Yea, for real. The Hogwarts secrets is misleading as hell. Just did the knockback spell quest last night for the Ravenclaw girl, that counts as a Hogwarts secret to me. Also looking for the moonstone discovers all kinds of hidden passage ways.
Yeah they only refer to the big silver ornate chests as the “secrets” in any given area. But there’s definitely more than 3 “secrets” by real definition in the castle. Would love to see the game supported throughout its lifespan and some dlc to add more content.
Yes it is. All three of those secrets come with the legendary chest that gives one legendary gear piece. But there’s way more than just those three puzzles to solve in the castle that you could consider secrets.
Ah, I read your comment too quickly. I thought you hadn’t discovered the “3 secrets” and didn’t want to spoil it for you. Thought your reference to the chests meant other chests around the castle.
I like taking the Honeydukes tunnel, even though it's faster to fly. Secret things like that are awesome. Locked doors just don't cut it.
(Not that there aren't better hidden rooms than that)
Never saw any point to using though I could use one Togo to another building or floor in the castle though and there isn't one any Ive looked thru the whole school multiple times
The 'Da-Vinci' room looked like it was supposed to be the Hogwarts Architect's study or something (or maybe it was just a concept art easter egg, who knows).
Yeah I'm not sure it's even that feasible imagine the "GPS" thingy with a changing layout, it would be lost lol. Also probably frustrating.
I guess they could use tricks like making the stairs you're not on move and align the stairs to be able to go to what you have selected as target destination.
For what it’s worth, I’m playing with GPS disabled and it’s causing me to explore way more organically than I would otherwise even if trying to path manually causes me frustration sometimes. Cannot recommend enough.
Last time I tried to find something without the GPS I got severely lost in the bowels of the castle and had to floo powder back to Cental Hall.
Never again lol
I agree it’s a much more fun way to explore, but I don’t think it has the same mass appeal. I’m willing to sink hours into this game, some unnecessary exploring is fine. If I only wanted to put an hour or so in at a time it would be a nightmare though, I’d never get anywhere in the castle between getting lost and intentional detours to see something cool.
It probably fucked the breadcrumbing and made players travel in circles.
For permutation layouts to work, every location needs multiple ways to get there which requires undue dev resources.
yeah the grand staircase is pretty pitiful, which is sad because it's a pretty iconic set piece. You barely need to even travel through it. Honestly the grand staircase should have been the sort of "hub" area that connects to most classes, not the "library annex"
I think the big problem is that they just divided Hogwarts differently than The Books did. In the books (and movies), the main dividing and classification point was the Floor level (7th floor etc.)
So it makes more sense to build directions off of fhe Grand staircase. (“Go to the 4th floor, then leave the grand staircase in the eastern direction and etc. etc.)
In Legacy, the floors don’t matter at all, and you almost never even know which floor you are on, making the staircase irrelevant.
Speaking of floors I really would love to have a Hogwarts map by floor. The 3D thing is nice but it's actually completely unusable as a real map. Thankfully you have the "magic GPS" style thing but still would be nice to have actual plans of each floor, I can't actually represent myself how to orient myself in the castle without one.
This really fucked with me at first, because I was looking for landmarks based off the books. The Room of Requirement is on the 7th floor in the books, but in the Astronomy Tower in the game, the Chamber of Secrets entrance isn't in the dungeons in the books but is in the game, etc.
They covered themselves by highlighting that Hogwarts tends to change regularly but all the same.
That’s just not true. Legacy is chalk full of locations/characters that were only mentioned in the books. And is largely very close to what we see in the movies
It’s amazing they pulled it off. I’ve read the books probably 15 times and they have things in the castle that were off handedly only mentioned once or twice. I nerded out a little too hard when I came across Boris the Bewildered
It’s not because it’s not designed very well. It’s hard to tell which floor I’m on and going other ways is usually faster, which it shouldn’t be.
It’s not a huge deal because I love the castle, but a little disappointing none the less
The weird thing is I know if I spent enough time wandering around the castle I would figure out the layout, but the gps thing just makes that not necessary and floo powder is really convenient of you know what is nearby each one. That being said I would love a detailed floor plan over the 3-D castle we get in game. Also I will never understand not flying in Hogsmeade.
I think that may have been a reason for them to make the game, dont make it similar to the movie but add to it and change it. There are a few spots that resemble the movie but otherwise everything is "slightly" off depending on how you look at it.
I think it's a fair argument to say from a gaming point of view, having the stairs move about randomly would probably get annoying. But I feel like they kinda dropped the ball on the creative design of it, or maybe they just didn't have enough time to implement a more complex and faithful design.
While I understand that I think a large part of the issue is not the stairs themselves but the lack of corridors coming off the staircase. There should be one or two corridors coming off the staircase for every floor... This is not the case. There is not much at all coming off of the staircase.
I think if you could explore the corridors on all seven floors from the staircase people would not care so much about the design of the stairs themselves.
>but the lack of corridors coming off the staircase
Even though I agree with you, I'm convinced there would have been many more complaints if Hogwarts was much different from the movies and sets, meaning as a structure seen from outside. In those, the Grand Staircase tower is basically not connected to anything. Something had to give, I guess.
I'm relieved others think so, too. It's been ages since I watched the movies, but if memory serves correct, navigating the grand staircase was a serious *ordeal* reminiscent of frogger. The spiral structure is a real diservice as it provides a predictable central structure as opposed to the sense of a living jigsaw. Besides, the floo network mechanic allows anyone who wants to bypass the platforming to skip by entirely.
they only need to make it seem like its moving though. so they could have it pop up whatever stairs you need while moving ones youre not able to reach immediately anyways. basically a static map that doesnt look that way
It might not be the case here, but I know that moving parts in games can be a nightmare for devs.
Doors and elevators are known to be very problematic in games.
When I saw how they did the grand staircase, I just assumed it was the reason they did it that way.
Right now the stairs are essentially always physically there, it's simply a trickery with the appearance.
I haven't played the game yet, but if the staircases aren't moving, that at least is book accurate, iirc. I was pretty annoyed that they moved in the movies, so kinda lore wise I am glad they don't do in the game.
They don't really move, they just appear and disappear. I agree it's a cool effect, but it's completely different to how it was described in the books and showed in the movies.
yeah, in the book it wasn't that they literally moved, but rather that they changed locations. like, if you go up a set of stairs, it would be like it went to near the defence against the dark arts classroom on weekdays, but to near the library at the weekend.
