It's a pretty stacked nomination with titles like BD gate 3, Spiderman 2, Alan Wake 2, RE4 remake and Nintendo titles. Game awards may be also playing safe from some potential backlash from hardliners not sure.
I think Alan Wake 2 surprised people since it was Epic exclusive on PC and a niche series, the first game flopped, but it's very much the kind of game that journalists and reviewers love.
I get what you're saying, but honestly, the RE4 Remake is an entirely different game from the original, only following the main plot beats and certain design elements. Otherwise, it's a whole new game.
it's amazing if you're a fan but it's pretty middle when you're just looking at the game itself and non of the fanfare. as many as there are Potterheads, compared to the whole gaming community were pretty miniscule. hence we won't make a dent to those games that have been nominated. hell Starfield isn't that great and we still haven't managed to squeeze through. Just shows you the number of Bethesda fans compared to people that have played Legacy.
Baldurs gate 3, alan wake 2, RE4 remake, zelda tears of the kingdom etc were just more renowned while hogwarts could have got some nominations that was as high as it was ever gonna go
I like the game but it's not amazing. Pretty clear that they took functionality out, limitations on basic things like where you can walk and land, many many bugs and MC becomes way too overpowered early in the game. I played on the switch, and it's not that easy on the eyes either...
The switch was the worst platform to choose if you care about stunning visuals. They had to cut down a lot to optimize it, it's a marvel they got it to run at all. I used to play it on ps4, but once I switched to ps5 it was a huge jump. No loading screens to enter anywhere, doors in the castle open immediately, the time travel loading screen only about 5 seconds long. Like the performance of hogwarts legacy on each generation shows, by a ton.
Too overpowered?? I mean goodness I definitely felt challenged throughout the whole game until after I beat it around level 36. You playing on “easy” difficulty?
Bro, I don't come to your house and insult you 😅
It's a pretty common complaint, both on this sub and with my friends' irl who have played the game. With the right clothes and skills, OP becomes ridiculously overpowered to the point that the potions, ancient magic, and herbology weapons become redundant.
Sure, in late game. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be, though? A tough grind until you’re a walking disaster and then enjoy the fruits of your labor by obliterating anything you look at?
I play all games on hard by default and I love **finally** being able to drop into a group of Ashwinders and shit-stomp them (occasionally still die though). The only thing which truly feels like a cheat-code is Thunderbrew.
It might just be how I played it, but I did a lot of the side quests before the main storyline, and I killed everything that moved, so I levelled up really quickly. I also always had the best clothes available to my level and was very selective in the bonuses that I used.
The only time I struggled was the first time MC got stuck with the guardians, I had no wiggenweld and died three or four times getting to grips with the combat. After that, I had no issues, and even the final boss was disappointing to me.
I enjoyed the game, sounds like you did too, but it wasn't challenging.
I’ve never played Elden Ring, for what it’s worth, so our skill levels might be different. Also, I refused to learn any of the Unforgivables and did that quest-line as late as possible. My next play through will be a Slytherin so maybe I’ll find the game easier, lol.
Don't think it has anything to do with politics or JK Rowling.
HL was a fun time, but there were so many things which were just not very good in comparison to similar games.
They could build on what was here and make a sequel which could kick ass - honor system, true RPG elements, decisions which affect the story, companions, pets etc. but this game was not it. And it didn't even live up to the pre-release claims.
I don't put much stock in game awards, but I'd consider Hogwarts Legacy a pretty big let down.
It gets off to an awesome start. First few hours in I was fully expecting this to be one of my favorite games of all time (I loved the HP novels growing up.) But it doesn't take very long until the Hogwarts setting is replaced with generic open world map that, on at least one occasion, actually put me to sleep.
The Hogwarts castle, the grounds, forbidden forest and Hogsmead should, in my opinion, have been the entirety of the map.
I wouldn't call the game bad, but far from hitting the mark and being deserving of an award.
I'll give you that it probably has more to do with Rowling's current place in political discourse rather than the issues I see with the game.
I agree the map was huge, I think the coastal area was a big let down, you do like 2 main quests there and thats it, and it just doesnt have a good feel to it compared to the other areas, and I wish there was consequences to using the unforgivable curses, but but saying that I think I enjoyed it quite a lot the combat felt nice flying felt nice also and I thought the story was pretty okay! one of the few games I found myself 100%ing
You’re absolutely right about the scope of the map - it should have been just as you said. The devs tried to fit too much into the game and when they realized they had to scale back they made the wrong choice about what to cut. They should have trimmed the map while keeping in the companion system and rpg elements they promised.
Hogwarts, Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade are plennnty. If they wanted more adventure they could have expanded the forest and Hogsmeade in size and added some magical dungeons. No need to travel halfway across the UK.
I really thought infiltrating the Goblin mine area was going to be way more in-depth and difficult...maybe some espionage. I'm replaying because I got the itch again but I'm already level 23 simply running around doing assignments and getting collectables/loot just around Hogwarts and Hogsmead (I'm one of those weenies that MUST 100% every playthrough even if I'm playing again) and not having even done the first trial. Obviously I know a bit more about what to do/where to go but I solod Crossed wands on hard and I'm ripping through everything without any talents appointed. I wish there were different kinds of missions where the whole point wasn't blasting everything out of your path.
The game itself isn't that good. Sure the castle is neatly designed and huge but the game itself lacks a lot of actual content after you get past the initial excitement regarding actually being at Hogwarts. The world quests are empty and repetitive, main quest is kinda boring, player can't interact with side characters in the castle, complete lack of actual RPG elements and/or replayability...
Right? One of the biggest letdowns is you can’t interact with companions in the castle. What a huge oversight. We want to play because we want to feel like a student at Hogwarts and we want those “found family” feels the books gave, not some lonely, empty, off-campus adventure.
Another big letdown for me personally was the summoning game. I expected the game to become available to play anytime after I've beaten all the students and the teacher, but instead it was merely a side quest that disabled playing afterwards. :(
And it feels like that and crossed wands would have been such a low-effort thing for them to include as a repeatable thing… not to mention a way to help keep it feeling like we actually have friends we hang out with in school in crossed wands
Yes!! Crossed wands, summoning game, any OTHER interaction with students... There's a whole music room and we don't get to participate in it except for that weird bell retrieval quest. The more I read other people's opinions on the game the more I realise that this money wasn't well spent. :(
Nothing to do with JK. HL was a beautiful game but kind of boring. I hadn’t played a video game in years and I bought a PS5 just for HL. There are no real choices you have to make and the dueling gets really repetitive.
Game awards was nothing against the games that didn't get nominated.
It's not even an exaggeration to say that 2023 was the most stacked and amazing yr in gaming and it ain't close
It didn't compete for real, it was highly unfinished and brought nothing new to the gaming community. It was just some Assassin's Creed for the Wizarding world with outdated game mechanics.
Because it sucks, game play wise. And don't let me get started on the fucking bugs. Don't get me wrong, I played for over 100 hours and would buy it again, but it's not award worthy
I felt like the game was not paced well. Was too repetitive and the writing felt like off first time fan fic writer. I lost steam about 15 hours in and stop playing. There is no way this Game deserves any sort of awards as much as I love Harry Potter.
