Sony State Of Play Reveals Hogwarts Legacy Gameplay & Details

Today’s PlayStation State of Play presentation focused exclusively on Hogwarts Legacy, the upcoming Harry Potter prequel from Avalanche Software and Portkey Games.

The game puts the player in the robes of a custom character and sends them to the legendary wizard academy Hogwarts’ school. However, Legacy takes place in the late 1800s, giving players the freedom to break free from the shackles of Harry Potter books and movies and embark on their own legendary journey.

Today’s demo consists of approximately 14 minutes of in-game footage captured from the PlayStation 5 and a few words from the developers of Avalanche Software. You can see the full State of Play above, but read on to learn more about what’s shown.

Players start by creating a new Hogwarts student who embarks on this magical adventure in 5th grade and must catch up with other students in that grade. Pick a house (sort of hats, of course) and sign up for the class most Harry Potter fans are familiar with. Demos demonstrate charm, defense against dark magic, herbalism, and potions, along with geek professors who teach the school’s young minds.

Hogwarts is full of dungeon-like mysteries, with secret passages scattered around the sacred halls. Some realms require a clever mind and the right magic touch to uncover the secrets hidden inside. While Hogwarts Legacy is more than 100 years ahead of the Potter novels, some characters, like long-dead souls and almost headless Nick, can be seen roaming the hallways.

Players make new friends at Hogwarts, some of whom become companions. You will learn all the back stories of these characters and start quests related to their lives. One such student is Sebastian Sallow, a Slytherin with an “uncomfortable family past.”

Not all magic classes and friendships at Hogwarts Legacy. There are rumors circulating in the Wizarding World of a goblin rebellion in which the student will somehow become entangled. The video features a lot of spells for evil witches, wizards, goblins and other magical enemies.

Some of the spells highlighted in the presentation include more harmful spells such as the Amazing Talisman, Shield Talisman, Fiery Incentio, or Gravity Inducing Descendo. Knowing a healing spell, such as repair, can rebuild destroyed bridges and other structures. The narrator points out that players will learn to use magic that the school’s talented professors don’t understand.

Characters can be upgraded through the talent and ability system using experience gained from challenges around the world. Additional customizations and improvements come from gear purchased with Galleons, Sickles and Knuts, either looted or hard-earned in adventures. Potions can also be used to increase strength or defense in battle. Plants can be outnumbered by acting as battle pets, and can be stunned by the unbearable screams of a mandrake if all else fails.

The room of requirements is open to you to brew and grow as you wish. As the player’s students start fresh in 5th grade, this room provides the necessary equipment to perform the aforementioned catch-up, such as brewery and garden tools. It will be a place where you can craft mystical tools to your liking.

We’ve grabbed a short clip of a broom ride that lets you fly through the open world and explore the outside of Hogwarts Castle. You can travel to places like Hogsmede, which have shops and suppliers of equipment or craft materials, or visit the quaint village of wizards in the countryside and chat with the magical residents who live there. You can find and rescue magical beasts, and dig more dungeons and vaults for rewards and additional adventures.

Hogwarts Legacy is set to release this year on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC, but unfortunately the State of Play didn’t provide the expected release date. However, we have narrowed it down to the holiday period.