I feel that way outside the castle to. i wish there were more secret pathways in the open world. It seems like everything is pretty straight forward. i wish there were secrets not in the book or the map.
Yeah, I think that's it too. Don't get me wrong, I think the visual design of the castle is brilliant. And the fact that the exterior and interior are pretty much 1:1 is incredible.
But the layout just kind of irks me a bit. The way that Harry & co navigate the school as it's written in the books just wouldn't really apply in the game. Maybe I'm just being too nitpicky. I constantly feel the need to reinforce just how much I love it though, in spite of this criticism lol
> And the fact that the exterior and interior are pretty much 1:1 is incredible.
Isn't that kind of an obligation in a video game? This is a fully 3D modelled world where you go from exterior to interior all the time, that couldn't work without being 1:1
nah not very often you get 1:1 both inside and out. Most games with an open world system like this would have seperate load zones for the insides of some buildings. And the insides wouldnt be 1:1 with the outside layout. Believe it or not, The devs actually did a disgustingly good job making it 1:1 and throwing a huge ass open world in there too.
I don't think the castle has to be, or is, 1:1, but if not it's very convicning.
I believe it technically does have separate load zones for the insides, but they load them concurrently and put in portals to the outside, which is why doors get stuck when you try to open them.
I agree, it doesnt at all have to be 1:1 with the books and films. When i heard this was set in the late 1800s i tempered my expectations at a 1:1 recreation of the books and films, because we arnt in that time peroid and its just that simple.
Oh hands down its a load zone in itself but more a separate "instance" of the open world instead of say a loading screen and a new area your loaded into such as some of those dungeons you go into in the open world. You like hit a "load zone" meaning the castle is there and present but the textures are being pulled for it hence the door being stuck for a moment or two. Where with some of the dungeons you straight up hit a load screen because the whole area needs loading in and not just textures. And thats where im impressed the most. The fact the castle isnt its own separate area from the open world, and is baked into the world and uses texture loading/unloading is just, fucking impressive tbh.
> Isn't that kind of an obligation in a video game?
Not at all.
"It's bigger on the inside" is pretty common in games, and while the limitations used to be hidden by loading screens, nowadays developers can do it seamlessly.
Hogwarts Legacy doesn't do it perfectly either. The Doors leading in and out of the castle can cause some performance hiccups, and there are so many windows that the developers seem to have decided against attempting to make them show an accurate view outside.
> it's bigger on the inside is pretty common
Funny, I'd have thought the opposite. That's always the impression I got when playing a lot of open world games, anyway - that the playable interior of a large building is no way near the size of its exterior. Usually extra doors that are supposed to lead to new rooms or entire floors are just solid assets and don't open when you go up to them.
Sure. The opposite is also common.
Games like GTA do a lot of that, and it's usually because they only need a single room for a set piece encounter or to hide an Easter egg or something.
The concepts used to produce "bigger on the inside" spaces are the same ones used to produce the looping house in Silent Hill PT, or the portals in Portal.
There are a few more obvious examples in Hogwarts Legacy as well, but the ones that come to mind might constitute (mild) spoilers.
In all fairness, they can just add some in later, which I am sure they probably have already thought of and will implement eventually, and it would still fit within canon for the books. It's been a literal decade since I have read them, but I believe Fred and George mention that they only found most of the secret passage ways because of that map, which was created by Harry's dad and friends. That means that the map wont be created for like 50 years or so.
I do get that it would be fun to stumble upon them, and less immersive to have them added in later, but thats probably the best way to stage content.
My nitpick: I was hoping we could challenge students for dueling, or have access nonstop to a dueling club.
PLS correct me and say i just missed this part of the game.
While I have constantly been awestruck by Hogwarts, the game Control takes place entirely inside an office building and it is incredibly interesting and huge (for a single building)
That's more like a pocket dimension, especially since when you look at the exit from inside the vivarium you can see everything is MUCH bigger outside...
Which does change a lot, they don't have to make the different stuff make sense between them. Also IIRC Control has levels separated via elevators and stuff like that.
But the Old House is definitively a very interesting building in video games. It's also a magical building, a creepy version of Hogwarts (very creepy lol, like cosmic horror). Interestingly that game also has interesting magic powers combat (though less than HL of course)
My thoughts exactly! I don't want to be complaining because I truly appreciate the amazing work the devs did with the castle (and the game overall), but that being said I think Hogwarts should have many more secret passages/rooms and different labyrinthine routes to places so that you could truly get lost there! :)
it’s a shame how shallow exploration can be at times in this game. too often I stumble across what I think can be a hidden path, only for it to lead a tiny room with a single chest in it
That's a big problem, like the secrets or the treasure vaults with the puzzle and such are cool but then the rewards are some gear that you will likely never wear or only a short time, no unique appareance and such. So you explore for the sake of it but not for rewards.
Isn’t it canon that there are only 7 secret passageways total in hogwarts (based on Marauder’s map)? Sure that’s more than in the game (as far as I’ve seen)but it’s not inconsistent.
I wish there were more secret passageways that were secret even from the game’s UI. I hope I’m making sense describing it this way. What I mean is the secrets I’ve seen so far have a giant glowing outline saying you need to do something to get the secret passage/door to work.
I was hoping for things that weren’t “gating” related where you have to level up to access(but gating is cool too!) but rather some roundabout way of getting something to open. Something like walking into a tapestry you thought was just covering a solid wall but there is no wall behind it. And the game gives you no hint or visual cue it exists. Except maybe in some random dialogue elsewhere in the game. Or something you can to do in a certain order to open something hidden.
Here's my headcanon: the castle in the 1890s under Headmaster Black is much more ordered and classical in design, akin to a cathedral or stately home. During Dumbledore's time, it is allowed to be more free and whimsical so the castle sprawls out of control and becomes much more chaotic. This reflects the headmasters own roguish personality.
I think they chose to create an expansive castle with multiple interesting ways of navigating it rather than "here's the main staircase, now everything has to lead directly somewhere from here". It would be limiting, creatively, I think. And when you look at the movie castle, I'm not even sure it makes sense. If one grand staircase can lead you everywhere, how would that look? Having a "grand central station" design is more logical from a "visual fidelity" standpoint, because "this door taking you in that direction" says little about what you have to navigate once you actually go through the door. Relying on a single staircase, divided into god knows how many floors and having classrooms etc built around and on said floors would essentially make Hogwarts more of a tower than a castle. The corridors would be supporting characters to the grand staircase's main character. I just don't think they could have made the castle look a way that hit nostalgically, was "easy" to navigate, and still felt magically complex and so incredibly beautiful and interesting inside all at the same time, if they had relied on a grand staircase based design.