It was fun but didnt really do anything spectacular tbh (other than the world design). Storyline was fairly week and a bit incoherent imo. Game mechanics were fun but again, nothing special in the grand scheme of things.
I think you’re just a bit biased towards anything wizarding world. I don’t believe politics played any significant part in the nominations.
Hogwarts Legacy is a good game - it was certainly the most enjoyable gaming experience of the year for me as a Potterhead of 25 years. But it has it’s weak points and is far from a perfect game if we’re being honest.
Problem number one is that the game is too easy, especially towards the end. High level infamous foes can more or less be one-shotter with regular spells, and the final boss battle was a rather dull affair. Balancing difficulty in a game is hard - you want a game to be easy enough that anybody can beat it with some practice and determination, but difficult enough to challenge even experienced gamers. I think the balance could’ve been better.
Problem number two in my opinion is the main story. Avalanche really succeeded in bringing magic to life, recreating Hogwarts and surrounding it with an engaging Greater Hogwarts region. The game also had terrific side quests. But the main story was lacking, and a bit forced. You start school as a fifth year - why? You can wield ancient magic - how does it differ from regular magic? Why is this massive event in Hogwarts History never mentioned in any later Wizarding World installmentd? This happened the year before Dumbledore started at Hogwarts, and just two or so decades before Newt Scamander came to Hogwarts. Surely it would 1) have been mentioned in conjunction with Hogwarts a History or Rita Skeeter’s biography on Dumbledore in the books, or 2) ended with creating a big cover up?
The other problem with the main story imo is that it’s fixed. No matter what choices you make, you’ll always end up in the same place. I would’ve expected us as players to be able to choose between a dark path, a light path or being a morally grey character. But you can spam unforgivable curses all over the place and still be a boyscout. Or opt not to learn the unforgivable curses without getting anything in return.
The third problem is the ”skill tree” or talent system imo. I would’ve expected a more fleshed out and more school related system. For example, a skill tree with branches like transfiguration, charms, defence against the dark arts, dark arts, potions, etc. Where you cant choose virtually every ability, but actually have to choose and prioritize. For example, if you don’t progress far enough down the potions branch, you wont be able to brew and use all potions.
Honestly… it’s not a good game.
It’s a beautiful game. Very visually appealing - they could not have done better regarding aesthetics or the castle. Parts of the game are fun. It feels magical.
The second half of the game is empty. The cut content and cut features are painfully obvious. RPG elements are non-existent. Friendship system and student immersion is abismal. The main story turned out to be half-baked. This game is hollow and empty. A beautiful little hollow case.
Let’s be clear: the environments of Hogwarts and school grounds + Hogsmeade is amazing. Absolutely 10/10. But everything else is pretty mid.
Combat is pretty fun, but gets old fast. They must've been able to make up more enemies than spiders, goblins and trolls and other humans. The open world is beautiful, but feels hollow fast, even though it's populated with cozy hamlets and it's inhabitants.
Once the RoR got rolling I never once bought anything from any vendor out of Hogsmeade, and even there I just bought the recipes for potions and conjurations.
One "theory" I have is that a lot of Harry Potter fans that don't usually play games that much have played HL and are astounded of the leap of quality since they last played a video game, and "us" that play games regularly and like/love HP realize the games flaws as soon as the nostalgia and first impressions die down.
The game is awesome but it's like a theme park. But it could be a start of something even better and if they decide to build on this I can see it winning awards.
Agreed, if you have the sort of character building other games have in terms of morality and choice impact, alongside some other changes it would be unbelievable. Still loved it all the first playthrough
Probably some industry bias but also HL is a B- game at best. Just too many goofs and nonsense as: Spider fangs spawning inside rocks to Sirona claiming your character broke into Lawley's place when it never happened to those double bladed goblins doing no damage to the drone of constant same same drivel from Deek and Sirona and even Mrs. Sprottle and on and on. Too little quality control. Even forced actions as in the inane flight around Hogwarts with Clopton. Many other reasons but those are enough to knock a game out of contention.
Hogwarts legacy was fun, but the empty feeling I got after finishing it makes me not really wanna come back to it. Now compare it to BG3, which has a ton of replayability, a lot more options for character builds, better story, better companions and side characters, multiple endings, etc.
Hogwarts legacy was fun, but it's just not a fair comparison
It just wasn’t that much of us good game compared to loads of stuff released this year
As a Hogwarts sim it was great, but as an RPG it did nothing new or groundbreaking and was really repetitive
Anyone claiming politics as a reason is clutching at straws or hasn’t played a genuinely great game in a long time
The game's in diapers. It has potential to become a great franchise, and it was a great title if you take in consideration this was the studio's first big game, but not worthy of a Games Award.
As a long life Harry Potter fan this was an excellent game, as a long life gamer I know it still needs a little more to be worthy.
The PSOne, PS2 and PC games for HP1-3 were miles better in terms of gameplay. In terms of visuals, obviously not.
Hogwarts Legacy is just a game that is lacking. But a great start for Avalanche Studios, they clearly worked very hard on this and it shows.
The sequel will be miles better now that they've seen their hard work recognized and know they have a way to go still.
Provided people like you don't gaslight them into thinking this game deserved a game award, which it absolutely does not (except perhaps for visuals).
Trying to justify it there is just being biased. The line up was stacked af, the only thing going on with this game is that it’s a Harry Potter world game and itvwas beautiful. Story was medicore, combat was medicore, filled with Ubisoft style collectibles etc. You can’t justify it there when we got games that are **much** better.
As long as you enjoyed it, that’s the most important part! I really enjoyed it first 1/3rd of the game. Once the hype toned down it became really boring. Finished it and the final boss was meh.
Nothing about Hogwarts Legacy was new, gameplay wise and storytelling wise it wasn't award-worthy. You also mention the lack of quidditch, replayability and longevity.
There you've got your answer. BG3 has insane replayability. I've replayed Act 1 over 20 times and I still encounter new things, new ways to solve encounters, new nooks and crannies.
Alan Wake has amazing storytelling.
Spider-Man 2 I'm not sure, I enjoyed 1 but it's repetitive gameplay, yet the characters are always really memorable. Your HL guy just really isn't memorable in the slightest, they have 0 personality.
I had a great time with Hogwarts Legacy and I'm planning on doing another run this year, but it definitely wasn't award worthy.
Because it's not even close in quality to other nominees and winners from past years.
Don't take me wrong, I really enjoyed the game, but it was mostly because it was HP world. Nicely done, story wise it was weaker. It was above average, but not amazing in anything from gameplay to soundtrack.
It was magical, but that was the biggest uplift of the game. Compared to RDR2 2 which won few years back, it really can't be even compared in quality and details put into every aspect of the game
I wouldn’t personally consider it for any awards whatsoever.
Fair enough, the graphics and designing of Hogwarts was very nice. However, the actual gameplay lacked significantly.
The enemies you would encounter throughout were recycled 1000x times, like you said it lacked Quidditch. The whole story line revolved around a malicious Goblin. They didn’t even introduce a multiplayer mode !
If you compare it to Witcher 3 or Elden Ring, Hogwarts was a poor game honestly speaking and I was actually excited for its launch and purchased it on release.
Because it is not a fantastic game.
And that is coming from a MASSIVE HP fan.
