On paper, this game should be great. In practice it's just decent. The combat system isn't the best I've ever experienced, but it is very fresh and unique. I haven't played a game that doesn't feel like a Soulsborne and/or Batman: Arkham in a very long time and it's nice. Hogwarts is indescribably beautiful. The game could just be flying around the environments and it would be worth it just for the marvel the map is alone. Enemies are varied and interesting enough with thought put into how spells interact with their move sets, another point to the combat system. The world is incredibly immersive, combos have depth, customization is a lot of fun to play with and tailor how you want to look. The puzzles (where they exist) are very fun, the map is massive and there is a LOT to sink your teeth into on it. Unfortunately, this game falls short in some really important areas, namely the story, characters, and atmosphere. The stories just don't have much appeal. I haven't found myself caring about much about the plot of the game, intimidated by its villains or invested in what is driving it forward. The characters are really hard to care about and aren't very compelling or interesting, save for a select few. The biggest issue I've had with this game is the lack of music. The game's music is incredible, but it only seems to play in the world's hubs (Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc.) and not at all in the open world, where it's needed most to enhance the visuals. The silence can make traversing the environment just plain boring and agonizing, particularly before you have unlocked traversal options and key fast travel points. While, these things resolve the problem, the core problem still remains. Traversing such a beautiful world should be so much more engaging and it points to something that titles like Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, and Horizon: Zero Dawn as a few examples have done much better.

Overall a decent game that probably skyrockets in value if you're a fan of the franchise.