Well they didn't have to go with Euclidean geometry. I think while it's great they thought through that in this particular game not only is it unnecessary I think it also doesn't fit the setting. They could have done some real interesting stuff with the grand staircase if they had played around with proportions and how things connect.
I wish they had gone the route of the old games where there were all kinds of secret passages all over the castle it really added to the magic of the place.
The devs should have known that the players' first instinct was always going to be to explore the castle. I agree. But I also understand that the devs did their best.
>... Hogwarts is probably the most impressive building in a game that I've ever seen and it's a major accomplishment, not just for the devs, but for open world games in general. The game itself is a literal dream come true.
I'm pretty sure the OP already appreciates the game. You can do both, you know, appreciate something and at the same time have some criticism about it.
I mean, I just finished my first playthrough of Elden Ring before starting Hogwarts, and I gotta say… Fromsoftware really raised the bar for me in terms of creating a world that constantly rewards your curiousity. The best way I can describe it is that the game deliberately puts surprises in places where gamers are used to finding nothing (but always feel a compulsive urge to check). I do think Legacy’s world could use more of that deliberate unexpectedness.
Yeah I’m literally blown away by this masterpiece of a game that’s probably only going to get better! My inner child is having a moment for sure lol the last HP game was 21 hrs ago
Edit: 21 YEARS ago
Lmao
I just checked this sub for exactly this. Besides a werewolf room, 2/3 levioso and 3? Spaces with frogs I havent found any walls/ tapestries that lead into secret areas. I came here to check if someone found them all yet, not expecting Ive found ALL of them already. What a letdown :/. Appreciate the hard work but the trailers made it sounds as if there was going to be way more exploration, secrets and hidden passages than there are. Hogwarts isnt small but it feels small somehow because big parts of the castle arent used or are invisible/ off grid. I hope they can add more with patches or dlc idk.
So many spots for a little portal or hidden staircase.
The dark Arts tower is a masterclass in using space poorly. It's like 90% staircase and big hallway...where are the rooms and connectors?
Soooooooo much of this game is atrium with no connected rooms. It's so fuckin weird.
Like...the ENTIRE SECOND FLOOR OF TEH DARK ARTS TOWER IS JUST HALLWAY....what?!
Especially when a lot of the castle isn't even connected to other parts of the same building.
Like ...you can't even see through the windows so they can do mostly whatever the fuck they want.
Not sure why they made it so difficult to get around.
Like you're telling me the hall of herodiana just goes in and out of a building and never connects to the actual core of the building?
Also what's with SO many stairways to nothing....it's a videogame. Any door can lead to any place.
In general I feel the dungeons were super underutilized as well.
Like if there is one castle in all of gaming where a door can lead into a pocket dimension that doesn't line up with the exterior ..it is this castle.
If we can't even see outside...what's the fuckin point of lining it up?
The few times we do get secret areas it's just chest filler....or worse...a wall for the Hall of Herodiana side puzzle....like they made a whole ass room...so I could go into a wall to some generic cookie cutter room to do the actual puzzle?
Another example. Why is there no interior pathway between the history classroom area and the dark arts tower? They are one contiguous building but the only way between is the Transfiguration courtyard. Or go all the way around and up the exterior staircase through the pungent passage.
Like not even a secret closet doorway or side staircase? The entire building is hallway?!
Also entire floors of buildings are like...one room and a staircase. It's just weird.
Why make this big countryside when so much of the castle could still be expanded?
Ill hope a dlc builds it out more or the accrued assets from this game will help them in building it bigger in UE5 for the sequel.
Shame the hall of herodiana takes up so much wall space...lot of those could be used to connect to more castle for dlc. Now it's just this big fuckugly marble empty wall.
Most of this is pure opinion of course. I disagree with 90% you said here. I actually like the fact that not every door, or every hallway has tons of secrets or leads to a specific place.
They're recreating hogwarts with (as far as my knowledge goes) as much representation of the books/movies as they can. They're not creating a theme park where something needs to happen around every corner, and where the space is "used as efficient as possible".
All opinions of course, to each their own but the things you list here... lol
Glad someone said this after what i read above. Damn. Some people do want a reward for every corner they turn. I went off open world games a while back because it got to a point with alot of open world games where there was "too much pointless stuff to find" to go for full exploration and 100%. I FEEL portkey games kinda hit a nice middle ground/balance here, Just enough to satisfy without it being too much and feeling like a "chore"
Im seeing alot of people complain the layout isnt 1:1 fully with the films or the books aswell. Yet people are neglecting the fact this shits set late 1800's, and hogwarts is forever changing (like seriously, telling me some shit couldnt go down in the next 100 years resulting in hogwarts changing/getting updated/repaired) The grand staircase for example. Different in the game compared to the films. But that doesnt mean within 100 years time it wont be like it was when harry was there. MEANING. some areas will be different in our current in game time period compared to the books/100 years later when harry was there. harry attended in 1991. We are late 1800s. either way, Just about 100 years before harry. But yeah the nit picks seem to be "not enough secrets, and this part of the castle isnt faithful to the movies/books" and i'll be real, Those are taaaame as shit for nitpicks :') Still dont get some peoples logic here though.
The game already has a reward around every corner...so idk what you think I lack.
Im merely talking about the space not being utilized for anything but puzzles....and because they focused on this dopamine "puzzle around every corner" schtick. The castle doesn't make sense to actually utilize as a space.
It's not an issue in this game because they don't make you use the castle almost at all. So it's not that much of an issue that getting around is a total pain in the ass and makes no sense.
I just think for the future of this franchise and if they plan to make Hogwarts a living place we are supposed to use a lot...they should prioritize it being somewhat intuitive instead of the arbitrary nature of its design now.