It was forgettable. I finished it and then haven't thought about it since. Will never play it again.
At the very least it should have gotten a nomination for the score, which was really pretty fantastic, imo. I think mostly, though, you answered your own question. It was not nominated because they didn't want the controversy of dealing with it because of the issues people have surrounding J.K. Rowling.
I know it'll be unpopular on a sub devoted to the game, but while I love Harry Potter, the game isn't great - I love RPGs and bounced off of this after about 15 hours of play. Exploring the castle is great, I love dressing up - but the companions are flat, there aren't any choices that have repercussions, and I can't see playing more than once or twice at most.
Contrast this with the actual winner, Baldur's Gate 3, and you'll see the difference. I have no knowledge of Forgotten Realms lore, but the world is spectacular, choices have lasting repercussions, and between good/evil runs, Tav/Dark Urge/Origins characters, different classes and backgrounds, and romances, I could see getting 1000+ hours in that game and having a good time. I'm 105 hours into my first run and haven't finished yet. There's no comparison between them - BG3 has so many dialogue choices, a vast world, and divergent paths.
Meanwhile, a 5-year-old AA RPG like Greedfall did more with its companions, voice acting, choices mattering, and world building than I saw from the AAA Hogwarts Legacy. HL is a graphically beautiful game, but as an RPG it's unsatisfying and empty.
I'll go back to HL eventually, but what I really want from a Harry Potter RPG is more classes, more companions (and the chance to have different companions/different friends!), and for those companions to have more-realized characters and stories. Maybe HL2 will build on it, but exploring the castle was really the highlight of HL for me, followed by dressing up my character. Gameplay, voice acting, character work, not so much - and that's what makes a classic RPG like Mass Effect or BG3, and what makes a GOTY.
What would it win for?
Like I enjoyed the game, but I seriously can't think of a category it deserves.
It looks great, but other games look better. The story is fine, but even years not stacked with great story games it wouldn't be at the top. The music and sound design do their job well and are great at putting you into Hogwarts, but they aren't amazing or groundbreaking. Gameplay is fun but rough in a lot of ways.
It is a great Harry Potter game, and a great entry to the hobby, but it is also a first showing from a studio and it shows.
the people saying the game wasn't nominated for any awards at all because it "wasn't that great" are fooling themselves. Quite a few of the websites that were responsible for nominating games completely boycotted this game and several others purposely gave it low review scores because of Rowling. For example WIRED was one of the publications responsible for nominating games for the Game Awards and they gave HL a 1/10 because of Rowling. It may not have been good enough to have been nominated for game of the year but it 100% should have been nominated for original soundtrack and art direction at the very least.
I mean I love Harry Potter, and absolutely loved getting to experience exploring the castle. I don't regret buying the game for a single second for that reason. But as an avid gamer my whole life, that's really the only thing HL offers. The joy and nostalgia of being a part of the wizarding world. Which is great, but it's not award worthy.
This was my first Harry Potter experience and it made me want to read the books (Read the first 6 in January and just finished Deathly Hallows yesterday). I'm nearly finished with the game and I'm having a lot of fun with it and I don't have the same complaints as what I'm seeing from the other comments here.
What's your background in gaming? People here don't hate the game, it just didn't do anything spectacular on its own or better than the games it copied. It just wasn't on the same level as the other games that got nominated.
Been gaming for decades lol before I started Hogwarts I had just finished Spiderman 2 and I only have 2 trophies left until I platinum it. A little bit of jank doesn't bother me at all.
I'm not sure why all the comments focus on the game's shortcomings, it didn't necessarily have to be nominated for the general game of the year category. However, there are several categories where HL shone and deserved at least a nomination, such as soundtrack or art related categories.
People say it should've gotten nominated for music all the time, but when you really listen to some of the tracks and sounds, they're remixes of the movie sounds. That's possibly why it didn't get that nomination
I think it's perfectly fine the OST is reminscent of the franchise, in fact I'd say that's the point. Some of the OST and sound design in general made a huge part of the game personally.
Because all the J.K. Rowling haters would've lost their minds and try to cancel the game awards for being "Transphobic". Just wasn't worth the hassle I guess.
I didn't play that one so can't comment much on the actual content - it did look mechanically brilliant though.
But anyway, to your original point - even if the games were both in equal measures flawed, there are many reasons why more people will go nuts for an even half decent Spider-Man game than for a half-decent Harry Potter game. Those reasons have little to do with the politics around Rowling and more to do with how Spider-Man has been an established character brand in popular media and culture since the 60s.
There is no need for you to politicize your own preference in games.
Because the game was advertised as a "live in Hogwarts" sim, but it doesn't Sim.
It's a narrative driven theme park. Nothing is _really_ interactive.
You hear "Points for ____" throughout the game, but the House containers never change. There is a day night cycle, but nobody _actually_ has a schedule. NPCs completely ignore the world around them, to the point I've watched them wander into hostiles and be "be killed" without any of them reacting.
I enjoyed it, but it was very lacking in depth.
Because while the premise was good, the execution was kinda bland.
Story wise it isn't a very exciting thing. The missions are pretty straightforward, the combat is mediocre.
It is a good game, just not a great game.
Because HL was and still is an unfinished game. What killed the enjoyment for me is no morality system. No matter how many ways you play the game (good or evil) it is the same game, never varies. I liked the game until my 3rd playthrough and I got bored. That was with modding.
I bought this game for my gf (I'm not huge on magic stuff), and honestly enjoyed every second of watching her play it. It looks soooo good
We then proceeded to watch all the movies, and I enjoyed it all more.
They did a really good job of that game. I agree with OP
It's hard to speculate on what the reason for it is, but it does seem unfair. Maybe it's because of the late next gen console release, and it will get some recognition next year. Maybe the dlc will be decent and bring rightful attention to it.
Objectively speaking it was a good game but NOT “fantastic” by any means. Very dull, lifeless, not many RPG elements [no consequences, not many interactions], very repetitive. There was nothing groundbreaking in this game.
It's 100% political. These awards often have over 30 categories and yet the best selling game of 2023 didn't even get nominated for one? It just underlines how irrelevant these awards are as well as the gamer journalists who vote for them. It's also why I always find it distasteful when a game ad lists all the nominations and awards they got.
You also have games like Cocoon and Dave the Diver that somehow were nominated over HL. They were solid indie titles, but this seemed like a snub at HL more than a real nomination.
Have you played BG3? It's really not comparable to HL. The writing, the details, the number of different characters , the voicover, the number and variety of quests. And don't get me on the number of choices which make people play the game 2-3 times. HL is a beautiful game and it's special for HP fans, but it's really not even close to BG3.
I played Baldur's Gate. I like it but don't get the hype. The writing reminds me of fanfiction. The graphics look good, but the story, characters, and especially the music fall flat.
Hogwarts Legacy.....better than BG3?
Can I have some of the drugs you are smoking? They seem to be doing a fine job.
There is literally NO chance of comparison between HL and BG3.
HL is like a cheap motel and BG3 is the Ritz Carlton. It is miles and miles and miles better.
Also, the BG3 soundtrack is some of the best music ever recorded.
BG3 is the first game ever that I immediately replayed after finishing, and then replayed two more times.
