was not a fan of Metroidvanias. I get how the genre's freeform exploration can be appealing to some, but I tend to get frustrated when I get a new item, forget the places I've seen to use, and then have to backtrack across the whole map to figure it out. This game, however, has made me rethink my stance on Metroidvanias. I do not think this game is perfect, but for an indie game with a tiny team of developers, this game is a 10/10. It astounds me that this game even exists. Jeez, I don't even know where to start with this game...

I think Hollow Knight's atmosphere and aesthetic are what captured me most about it. I don't believe I am exaggerating when I say that this is the most beautiful and artistically cohesive game I have ever played. There were so many moments when I just had to stop and take in the immaculately crafted scenery and soundtrack. I don't think I'll ever forget the first time stepping into Greenpath, with its stark aesthetic shift and whimsical music track. Oh man, or the first time I looked out a window at the rain in the City of Tears with the hauntingly beautiful piece in the background. There are so many moments like this. I also cannot stress enough how good the character designs are. You can tell someone on the dev team loved creating all these cute bug guys. There are so many characters/enemies and they are all so memorable, which is quite the feat in my opinion.

The game's progression is also worth noting, as it has been my main issue with other Metroidvanias. With every new ability, upgrade, or charm I acquired, I legitimately felt like I was becoming more powerful. The Crystal Heart ability is a great example of this. It immediately revolutionized how I explored the world, made backtracking much more enjoyable, and gave me renewed vigor to keep going. I experienced these feelings with nearly every upgrade, which is remarkable.

I have so many more positive things I could gush about, but I'll leave it at these highlights for brevity's sake. However, I do want to briefly note a couple of nitpicks. The first has to do with storing money. I was shocked when the banker made off with my money and was amused when I later found and beat her senseless for my savings back. I was surprised to discover that there was no option after that for storing my money (that I found). This led me to carry all of my geo on me at all times (as I had already purchased everything from the vendors) which was extremely stressful. I ultimately lost over 10,000 geo trying to complete a particularly nasty platforming challenge in the Queen's Gardens(we'll get there), and I subsequently lost nearly all desire to play the game. I had been considering completing/collecting everything, but after that, I decided to immediately go beat the final boss so I could be done. This leads me to my second gripe, which is that some of the platforming challenges feel completely unfair. I think Hollow Knight overall feels fair, but some of these platforming challenges (particularly in the Queen's Gardens) felt impossible. Even when I would eventually pass some of them, it didn't feel like I mastered anything; it just felt like dumb luck. Overall these are very small nitpicks in what was an incredible experience, and it's a shame they hindered my desire to 100% this game.

In sum, this game rules. I get it now. Maybe I don't dislike Metroidvanias, I just hadn't played the right ones until now.