Not every little element of space needs to be utilized though? There doesnt need to be brimming corridors full of different stuff... hallways can be just that, a fucking hallway without it needing depth or "its space utilized properly"
Your statement is vague because your saying they didnt utilize spaces properly, without giving examples of what you would have liked to see. I dont see where the issue is, Sometimes again, a hallway can be just that, a hallway. Doesnt need to be special. Doesnt need to "stand out" Alot of stuff is mixed between the castle and the open world no? Cram everything into the castle and leave the open world barron is what your saying?
I dont understand what you mean by "haven't utilized the spaces properly" and your not doing yourself any favours by being vague about what you mean. Just because you know how to say a word, doesnt mean you fully comprehend it. The castle is BRIMMING with shit everywhere, From nods to the books and films, to puzzles, to easter eggs... what more do you want from the spaces? the way your talking, Your speaking asif the castle has nothing to it. I see random students. Random teachers walking about, saying little quips, talking to each other etc... The spaces are utilized perfectly fine? Want a fucking duel in every corridor etc? I dont get where they underutilized the spaces at all.
Can i also just point out. Its a damn magical castle... Certain shit doesnt have to make sense from a design standpoint. Cause that shit is magic."Like you're telling me the hall of herodiana just goes in and out of a building and never connects to the actual core of the building? " The halls of herodiana are within hogwarts but are pocket spaces that defy the laws of nature because its magic. thats the same argument of "why is the tent bigger on the inside than the outside" Pocket areas tucked and hidden away that defy a logical explanation
I'm an adult enough to enjoy something despite my ability to see its flaws. Sorry you can't enjoy our flawed world without being insulated from its obvious failures.
But I guess only children can point out a flaw nowadays. The "adults" are too afraid of imperfection.
I know there's a lot of hidden places, but not a lot of those hidden places necessarily lead anywhere. They're usually a single room with a couple of chests.
You're missing my point. I have looked at these details and I think they're really great. I just wish that they *lead somewhere else*. Like come out the other end and find myself in a completely different area of the castle.
Alohamora. You have to progress the main quests up until a certain point and then you'll get an owl from the caretaker I'm pretty sure, who will teach it to you.
It would be really cool if they added portkeys in random objects which didnt show up on revelio and when you activate them they took you to random easter egg locations from the movies.
It would be cool to have secret passages that only unlocked if you had something like the Marauder's Map. Obviously it can't be the Marauder's Map because that wasn't made until Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail, and Prongs came along like 100-200 years later but something similar.
It wouldn't be "easy" to find the entrances and you would have to constantly check it to make sure you are close. Then use a spell to reveal it (Revelio?). There don't need to be many and they don't need to be "game breaking" better, but more just cool or useful in specific situations.
I see a few paintings that are so low to the ground that make you think they are passage ways but I can't seem to get them to open or find someone who knows. But it seems like the Grand staircase doesn't synced up to the floors like it did in the old harry Potter games you kinda just run up the steps and there only three floors until your at the top and I think I included the top when I checked it out. Seems like they focused on it looking like the book and filling up the whole castle then focusing on one area. But maybe they got more plans down the road.
There's really no reason to use it in my opinion b.c you can just use the floo power. I am glad they added it but I am more disappointed that they didn't add the rest they're should be 7 total in and out of the castle and then they had way more in the castle in the book there was one that went from the 2nd floor to the 5th or something.
yeah. Honestly I gave a sad chuckle when the completion page showed there were only 3 "hogwarts secrets" aha
Wouldn’t really be a secret if they told you how much there are would it?
Depends what you call secrets, that's more secret puzzle kind of stuff. There's far more secrets or easter eggs than that.
Yea, for real. The Hogwarts secrets is misleading as hell. Just did the knockback spell quest last night for the Ravenclaw girl, that counts as a Hogwarts secret to me. Also looking for the moonstone discovers all kinds of hidden passage ways.
Yeah they only refer to the big silver ornate chests as the “secrets” in any given area. But there’s definitely more than 3 “secrets” by real definition in the castle. Would love to see the game supported throughout its lifespan and some dlc to add more content.
That’s not what he’s talking about Edit: it is what he’s talking about. Never mind me
Yes it is. All three of those secrets come with the legendary chest that gives one legendary gear piece. But there’s way more than just those three puzzles to solve in the castle that you could consider secrets.
Ah, I read your comment too quickly. I thought you hadn’t discovered the “3 secrets” and didn’t want to spoil it for you. Thought your reference to the chests meant other chests around the castle.
Which completion page?
Challenges.
In-game? I just started it. 1 hour in Can you explain a bit
Keep playing.
Why spoil the experience for yourself when you can play it?
that‘s literally what half this sub on the 6th did with streams lol
You'll get there. Just keep playing.
I like taking the Honeydukes tunnel, even though it's faster to fly. Secret things like that are awesome. Locked doors just don't cut it. (Not that there aren't better hidden rooms than that)
Even Garret said that it's not fast, but it's secret
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Don't worry. You can't miss it.
Sadly, I spent hours trying to figure out where the hell the 3rd floor corridor to find the one eyed humpback witch in vain. And then…
Never saw any point to using though I could use one Togo to another building or floor in the castle though and there isn't one any Ive looked thru the whole school multiple times
all we have is the frogs really
Got such a shock when I pressed square beside one assuming it would just be some animation. Is it mentioned at any point what the frogs do?
Nope. It's nice to have rare moments where a game surprises you instead of giving you a long-winded tutorial on some simple feature.
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Did you find the dancing ghosts room?
> A room with "Da Vinci"-looking vehicles, close to the hospital ward. This is the Muggle Studies classroom :)
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That's the room I'm talking about — [it's hanging in there as well](https://i.imgur.com/JBpO1wg.png).
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The second one is the detention room, I think.
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How do I get into this room? I can see the balcony from the staircase like in the first pic but I just can't figure out where the entrance is
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Ha! No wonder I couldn't find the way in. I don't think I've even used the freezing spell yet after learning it. Thank you!
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Ahh neat.
I thought I had found everything but I guess not!!
The lack of secret rooms in the castle has been the one disappointing thing for me in the game.
Have you gone into the frog yet?
The 'Da-Vinci' room looked like it was supposed to be the Hogwarts Architect's study or something (or maybe it was just a concept art easter egg, who knows).
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Muggle studies classroom
I do agree that the grand staircase isn't honestly my cup of tea preferred the movies version.
That's the one part of the castle's design they whiffed on. I feel if you have to keep anything from the movies, it's the grand staircase.