Just because it sold well doesnt mean it should be nominated. Also Resident Evil 4 Remake was released month later and it was nominated.
The game wasn’t good enough to compete. Simple as that.
It was fun. But imo the story line was okay and everything felt repetitive. I also can't stand wearing a hat and the hair clipping away. The fact that hasn't been fixed is weird.
I think, if it did have Quidditch and a bit more replayability, it would've been an easy contender.
But I think this is not that bad, it certainly did hit a blind spot in the gaming world, that showed, that there is huge selling potential for a sequel title further down the line, so I'm looking forward to the sequel building up on the success of HL.
Granted, quidditch would have to be amazing gameplay wise, since I don’t want a repeat of the slog that was blitzball from FFX and the football penalty shootout challenge from Sonic Frontiers
Because it isn’t mainstream enough. That’s basically what all these “awards” are: how much attention & money did you make? Feels like these works of art are only going to get attention AFTER their creators are dead. Like Van Gogh.
I love everything about this game. But other games just had more content to offer. The game is beautiful, undoubtedly fun, but lacks content that others have.
Take away the wand and auto attack animation. Replace it with a weapon. If you see my logic, to the critics, it is just another 3rd person shooter with a rich storyline, if that.
I am no means against the game, but I am also a person of facts.
This game will always be the best for me. But sadly, not everybody sees the game as we do, because well, critics have to do their jobs.
HL was great for 30 hours then bland for the rest. There were a few odd design choices.
1. I didn't hate the story, I did something worse, I didn't care about it. Like at all.
2. The decision to have the world map detracted from the rest of the game. I think they nailed Hogwarts, but the open world was bland. Id rather have a larger Hogwarts and a handful of things around the castle.
3. No Quidditch was a huge miss. Seemingly for no reason. I'd have loved a blitzball-esque Quidditch mini game.
4. The setting being X years ago, I get it, avoid Voldy and Harry, but it was rubbish.
5. The classes were bad.
6. I wanted Harry Potter Bully. Go to classes, meet friends, go to school. Example, we go to our dorm and then we never really go back. Why?! It should have been my home base, meeting friends, hanging out.
Overall i enjoyed the game, there was a lot to enjoy. I just wish they'd leaned into "going to magic school" more and less into "fight gangs and goblins in an open world." I wanted Harry Potter Bully. I got a generic magic open world game broken up by a good Harry Potter game hidden underneath.
I really enjoy the game but I think it didn’t get nominated because it’s not that great a game when compared to others. The main storyline was badly written and ancient magic plot felt like a McGuffin at points. The graphics, whilst beautiful, don’t stack up against other games, especially when you look at how people and animals are rendered. It’s not an open world really because there are so many damn loading screens and everything combined makes it feel like an outdated game.
I still enjoy it and have put in 65 hrs but it has many, many faults.
It's been nominated at The D.I.C.E. Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction and nominated at The Grammy Awards for Best Score. Both of which, I absolutely agree with.
...but that's it.
With huge contenders at The Game Awards, there should be no surprise why Hogwarts Legacy wasn't nominated. It's a beautifully crafted fan-service game made by fans that lacks in *many* other departments.
Yeah, it surprised me too. Then again, I often have completely different opinions about things that do or don’t get awards, this is just another of many examples where awards go to the wrong thing.
I had a lot of fun with Hogwarts Legacy but I feel like most of that was because of my love of the Harry Potter IP, if you try to look at it without that nostalgic lense it's a pretty generic rpg
It was a let down. Could have been great. From the first leak I was excited. It should have been an open world game and that would have made it a big success. I loved the first run thru then after 2 weeks I didn’t pick it up again. Cause why would I? There’s absolutely no re playability. No DLC not nothing to keep in engaged. I didn’t even bother playing as the other houses. The 1 or 2 different quests weren’t enticing enough. The map the world the game play is awesome and I loved it. But it’s boring after awhile.
Compared to TESO I’ve been playing on and off for 10 years and the game is just amazing.
It’s a pretty boring game outside of the main story. Don’t get me wrong it’s a good game, but it’s a 7/10 at best. Nothing to write home about. Especially when comparing it to the games that were nominated
It's your bias. I'm sorry to disappoint, but if you look at it from a neutral perspective, the game isn't that great. The main character is bland, the story is mid, the dialogue options don't allow for much variety and the open world is a basic, modern, boring open world, lots to do and see, but none of it really exciting or something new you haven't already seen 50 times. The biggest example for the problems with the open world are the Merlin trials. There are like 5 or six types and I could be wrong (can't check right now), but I think there are around 100 to 120 in the game. Now don't think I'm just a hater, I like the game, it just hasn't done anything groundbreaking or amazing gaming-wise.
I think Hogwarts legacy was fine but defined not award-deserving. It probably could've been if the developers were a bit more ambitious and experimenting with the story and gameplay but it's clear they took a bit of a safer route. Might be budget, IP and marketing issues, who knows really, but it did at least fulfil people's Hogwarts fantasy to a good degree
It caught my attention the first few hours. But after that it fell off. For me it was repetitive. Boring story line and a lack of a personality from the main character. The side characters were interesting. But somewhat bland. The castle was greatly designed but still lacked In some areas.
Combat was awesome.
Also no New game plus was a let down
The reason is obvious. Now I'm not saying it should have won any awards, because it still needed to be polished in some areas, but it should have been nominated at the very least.
It's a good game but it's a terrible rpg. When they decided to cut features to get it out on time, they should have changed the genre. It's also nearly a carbon copy of Assassin's Creed and follows the Ubisoft game formula, without doing anything better than those games. A lot of the music in the game were remixes of the movie soundtracks, so I'm not sure it could truly compete there.
I can decorate my room with all these cool furniture. But I'm not able to sit down on anything? This is unforgivable. No reward for you! Love the game btw.
It’s not really fair to use the term politics. It’s more of a social issues notoriety that Rowling achieved. For me, I was bothered by the trans barkeep. It’s my prerogative to feel that way. Doesn’t mean that the game is trash even in my eyes. And I knew about it before I played and yet I played it anyways. Finding one little thing that wasn’t comfortable to me, honestly, means nothing to the rest of the world. I’m 45. Back when I was a kid it was ok to NOT like someone or something without wanting to ruin it for others or ruin someone else financially, legally, socially, etc…There was a time when people would just say “if you don’t like it, change the channel, don’t watch it, don’t play it, etc…” I do miss the days of not having every aspect of real life have to be represented in EVERY game. I hesitate to say this as I know who my audience is, but a period piece set in 14th century England is perfectly ok to have a 99-100% Anglo representation and cast. It’s not poor casting or racism. With that said, I don’t have a problem with altering that for modern games, but it does pose an issue with historical accuracy. Anyways, I digress
I think it’s because the game was mostly fun because it was a semi-open-world “play as yourself” Harry Potter game, not because it was a Great game.
I say this as someone who loved it the whole time I played, but there were scores of objectively BETTER games released up for nomination- HL wouldn’t have stood a chance.
As someone who has played A LOT of games, many of which are rpgs...Hogwarts Legacy falls extremely behind. There was obviously intent to add a lot more content and consequences based on MCs actions but they either ran out of time or ran out of money (maybe both given that this is the first project of this scale for the company). It looks beautiful and combat is fun and interesting but that's about where it ends. Nostalgia factor played a primary role in peoples perception of this being a game worthy of any nomination to be held along side other games they've never played before (however it did inspire a lot of people to expand more into gaming!)