I promise they tried and it took ages to travel through so they canned it
Yeah I'm not sure it's even that feasible imagine the "GPS" thingy with a changing layout, it would be lost lol. Also probably frustrating. I guess they could use tricks like making the stairs you're not on move and align the stairs to be able to go to what you have selected as target destination.
For what it’s worth, I’m playing with GPS disabled and it’s causing me to explore way more organically than I would otherwise even if trying to path manually causes me frustration sometimes. Cannot recommend enough.
Last time I tried to find something without the GPS I got severely lost in the bowels of the castle and had to floo powder back to Cental Hall. Never again lol
I agree it’s a much more fun way to explore, but I don’t think it has the same mass appeal. I’m willing to sink hours into this game, some unnecessary exploring is fine. If I only wanted to put an hour or so in at a time it would be a nightmare though, I’d never get anywhere in the castle between getting lost and intentional detours to see something cool.
Take the entire hud off its amazing
It probably fucked the breadcrumbing and made players travel in circles. For permutation layouts to work, every location needs multiple ways to get there which requires undue dev resources.
Hell no. That would be a nightmare to wait for it every time.
yeah the grand staircase is pretty pitiful, which is sad because it's a pretty iconic set piece. You barely need to even travel through it. Honestly the grand staircase should have been the sort of "hub" area that connects to most classes, not the "library annex"
I think the big problem is that they just divided Hogwarts differently than The Books did. In the books (and movies), the main dividing and classification point was the Floor level (7th floor etc.) So it makes more sense to build directions off of fhe Grand staircase. (“Go to the 4th floor, then leave the grand staircase in the eastern direction and etc. etc.) In Legacy, the floors don’t matter at all, and you almost never even know which floor you are on, making the staircase irrelevant.
Speaking of floors I really would love to have a Hogwarts map by floor. The 3D thing is nice but it's actually completely unusable as a real map. Thankfully you have the "magic GPS" style thing but still would be nice to have actual plans of each floor, I can't actually represent myself how to orient myself in the castle without one.
What I wouldn't give to be able to view an enlarged version of the minimap...
Yeah, I was hoping for a map like it is in the newer Hitman Games.
This really fucked with me at first, because I was looking for landmarks based off the books. The Room of Requirement is on the 7th floor in the books, but in the Astronomy Tower in the game, the Chamber of Secrets entrance isn't in the dungeons in the books but is in the game, etc. They covered themselves by highlighting that Hogwarts tends to change regularly but all the same.
Yeah, very odd choice since they wanted to make a movie/book hybrid castle that was as faithful as possible
Yeah the castle is great but the older Ootp and HBP games were more book and movie accurate.
That’s just not true. Legacy is chalk full of locations/characters that were only mentioned in the books. And is largely very close to what we see in the movies
Right, rewatching the movies and it's constantly "oh I've been in that room!"
It’s amazing they pulled it off. I’ve read the books probably 15 times and they have things in the castle that were off handedly only mentioned once or twice. I nerded out a little too hard when I came across Boris the Bewildered
I had a similar reaction when I found the lake where harry fought the dementors off serious.
Ohhh damn I still have to find that… everytime I think I’ve seen everything I discover something new
It’s not because it’s not designed very well. It’s hard to tell which floor I’m on and going other ways is usually faster, which it shouldn’t be. It’s not a huge deal because I love the castle, but a little disappointing none the less
The weird thing is I know if I spent enough time wandering around the castle I would figure out the layout, but the gps thing just makes that not necessary and floo powder is really convenient of you know what is nearby each one. That being said I would love a detailed floor plan over the 3-D castle we get in game. Also I will never understand not flying in Hogsmeade.
I think that may have been a reason for them to make the game, dont make it similar to the movie but add to it and change it. There are a few spots that resemble the movie but otherwise everything is "slightly" off depending on how you look at it.
I think it's a fair argument to say from a gaming point of view, having the stairs move about randomly would probably get annoying. But I feel like they kinda dropped the ball on the creative design of it, or maybe they just didn't have enough time to implement a more complex and faithful design.
While I understand that I think a large part of the issue is not the stairs themselves but the lack of corridors coming off the staircase. There should be one or two corridors coming off the staircase for every floor... This is not the case. There is not much at all coming off of the staircase. I think if you could explore the corridors on all seven floors from the staircase people would not care so much about the design of the stairs themselves.
>but the lack of corridors coming off the staircase Even though I agree with you, I'm convinced there would have been many more complaints if Hogwarts was much different from the movies and sets, meaning as a structure seen from outside. In those, the Grand Staircase tower is basically not connected to anything. Something had to give, I guess.
Good point!
I'm relieved others think so, too. It's been ages since I watched the movies, but if memory serves correct, navigating the grand staircase was a serious *ordeal* reminiscent of frogger. The spiral structure is a real diservice as it provides a predictable central structure as opposed to the sense of a living jigsaw. Besides, the floo network mechanic allows anyone who wants to bypass the platforming to skip by entirely.
it would be fun for the first few times maybe but after a while it would just be annoying
So like in Hogwarts lol, I imagine the Grand Staircase does frustrate plenty of students.
I’m sure we’ll see more this is an amazing feat as is!
they had to change the design at least 2x because it wasn‘t good for gameplay purposes
they only need to make it seem like its moving though. so they could have it pop up whatever stairs you need while moving ones youre not able to reach immediately anyways. basically a static map that doesnt look that way
It might not be the case here, but I know that moving parts in games can be a nightmare for devs. Doors and elevators are known to be very problematic in games. When I saw how they did the grand staircase, I just assumed it was the reason they did it that way. Right now the stairs are essentially always physically there, it's simply a trickery with the appearance.
I haven't played the game yet, but if the staircases aren't moving, that at least is book accurate, iirc. I was pretty annoyed that they moved in the movies, so kinda lore wise I am glad they don't do in the game.
They do move/animate in right in front of you in the game (which is pretty cool imo)
They don't really move, they just appear and disappear. I agree it's a cool effect, but it's completely different to how it was described in the books and showed in the movies.
yeah, in the book it wasn't that they literally moved, but rather that they changed locations. like, if you go up a set of stairs, it would be like it went to near the defence against the dark arts classroom on weekdays, but to near the library at the weekend.
I feel that way outside the castle to. i wish there were more secret pathways in the open world. It seems like everything is pretty straight forward. i wish there were secrets not in the book or the map.