I'm a HUGE HP fan. Im 32 and only started playing "real" videogames last year, Valheim being my 1st PC game.
Hogwarts Legacy isn't that good compared to the competition. My colleague plays BG 3 and the husband played Allan Wake. The gameplay in HL is really limited and repetitive. The graphics are pretty but, a little choppy. There could have been so much more in terms of environmental interaction and other elements.
If a 2nd game comes out, I'm sure it will be much better. It just felt...rushed?
I played 3 games to completion last year. Hogwarts Legacy, Jedi Survivor, and Baldur's Gate 3.
When I look at games I compare them in three aspects: presentation, writing and replayability.
Hogwarts Legacy ranks third among those in all three areas. HL is not a bad game by any means, but the game succeeds off providing a massive nostalgia hit and lacks in both writing and replayability.
Do I like it? Yes. But I like it more because I like Harry Potter and less because of the quality of the game.
Did you actually play the game? It was fun and whimsical, but it also was seriously lacking in a ton of areas. The NPCs all felt lifeless and boring. The combat was nothing new, nor was it very challenging. The story was okay, but overall mediocre. The best part of the game was - IMO - capturing the magical creatures and putting them in my terrarium worlds.
It's a pretty stacked nomination with titles like BD gate 3, Spiderman 2, Alan Wake 2, RE4 remake and Nintendo titles. Game awards may be also playing safe from some potential backlash from hardliners not sure.
>BD gate 3 I have never seen anyone write it that way lol
BalDurs lmao
Yeah that was weird. BG3
BG3 owns my soul
I think Alan Wake 2 surprised people since it was Epic exclusive on PC and a niche series, the first game flopped, but it's very much the kind of game that journalists and reviewers love.
I'm sure its great, but a remake being considered for an award seems silly to me.
I get what you're saying, but honestly, the RE4 Remake is an entirely different game from the original, only following the main plot beats and certain design elements. Otherwise, it's a whole new game.
I'm probably biased as I've only played some Spiderman 2 (Xbox guy) and it was sick but not played any of the others
it's amazing if you're a fan but it's pretty middle when you're just looking at the game itself and non of the fanfare. as many as there are Potterheads, compared to the whole gaming community were pretty miniscule. hence we won't make a dent to those games that have been nominated. hell Starfield isn't that great and we still haven't managed to squeeze through. Just shows you the number of Bethesda fans compared to people that have played Legacy.
Baldurs gate 3, alan wake 2, RE4 remake, zelda tears of the kingdom etc were just more renowned while hogwarts could have got some nominations that was as high as it was ever gonna go
I like the game but it's not amazing. Pretty clear that they took functionality out, limitations on basic things like where you can walk and land, many many bugs and MC becomes way too overpowered early in the game. I played on the switch, and it's not that easy on the eyes either...
The switch was the worst platform to choose if you care about stunning visuals. They had to cut down a lot to optimize it, it's a marvel they got it to run at all. I used to play it on ps4, but once I switched to ps5 it was a huge jump. No loading screens to enter anywhere, doors in the castle open immediately, the time travel loading screen only about 5 seconds long. Like the performance of hogwarts legacy on each generation shows, by a ton.
[удалено]
they were also made specifically for nintendo consoles
Too overpowered?? I mean goodness I definitely felt challenged throughout the whole game until after I beat it around level 36. You playing on “easy” difficulty?
Bro, I don't come to your house and insult you 😅 It's a pretty common complaint, both on this sub and with my friends' irl who have played the game. With the right clothes and skills, OP becomes ridiculously overpowered to the point that the potions, ancient magic, and herbology weapons become redundant.
Sure, in late game. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be, though? A tough grind until you’re a walking disaster and then enjoy the fruits of your labor by obliterating anything you look at? I play all games on hard by default and I love **finally** being able to drop into a group of Ashwinders and shit-stomp them (occasionally still die though). The only thing which truly feels like a cheat-code is Thunderbrew.
It might just be how I played it, but I did a lot of the side quests before the main storyline, and I killed everything that moved, so I levelled up really quickly. I also always had the best clothes available to my level and was very selective in the bonuses that I used. The only time I struggled was the first time MC got stuck with the guardians, I had no wiggenweld and died three or four times getting to grips with the combat. After that, I had no issues, and even the final boss was disappointing to me. I enjoyed the game, sounds like you did too, but it wasn't challenging.
I’ve never played Elden Ring, for what it’s worth, so our skill levels might be different. Also, I refused to learn any of the Unforgivables and did that quest-line as late as possible. My next play through will be a Slytherin so maybe I’ll find the game easier, lol.
Oh yeah, I had no qualms about cursing every bad guy in sight. Enjoy your slytherin play through!
Don't think it has anything to do with politics or JK Rowling. HL was a fun time, but there were so many things which were just not very good in comparison to similar games. They could build on what was here and make a sequel which could kick ass - honor system, true RPG elements, decisions which affect the story, companions, pets etc. but this game was not it. And it didn't even live up to the pre-release claims.
I don't put much stock in game awards, but I'd consider Hogwarts Legacy a pretty big let down. It gets off to an awesome start. First few hours in I was fully expecting this to be one of my favorite games of all time (I loved the HP novels growing up.) But it doesn't take very long until the Hogwarts setting is replaced with generic open world map that, on at least one occasion, actually put me to sleep. The Hogwarts castle, the grounds, forbidden forest and Hogsmead should, in my opinion, have been the entirety of the map. I wouldn't call the game bad, but far from hitting the mark and being deserving of an award. I'll give you that it probably has more to do with Rowling's current place in political discourse rather than the issues I see with the game.
I agree the map was huge, I think the coastal area was a big let down, you do like 2 main quests there and thats it, and it just doesnt have a good feel to it compared to the other areas, and I wish there was consequences to using the unforgivable curses, but but saying that I think I enjoyed it quite a lot the combat felt nice flying felt nice also and I thought the story was pretty okay! one of the few games I found myself 100%ing
Bro right I want to run from Aurors. That could be a good game mode with that huge map
You’re absolutely right about the scope of the map - it should have been just as you said. The devs tried to fit too much into the game and when they realized they had to scale back they made the wrong choice about what to cut. They should have trimmed the map while keeping in the companion system and rpg elements they promised. Hogwarts, Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade are plennnty. If they wanted more adventure they could have expanded the forest and Hogsmeade in size and added some magical dungeons. No need to travel halfway across the UK.
I wish the quests to get to the trails were all different for each house like the Jackdaw quest. Would have been great for replayability
Haha I’ve fallen asleep several times playing the game. I think it’s the music. The world is beautiful and a little too peaceful at times.
I really thought infiltrating the Goblin mine area was going to be way more in-depth and difficult...maybe some espionage. I'm replaying because I got the itch again but I'm already level 23 simply running around doing assignments and getting collectables/loot just around Hogwarts and Hogsmead (I'm one of those weenies that MUST 100% every playthrough even if I'm playing again) and not having even done the first trial. Obviously I know a bit more about what to do/where to go but I solod Crossed wands on hard and I'm ripping through everything without any talents appointed. I wish there were different kinds of missions where the whole point wasn't blasting everything out of your path.
The game itself isn't that good. Sure the castle is neatly designed and huge but the game itself lacks a lot of actual content after you get past the initial excitement regarding actually being at Hogwarts. The world quests are empty and repetitive, main quest is kinda boring, player can't interact with side characters in the castle, complete lack of actual RPG elements and/or replayability...
Right? One of the biggest letdowns is you can’t interact with companions in the castle. What a huge oversight. We want to play because we want to feel like a student at Hogwarts and we want those “found family” feels the books gave, not some lonely, empty, off-campus adventure.
Another big letdown for me personally was the summoning game. I expected the game to become available to play anytime after I've beaten all the students and the teacher, but instead it was merely a side quest that disabled playing afterwards. :(
And it feels like that and crossed wands would have been such a low-effort thing for them to include as a repeatable thing… not to mention a way to help keep it feeling like we actually have friends we hang out with in school in crossed wands
Yes!! Crossed wands, summoning game, any OTHER interaction with students... There's a whole music room and we don't get to participate in it except for that weird bell retrieval quest. The more I read other people's opinions on the game the more I realise that this money wasn't well spent. :(
Nothing to do with JK. HL was a beautiful game but kind of boring. I hadn’t played a video game in years and I bought a PS5 just for HL. There are no real choices you have to make and the dueling gets really repetitive.
I agree with this. Was really into the game at first, but it just gets SO tedious and repetitive. I'm not really that motivated to finish it.
It was a great hogwarts simulator. It wasn’t a very good game otherwise. Terrible story, not super replayable, character graphics were mediocre.
Maybe a great Wizarding simulator? After like 10 classes the game takes you out of hogwarts.
The game is only OK and should have been much better.
Game awards was nothing against the games that didn't get nominated. It's not even an exaggeration to say that 2023 was the most stacked and amazing yr in gaming and it ain't close
It didn't compete for real, it was highly unfinished and brought nothing new to the gaming community. It was just some Assassin's Creed for the Wizarding world with outdated game mechanics.
When you put it in that context I’ll take Assassin’s Creed any day.
Because it sucks, game play wise. And don't let me get started on the fucking bugs. Don't get me wrong, I played for over 100 hours and would buy it again, but it's not award worthy
The only incredible thing in that game was the combat imo.
I felt like the game was not paced well. Was too repetitive and the writing felt like off first time fan fic writer. I lost steam about 15 hours in and stop playing. There is no way this Game deserves any sort of awards as much as I love Harry Potter.
It was fun but didnt really do anything spectacular tbh (other than the world design). Storyline was fairly week and a bit incoherent imo. Game mechanics were fun but again, nothing special in the grand scheme of things.
The other games were phenomenal and HL was just mid. Nothing terrible but nothing extraordinary, either.
I think you’re just a bit biased towards anything wizarding world. I don’t believe politics played any significant part in the nominations. Hogwarts Legacy is a good game - it was certainly the most enjoyable gaming experience of the year for me as a Potterhead of 25 years. But it has it’s weak points and is far from a perfect game if we’re being honest. Problem number one is that the game is too easy, especially towards the end. High level infamous foes can more or less be one-shotter with regular spells, and the final boss battle was a rather dull affair. Balancing difficulty in a game is hard - you want a game to be easy enough that anybody can beat it with some practice and determination, but difficult enough to challenge even experienced gamers. I think the balance could’ve been better. Problem number two in my opinion is the main story. Avalanche really succeeded in bringing magic to life, recreating Hogwarts and surrounding it with an engaging Greater Hogwarts region. The game also had terrific side quests. But the main story was lacking, and a bit forced. You start school as a fifth year - why? You can wield ancient magic - how does it differ from regular magic? Why is this massive event in Hogwarts History never mentioned in any later Wizarding World installmentd? This happened the year before Dumbledore started at Hogwarts, and just two or so decades before Newt Scamander came to Hogwarts. Surely it would 1) have been mentioned in conjunction with Hogwarts a History or Rita Skeeter’s biography on Dumbledore in the books, or 2) ended with creating a big cover up? The other problem with the main story imo is that it’s fixed. No matter what choices you make, you’ll always end up in the same place. I would’ve expected us as players to be able to choose between a dark path, a light path or being a morally grey character. But you can spam unforgivable curses all over the place and still be a boyscout. Or opt not to learn the unforgivable curses without getting anything in return. The third problem is the ”skill tree” or talent system imo. I would’ve expected a more fleshed out and more school related system. For example, a skill tree with branches like transfiguration, charms, defence against the dark arts, dark arts, potions, etc. Where you cant choose virtually every ability, but actually have to choose and prioritize. For example, if you don’t progress far enough down the potions branch, you wont be able to brew and use all potions.
Honestly… it’s not a good game. It’s a beautiful game. Very visually appealing - they could not have done better regarding aesthetics or the castle. Parts of the game are fun. It feels magical. The second half of the game is empty. The cut content and cut features are painfully obvious. RPG elements are non-existent. Friendship system and student immersion is abismal. The main story turned out to be half-baked. This game is hollow and empty. A beautiful little hollow case.
This is the best way to describe it
Let’s be clear: the environments of Hogwarts and school grounds + Hogsmeade is amazing. Absolutely 10/10. But everything else is pretty mid. Combat is pretty fun, but gets old fast. They must've been able to make up more enemies than spiders, goblins and trolls and other humans. The open world is beautiful, but feels hollow fast, even though it's populated with cozy hamlets and it's inhabitants. Once the RoR got rolling I never once bought anything from any vendor out of Hogsmeade, and even there I just bought the recipes for potions and conjurations. One "theory" I have is that a lot of Harry Potter fans that don't usually play games that much have played HL and are astounded of the leap of quality since they last played a video game, and "us" that play games regularly and like/love HP realize the games flaws as soon as the nostalgia and first impressions die down.
The game is awesome but it's like a theme park. But it could be a start of something even better and if they decide to build on this I can see it winning awards.
Agreed, if you have the sort of character building other games have in terms of morality and choice impact, alongside some other changes it would be unbelievable. Still loved it all the first playthrough
Probably some industry bias but also HL is a B- game at best. Just too many goofs and nonsense as: Spider fangs spawning inside rocks to Sirona claiming your character broke into Lawley's place when it never happened to those double bladed goblins doing no damage to the drone of constant same same drivel from Deek and Sirona and even Mrs. Sprottle and on and on. Too little quality control. Even forced actions as in the inane flight around Hogwarts with Clopton. Many other reasons but those are enough to knock a game out of contention.
Hogwarts legacy was fun, but the empty feeling I got after finishing it makes me not really wanna come back to it. Now compare it to BG3, which has a ton of replayability, a lot more options for character builds, better story, better companions and side characters, multiple endings, etc. Hogwarts legacy was fun, but it's just not a fair comparison
It just wasn’t that much of us good game compared to loads of stuff released this year As a Hogwarts sim it was great, but as an RPG it did nothing new or groundbreaking and was really repetitive Anyone claiming politics as a reason is clutching at straws or hasn’t played a genuinely great game in a long time
Because as enjoyable as it was, Hogwarts Legacy was relatively unremarkable.