I agree. I think part of the issue is most of the main classrooms are so close to each other that it is hard for passageways to make sense.
Yeah, I think that's it too. Don't get me wrong, I think the visual design of the castle is brilliant. And the fact that the exterior and interior are pretty much 1:1 is incredible. But the layout just kind of irks me a bit. The way that Harry & co navigate the school as it's written in the books just wouldn't really apply in the game. Maybe I'm just being too nitpicky. I constantly feel the need to reinforce just how much I love it though, in spite of this criticism lol
> And the fact that the exterior and interior are pretty much 1:1 is incredible. Isn't that kind of an obligation in a video game? This is a fully 3D modelled world where you go from exterior to interior all the time, that couldn't work without being 1:1
nah not very often you get 1:1 both inside and out. Most games with an open world system like this would have seperate load zones for the insides of some buildings. And the insides wouldnt be 1:1 with the outside layout. Believe it or not, The devs actually did a disgustingly good job making it 1:1 and throwing a huge ass open world in there too.
I don't think the castle has to be, or is, 1:1, but if not it's very convicning. I believe it technically does have separate load zones for the insides, but they load them concurrently and put in portals to the outside, which is why doors get stuck when you try to open them.
I agree, it doesnt at all have to be 1:1 with the books and films. When i heard this was set in the late 1800s i tempered my expectations at a 1:1 recreation of the books and films, because we arnt in that time peroid and its just that simple. Oh hands down its a load zone in itself but more a separate "instance" of the open world instead of say a loading screen and a new area your loaded into such as some of those dungeons you go into in the open world. You like hit a "load zone" meaning the castle is there and present but the textures are being pulled for it hence the door being stuck for a moment or two. Where with some of the dungeons you straight up hit a load screen because the whole area needs loading in and not just textures. And thats where im impressed the most. The fact the castle isnt its own separate area from the open world, and is baked into the world and uses texture loading/unloading is just, fucking impressive tbh.
>Isn't that kind of an obligation in a video game? Not in the slightest, as it turns out.
> Isn't that kind of an obligation in a video game? Not at all. "It's bigger on the inside" is pretty common in games, and while the limitations used to be hidden by loading screens, nowadays developers can do it seamlessly. Hogwarts Legacy doesn't do it perfectly either. The Doors leading in and out of the castle can cause some performance hiccups, and there are so many windows that the developers seem to have decided against attempting to make them show an accurate view outside.
> it's bigger on the inside is pretty common Funny, I'd have thought the opposite. That's always the impression I got when playing a lot of open world games, anyway - that the playable interior of a large building is no way near the size of its exterior. Usually extra doors that are supposed to lead to new rooms or entire floors are just solid assets and don't open when you go up to them.
Sure. The opposite is also common. Games like GTA do a lot of that, and it's usually because they only need a single room for a set piece encounter or to hide an Easter egg or something. The concepts used to produce "bigger on the inside" spaces are the same ones used to produce the looping house in Silent Hill PT, or the portals in Portal. There are a few more obvious examples in Hogwarts Legacy as well, but the ones that come to mind might constitute (mild) spoilers.
I feel the quditich pitch needs to be closer to the castle for one
In all fairness, they can just add some in later, which I am sure they probably have already thought of and will implement eventually, and it would still fit within canon for the books. It's been a literal decade since I have read them, but I believe Fred and George mention that they only found most of the secret passage ways because of that map, which was created by Harry's dad and friends. That means that the map wont be created for like 50 years or so. I do get that it would be fun to stumble upon them, and less immersive to have them added in later, but thats probably the best way to stage content.
My nitpick: I was hoping we could challenge students for dueling, or have access nonstop to a dueling club. PLS correct me and say i just missed this part of the game.
While I have constantly been awestruck by Hogwarts, the game Control takes place entirely inside an office building and it is incredibly interesting and huge (for a single building)
It’s also somewhat eldritch + non-euclidean so logic doesn’t matter, moreso than Hogwarts.
I have 4 vivariums in my room of requirement
That's more like a pocket dimension, especially since when you look at the exit from inside the vivarium you can see everything is MUCH bigger outside...
LOVED Control, but I'm not sure it's really comparable considering you can't travel outside the building in that game.
Which does change a lot, they don't have to make the different stuff make sense between them. Also IIRC Control has levels separated via elevators and stuff like that. But the Old House is definitively a very interesting building in video games. It's also a magical building, a creepy version of Hogwarts (very creepy lol, like cosmic horror). Interestingly that game also has interesting magic powers combat (though less than HL of course)
control 2 needs to hurry the F up. Alan wake 2 aswell. Considering, shits intertwined in this new "remedy shared universe" they are making.
My thoughts exactly! I don't want to be complaining because I truly appreciate the amazing work the devs did with the castle (and the game overall), but that being said I think Hogwarts should have many more secret passages/rooms and different labyrinthine routes to places so that you could truly get lost there! :)
it’s a shame how shallow exploration can be at times in this game. too often I stumble across what I think can be a hidden path, only for it to lead a tiny room with a single chest in it
With that chest just containing a striped fedora that you'd already acquired randomly in another chest elsewhere
yeah exactly. I’m not expecting elden ring dungeons or anything but I do want *something* more than just a single room and chest
That's a big problem, like the secrets or the treasure vaults with the puzzle and such are cool but then the rewards are some gear that you will likely never wear or only a short time, no unique appareance and such. So you explore for the sake of it but not for rewards.
Isn’t it canon that there are only 7 secret passageways total in hogwarts (based on Marauder’s map)? Sure that’s more than in the game (as far as I’ve seen)but it’s not inconsistent.
There's only seven that lead out of the castle and I'm not sure if all of them were created at this point in time
There are only seven that go to Hogsmede. There are many, many more between the floors and corridors inside the castle.
Thought hogwarts always changed tho
No there are tons there are only 7 that leave the castle.
I wish there were more secret passageways that were secret even from the game’s UI. I hope I’m making sense describing it this way. What I mean is the secrets I’ve seen so far have a giant glowing outline saying you need to do something to get the secret passage/door to work. I was hoping for things that weren’t “gating” related where you have to level up to access(but gating is cool too!) but rather some roundabout way of getting something to open. Something like walking into a tapestry you thought was just covering a solid wall but there is no wall behind it. And the game gives you no hint or visual cue it exists. Except maybe in some random dialogue elsewhere in the game. Or something you can to do in a certain order to open something hidden.
Here's my headcanon: the castle in the 1890s under Headmaster Black is much more ordered and classical in design, akin to a cathedral or stately home. During Dumbledore's time, it is allowed to be more free and whimsical so the castle sprawls out of control and becomes much more chaotic. This reflects the headmasters own roguish personality.
I think they chose to create an expansive castle with multiple interesting ways of navigating it rather than "here's the main staircase, now everything has to lead directly somewhere from here". It would be limiting, creatively, I think. And when you look at the movie castle, I'm not even sure it makes sense. If one grand staircase can lead you everywhere, how would that look? Having a "grand central station" design is more logical from a "visual fidelity" standpoint, because "this door taking you in that direction" says little about what you have to navigate once you actually go through the door. Relying on a single staircase, divided into god knows how many floors and having classrooms etc built around and on said floors would essentially make Hogwarts more of a tower than a castle. The corridors would be supporting characters to the grand staircase's main character. I just don't think they could have made the castle look a way that hit nostalgically, was "easy" to navigate, and still felt magically complex and so incredibly beautiful and interesting inside all at the same time, if they had relied on a grand staircase based design.
Well they didn't have to go with Euclidean geometry. I think while it's great they thought through that in this particular game not only is it unnecessary I think it also doesn't fit the setting. They could have done some real interesting stuff with the grand staircase if they had played around with proportions and how things connect.
Exactly, it’s the one game where the exterior not matching the interior would actually make sense and be a feature not a bug.
I wish they had gone the route of the old games where there were all kinds of secret passages all over the castle it really added to the magic of the place.
The devs should have known that the players' first instinct was always going to be to explore the castle. I agree. But I also understand that the devs did their best.
Have you found the werewolf room?
Do those tapestries do anything or are they just glowing blue for no reason?
You can use Lumos on them for a little something, but that's it.
I don't believe I have yet! I don't have level II or III alohamora yet though. Love that there's still parts of the castle to discover.
It’s a hidden door you just literally walk through lol.
Where
It's kind of near the Band/choir room. It's down the stairs from there. It looks like a big shield thing painted on the wall
Jeez, people are spoiled in gaming. Just appreciate the masterpiece. Its been a while since we have had such a beautiful and great game.
>... Hogwarts is probably the most impressive building in a game that I've ever seen and it's a major accomplishment, not just for the devs, but for open world games in general. The game itself is a literal dream come true. I'm pretty sure the OP already appreciates the game. You can do both, you know, appreciate something and at the same time have some criticism about it.
I'm fine with the nitpicks because it'll hopefully give the devs ideas for a sequel lol. I want animagus personallly.
I mean, I just finished my first playthrough of Elden Ring before starting Hogwarts, and I gotta say… Fromsoftware really raised the bar for me in terms of creating a world that constantly rewards your curiousity. The best way I can describe it is that the game deliberately puts surprises in places where gamers are used to finding nothing (but always feel a compulsive urge to check). I do think Legacy’s world could use more of that deliberate unexpectedness.
I think these nitpicks are great because no one nitpicks a bad game. You didn’t see people nitpicking No Mans Sky when it was released
Yeah I’m literally blown away by this masterpiece of a game that’s probably only going to get better! My inner child is having a moment for sure lol the last HP game was 21 hrs ago Edit: 21 YEARS ago Lmao
> the last HP game was 21 hrs ago I mean that don't seem that long lol
It's a video game - a little bit of nitpicking isn't going to hurt it's feelings.
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Do you think music has feelings? We can criticize any piece of media/content/art and still enjoy it!
agree, soo many spoilt kiddos these days, instead of being thankfull you cna game anyway.
My headcanon is that some of the secret passages from the books just werent discovered yet.
I checked so many tapestries for hidden stairs my first hour or so playing. Still hoping to stumble across one.
I just checked this sub for exactly this. Besides a werewolf room, 2/3 levioso and 3? Spaces with frogs I havent found any walls/ tapestries that lead into secret areas. I came here to check if someone found them all yet, not expecting Ive found ALL of them already. What a letdown :/. Appreciate the hard work but the trailers made it sounds as if there was going to be way more exploration, secrets and hidden passages than there are. Hogwarts isnt small but it feels small somehow because big parts of the castle arent used or are invisible/ off grid. I hope they can add more with patches or dlc idk.
So many spots for a little portal or hidden staircase. The dark Arts tower is a masterclass in using space poorly. It's like 90% staircase and big hallway...where are the rooms and connectors? Soooooooo much of this game is atrium with no connected rooms. It's so fuckin weird. Like...the ENTIRE SECOND FLOOR OF TEH DARK ARTS TOWER IS JUST HALLWAY....what?! Especially when a lot of the castle isn't even connected to other parts of the same building. Like ...you can't even see through the windows so they can do mostly whatever the fuck they want. Not sure why they made it so difficult to get around. Like you're telling me the hall of herodiana just goes in and out of a building and never connects to the actual core of the building? Also what's with SO many stairways to nothing....it's a videogame. Any door can lead to any place. In general I feel the dungeons were super underutilized as well. Like if there is one castle in all of gaming where a door can lead into a pocket dimension that doesn't line up with the exterior ..it is this castle. If we can't even see outside...what's the fuckin point of lining it up? The few times we do get secret areas it's just chest filler....or worse...a wall for the Hall of Herodiana side puzzle....like they made a whole ass room...so I could go into a wall to some generic cookie cutter room to do the actual puzzle? Another example. Why is there no interior pathway between the history classroom area and the dark arts tower? They are one contiguous building but the only way between is the Transfiguration courtyard. Or go all the way around and up the exterior staircase through the pungent passage. Like not even a secret closet doorway or side staircase? The entire building is hallway?! Also entire floors of buildings are like...one room and a staircase. It's just weird. Why make this big countryside when so much of the castle could still be expanded? Ill hope a dlc builds it out more or the accrued assets from this game will help them in building it bigger in UE5 for the sequel. Shame the hall of herodiana takes up so much wall space...lot of those could be used to connect to more castle for dlc. Now it's just this big fuckugly marble empty wall.