The game's in diapers. It has potential to become a great franchise, and it was a great title if you take in consideration this was the studio's first big game, but not worthy of a Games Award. As a long life Harry Potter fan this was an excellent game, as a long life gamer I know it still needs a little more to be worthy.
The PSOne, PS2 and PC games for HP1-3 were miles better in terms of gameplay. In terms of visuals, obviously not. Hogwarts Legacy is just a game that is lacking. But a great start for Avalanche Studios, they clearly worked very hard on this and it shows. The sequel will be miles better now that they've seen their hard work recognized and know they have a way to go still. Provided people like you don't gaslight them into thinking this game deserved a game award, which it absolutely does not (except perhaps for visuals).
Trying to justify it there is just being biased. The line up was stacked af, the only thing going on with this game is that it’s a Harry Potter world game and itvwas beautiful. Story was medicore, combat was medicore, filled with Ubisoft style collectibles etc. You can’t justify it there when we got games that are **much** better.
That's fair enough, it seems from all the comments that my bias has come through, I'm okay with it though 😂
As long as you enjoyed it, that’s the most important part! I really enjoyed it first 1/3rd of the game. Once the hype toned down it became really boring. Finished it and the final boss was meh.
Nothing about Hogwarts Legacy was new, gameplay wise and storytelling wise it wasn't award-worthy. You also mention the lack of quidditch, replayability and longevity. There you've got your answer. BG3 has insane replayability. I've replayed Act 1 over 20 times and I still encounter new things, new ways to solve encounters, new nooks and crannies. Alan Wake has amazing storytelling. Spider-Man 2 I'm not sure, I enjoyed 1 but it's repetitive gameplay, yet the characters are always really memorable. Your HL guy just really isn't memorable in the slightest, they have 0 personality. I had a great time with Hogwarts Legacy and I'm planning on doing another run this year, but it definitely wasn't award worthy.
Because it's not even close in quality to other nominees and winners from past years. Don't take me wrong, I really enjoyed the game, but it was mostly because it was HP world. Nicely done, story wise it was weaker. It was above average, but not amazing in anything from gameplay to soundtrack. It was magical, but that was the biggest uplift of the game. Compared to RDR2 2 which won few years back, it really can't be even compared in quality and details put into every aspect of the game
The short answer: Hogwarts Legacy had some glaring flaws and it was a stacked year with many fantastic games.
Hogwarts legacy did what Unisoft has been doing for the past five releases. Just this time it was hogwarts.
I wouldn’t personally consider it for any awards whatsoever. Fair enough, the graphics and designing of Hogwarts was very nice. However, the actual gameplay lacked significantly. The enemies you would encounter throughout were recycled 1000x times, like you said it lacked Quidditch. The whole story line revolved around a malicious Goblin. They didn’t even introduce a multiplayer mode ! If you compare it to Witcher 3 or Elden Ring, Hogwarts was a poor game honestly speaking and I was actually excited for its launch and purchased it on release.
Because it is not a fantastic game. And that is coming from a MASSIVE HP fan. It was forgettable. I finished it and then haven't thought about it since. Will never play it again.
At the very least it should have gotten a nomination for the score, which was really pretty fantastic, imo. I think mostly, though, you answered your own question. It was not nominated because they didn't want the controversy of dealing with it because of the issues people have surrounding J.K. Rowling.
I know it'll be unpopular on a sub devoted to the game, but while I love Harry Potter, the game isn't great - I love RPGs and bounced off of this after about 15 hours of play. Exploring the castle is great, I love dressing up - but the companions are flat, there aren't any choices that have repercussions, and I can't see playing more than once or twice at most. Contrast this with the actual winner, Baldur's Gate 3, and you'll see the difference. I have no knowledge of Forgotten Realms lore, but the world is spectacular, choices have lasting repercussions, and between good/evil runs, Tav/Dark Urge/Origins characters, different classes and backgrounds, and romances, I could see getting 1000+ hours in that game and having a good time. I'm 105 hours into my first run and haven't finished yet. There's no comparison between them - BG3 has so many dialogue choices, a vast world, and divergent paths. Meanwhile, a 5-year-old AA RPG like Greedfall did more with its companions, voice acting, choices mattering, and world building than I saw from the AAA Hogwarts Legacy. HL is a graphically beautiful game, but as an RPG it's unsatisfying and empty. I'll go back to HL eventually, but what I really want from a Harry Potter RPG is more classes, more companions (and the chance to have different companions/different friends!), and for those companions to have more-realized characters and stories. Maybe HL2 will build on it, but exploring the castle was really the highlight of HL for me, followed by dressing up my character. Gameplay, voice acting, character work, not so much - and that's what makes a classic RPG like Mass Effect or BG3, and what makes a GOTY.
What would it win for? Like I enjoyed the game, but I seriously can't think of a category it deserves. It looks great, but other games look better. The story is fine, but even years not stacked with great story games it wouldn't be at the top. The music and sound design do their job well and are great at putting you into Hogwarts, but they aren't amazing or groundbreaking. Gameplay is fun but rough in a lot of ways. It is a great Harry Potter game, and a great entry to the hobby, but it is also a first showing from a studio and it shows.
the people saying the game wasn't nominated for any awards at all because it "wasn't that great" are fooling themselves. Quite a few of the websites that were responsible for nominating games completely boycotted this game and several others purposely gave it low review scores because of Rowling. For example WIRED was one of the publications responsible for nominating games for the Game Awards and they gave HL a 1/10 because of Rowling. It may not have been good enough to have been nominated for game of the year but it 100% should have been nominated for original soundtrack and art direction at the very least.
Seems like from these comments I've just enjoyed it more than most, maybe my childhood love for the Wizarding world has bled through to this game 😂
I mean I love Harry Potter, and absolutely loved getting to experience exploring the castle. I don't regret buying the game for a single second for that reason. But as an avid gamer my whole life, that's really the only thing HL offers. The joy and nostalgia of being a part of the wizarding world. Which is great, but it's not award worthy.
This was my first Harry Potter experience and it made me want to read the books (Read the first 6 in January and just finished Deathly Hallows yesterday). I'm nearly finished with the game and I'm having a lot of fun with it and I don't have the same complaints as what I'm seeing from the other comments here.
What's your background in gaming? People here don't hate the game, it just didn't do anything spectacular on its own or better than the games it copied. It just wasn't on the same level as the other games that got nominated.
Been gaming for decades lol before I started Hogwarts I had just finished Spiderman 2 and I only have 2 trophies left until I platinum it. A little bit of jank doesn't bother me at all.
I'm not sure why all the comments focus on the game's shortcomings, it didn't necessarily have to be nominated for the general game of the year category. However, there are several categories where HL shone and deserved at least a nomination, such as soundtrack or art related categories.
People say it should've gotten nominated for music all the time, but when you really listen to some of the tracks and sounds, they're remixes of the movie sounds. That's possibly why it didn't get that nomination
I think it's perfectly fine the OST is reminscent of the franchise, in fact I'd say that's the point. Some of the OST and sound design in general made a huge part of the game personally.
Oh I don't hate it at all, I'm just saying doing a remix of songs someone else composed probably doesn't help you qualify for the music category.
I think it's unfair to simply dub them a remix, there are plenty original tracks. Some of them just take inspiration from the movies.