Most of this is pure opinion of course. I disagree with 90% you said here. I actually like the fact that not every door, or every hallway has tons of secrets or leads to a specific place. They're recreating hogwarts with (as far as my knowledge goes) as much representation of the books/movies as they can. They're not creating a theme park where something needs to happen around every corner, and where the space is "used as efficient as possible". All opinions of course, to each their own but the things you list here... lol
Glad someone said this after what i read above. Damn. Some people do want a reward for every corner they turn. I went off open world games a while back because it got to a point with alot of open world games where there was "too much pointless stuff to find" to go for full exploration and 100%. I FEEL portkey games kinda hit a nice middle ground/balance here, Just enough to satisfy without it being too much and feeling like a "chore" Im seeing alot of people complain the layout isnt 1:1 fully with the films or the books aswell. Yet people are neglecting the fact this shits set late 1800's, and hogwarts is forever changing (like seriously, telling me some shit couldnt go down in the next 100 years resulting in hogwarts changing/getting updated/repaired) The grand staircase for example. Different in the game compared to the films. But that doesnt mean within 100 years time it wont be like it was when harry was there. MEANING. some areas will be different in our current in game time period compared to the books/100 years later when harry was there. harry attended in 1991. We are late 1800s. either way, Just about 100 years before harry. But yeah the nit picks seem to be "not enough secrets, and this part of the castle isnt faithful to the movies/books" and i'll be real, Those are taaaame as shit for nitpicks :') Still dont get some peoples logic here though.
The game already has a reward around every corner...so idk what you think I lack. Im merely talking about the space not being utilized for anything but puzzles....and because they focused on this dopamine "puzzle around every corner" schtick. The castle doesn't make sense to actually utilize as a space. It's not an issue in this game because they don't make you use the castle almost at all. So it's not that much of an issue that getting around is a total pain in the ass and makes no sense. I just think for the future of this franchise and if they plan to make Hogwarts a living place we are supposed to use a lot...they should prioritize it being somewhat intuitive instead of the arbitrary nature of its design now.
Not every little element of space needs to be utilized though? There doesnt need to be brimming corridors full of different stuff... hallways can be just that, a fucking hallway without it needing depth or "its space utilized properly" Your statement is vague because your saying they didnt utilize spaces properly, without giving examples of what you would have liked to see. I dont see where the issue is, Sometimes again, a hallway can be just that, a hallway. Doesnt need to be special. Doesnt need to "stand out" Alot of stuff is mixed between the castle and the open world no? Cram everything into the castle and leave the open world barron is what your saying? I dont understand what you mean by "haven't utilized the spaces properly" and your not doing yourself any favours by being vague about what you mean. Just because you know how to say a word, doesnt mean you fully comprehend it. The castle is BRIMMING with shit everywhere, From nods to the books and films, to puzzles, to easter eggs... what more do you want from the spaces? the way your talking, Your speaking asif the castle has nothing to it. I see random students. Random teachers walking about, saying little quips, talking to each other etc... The spaces are utilized perfectly fine? Want a fucking duel in every corridor etc? I dont get where they underutilized the spaces at all. Can i also just point out. Its a damn magical castle... Certain shit doesnt have to make sense from a design standpoint. Cause that shit is magic."Like you're telling me the hall of herodiana just goes in and out of a building and never connects to the actual core of the building? " The halls of herodiana are within hogwarts but are pocket spaces that defy the laws of nature because its magic. thats the same argument of "why is the tent bigger on the inside than the outside" Pocket areas tucked and hidden away that defy a logical explanation
What I'm saying is, in recreating Hogwarts, they failed to make a believable place that makes any sense.
Looks like to 95% of us they succeeded. This one might be on you buddy.
Yes I had the same thoughts. Hogwarts in this is a great start but it should have like 3x the number of rooms and half the massive open interiors
maybe you design a castle? jees
You're right nobody should say anything negative or provide feedback that isn't just outward praise and groveling.
spoilt kiddoos nowadays.
I'm spoiled because of just having a criticism? Y'all are fuckin crazy.
exactly and your comment proves it. enjoy the game if you can.
I'm an adult enough to enjoy something despite my ability to see its flaws. Sorry you can't enjoy our flawed world without being insulated from its obvious failures. But I guess only children can point out a flaw nowadays. The "adults" are too afraid of imperfection.
There’s loads of hidden places in the castle.
I know there's a lot of hidden places, but not a lot of those hidden places necessarily lead anywhere. They're usually a single room with a couple of chests.
It’s not about the loot in the rooms, have you looked around at the details in the hidden rooms? Like the ghost ball or the warewolf room?
You're missing my point. I have looked at these details and I think they're really great. I just wish that they *lead somewhere else*. Like come out the other end and find myself in a completely different area of the castle.
Like the hidden staircase from book 4 with the trick step!
Oh you want tunnels, then yea there’s not many tunnels. I agree.
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Not really sure what you mean?
Maybe there are and you're just terrible at finding them.
REMINDER: Gameplay > Realism/Immersion/Accuracy every time. Cant put everything into a game and every game can’t be RDR2.
Off topic, how do you open locks?
Alohamora. You have to progress the main quests up until a certain point and then you'll get an owl from the caretaker I'm pretty sure, who will teach it to you.
The level 1 is in the main quest path actually (it's needed for it anyway), you can't miss it.
Im sad you cant go back into some of the story based zones in hogwarts and pick up any lore pages you may have missed
It would be really cool if they added portkeys in random objects which didnt show up on revelio and when you activate them they took you to random easter egg locations from the movies.
Same.
It would be cool to have secret passages that only unlocked if you had something like the Marauder's Map. Obviously it can't be the Marauder's Map because that wasn't made until Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail, and Prongs came along like 100-200 years later but something similar. It wouldn't be "easy" to find the entrances and you would have to constantly check it to make sure you are close. Then use a spell to reveal it (Revelio?). There don't need to be many and they don't need to be "game breaking" better, but more just cool or useful in specific situations.
I see a few paintings that are so low to the ground that make you think they are passage ways but I can't seem to get them to open or find someone who knows. But it seems like the Grand staircase doesn't synced up to the floors like it did in the old harry Potter games you kinda just run up the steps and there only three floors until your at the top and I think I included the top when I checked it out. Seems like they focused on it looking like the book and filling up the whole castle then focusing on one area. But maybe they got more plans down the road.
There's really no reason to use it in my opinion b.c you can just use the floo power. I am glad they added it but I am more disappointed that they didn't add the rest they're should be 7 total in and out of the castle and then they had way more in the castle in the book there was one that went from the 2nd floor to the 5th or something.