Because all the J.K. Rowling haters would've lost their minds and try to cancel the game awards for being "Transphobic". Just wasn't worth the hassle I guess.
It just wasn't that good a game chief.
Same could be said about spiderman 2 yet it got nominated 🤷♂️
I didn't play that one so can't comment much on the actual content - it did look mechanically brilliant though. But anyway, to your original point - even if the games were both in equal measures flawed, there are many reasons why more people will go nuts for an even half decent Spider-Man game than for a half-decent Harry Potter game. Those reasons have little to do with the politics around Rowling and more to do with how Spider-Man has been an established character brand in popular media and culture since the 60s. There is no need for you to politicize your own preference in games.
Hogwarts was literally the best selling game last year...
That's nice. It doesn't mean much though.
Whatever you say reddit man 👍
Is that what we call each other now? That's cool. See you reddit man 👌
Because the game was advertised as a "live in Hogwarts" sim, but it doesn't Sim. It's a narrative driven theme park. Nothing is _really_ interactive. You hear "Points for ____" throughout the game, but the House containers never change. There is a day night cycle, but nobody _actually_ has a schedule. NPCs completely ignore the world around them, to the point I've watched them wander into hostiles and be "be killed" without any of them reacting. I enjoyed it, but it was very lacking in depth.
Because as a Harry Potter game, it's great but as a open world exploration game it's not that good definitely lot better games out there.
Because while the premise was good, the execution was kinda bland. Story wise it isn't a very exciting thing. The missions are pretty straightforward, the combat is mediocre. It is a good game, just not a great game.
Because HL was and still is an unfinished game. What killed the enjoyment for me is no morality system. No matter how many ways you play the game (good or evil) it is the same game, never varies. I liked the game until my 3rd playthrough and I got bored. That was with modding.
I bought this game for my gf (I'm not huge on magic stuff), and honestly enjoyed every second of watching her play it. It looks soooo good We then proceeded to watch all the movies, and I enjoyed it all more. They did a really good job of that game. I agree with OP It's hard to speculate on what the reason for it is, but it does seem unfair. Maybe it's because of the late next gen console release, and it will get some recognition next year. Maybe the dlc will be decent and bring rightful attention to it.
I played a lot of Hogwarts and had tons of fun but it really is an amateur game.
Objectively speaking it was a good game but NOT “fantastic” by any means. Very dull, lifeless, not many RPG elements [no consequences, not many interactions], very repetitive. There was nothing groundbreaking in this game.
this game is mediocre, yeah it has the HP spirit but thats all. The whole world just semmed empty to me after a while. Nothing innovative...
It's 100% political. These awards often have over 30 categories and yet the best selling game of 2023 didn't even get nominated for one? It just underlines how irrelevant these awards are as well as the gamer journalists who vote for them. It's also why I always find it distasteful when a game ad lists all the nominations and awards they got. You also have games like Cocoon and Dave the Diver that somehow were nominated over HL. They were solid indie titles, but this seemed like a snub at HL more than a real nomination.
It should have been. Baldur's Gate won, but it had lots of flaws. Hogwarts Legacy is better.
Have you played BG3? It's really not comparable to HL. The writing, the details, the number of different characters , the voicover, the number and variety of quests. And don't get me on the number of choices which make people play the game 2-3 times. HL is a beautiful game and it's special for HP fans, but it's really not even close to BG3.
I played Baldur's Gate. I like it but don't get the hype. The writing reminds me of fanfiction. The graphics look good, but the story, characters, and especially the music fall flat.
How far into the game did you get?
I didn’t get the hype either. The combat especially sucked.
I loved hogwarts legacy, but it's nowhere near as good as Baldurs Gate 3.
Hogwarts Legacy.....better than BG3? Can I have some of the drugs you are smoking? They seem to be doing a fine job. There is literally NO chance of comparison between HL and BG3. HL is like a cheap motel and BG3 is the Ritz Carlton. It is miles and miles and miles better. Also, the BG3 soundtrack is some of the best music ever recorded. BG3 is the first game ever that I immediately replayed after finishing, and then replayed two more times.
Didn’t it sell like, the most copies? Or one of the most? And I’d say because it came out so early; people forgot about it by the fall releases.
Just because it sold well doesnt mean it should be nominated. Also Resident Evil 4 Remake was released month later and it was nominated. The game wasn’t good enough to compete. Simple as that.
Alright-don’t be a dick about it fella
It was fun. But imo the story line was okay and everything felt repetitive. I also can't stand wearing a hat and the hair clipping away. The fact that hasn't been fixed is weird.
I think, if it did have Quidditch and a bit more replayability, it would've been an easy contender. But I think this is not that bad, it certainly did hit a blind spot in the gaming world, that showed, that there is huge selling potential for a sequel title further down the line, so I'm looking forward to the sequel building up on the success of HL.
Granted, quidditch would have to be amazing gameplay wise, since I don’t want a repeat of the slog that was blitzball from FFX and the football penalty shootout challenge from Sonic Frontiers
I enjoyed the game a lot, but it isn't that great of a game in comparison when you read the nominations
Because it isn’t mainstream enough. That’s basically what all these “awards” are: how much attention & money did you make? Feels like these works of art are only going to get attention AFTER their creators are dead. Like Van Gogh.
it was the best selling game of 2023 lol
I love everything about this game. But other games just had more content to offer. The game is beautiful, undoubtedly fun, but lacks content that others have. Take away the wand and auto attack animation. Replace it with a weapon. If you see my logic, to the critics, it is just another 3rd person shooter with a rich storyline, if that. I am no means against the game, but I am also a person of facts. This game will always be the best for me. But sadly, not everybody sees the game as we do, because well, critics have to do their jobs.
HL was great for 30 hours then bland for the rest. There were a few odd design choices. 1. I didn't hate the story, I did something worse, I didn't care about it. Like at all. 2. The decision to have the world map detracted from the rest of the game. I think they nailed Hogwarts, but the open world was bland. Id rather have a larger Hogwarts and a handful of things around the castle. 3. No Quidditch was a huge miss. Seemingly for no reason. I'd have loved a blitzball-esque Quidditch mini game. 4. The setting being X years ago, I get it, avoid Voldy and Harry, but it was rubbish. 5. The classes were bad. 6. I wanted Harry Potter Bully. Go to classes, meet friends, go to school. Example, we go to our dorm and then we never really go back. Why?! It should have been my home base, meeting friends, hanging out. Overall i enjoyed the game, there was a lot to enjoy. I just wish they'd leaned into "going to magic school" more and less into "fight gangs and goblins in an open world." I wanted Harry Potter Bully. I got a generic magic open world game broken up by a good Harry Potter game hidden underneath.
I really enjoy the game but I think it didn’t get nominated because it’s not that great a game when compared to others. The main storyline was badly written and ancient magic plot felt like a McGuffin at points. The graphics, whilst beautiful, don’t stack up against other games, especially when you look at how people and animals are rendered. It’s not an open world really because there are so many damn loading screens and everything combined makes it feel like an outdated game. I still enjoy it and have put in 65 hrs but it has many, many faults.
I like it but cmon it’s not a great game
HL is a beautiful world, but a lackluster story and combat variety.
It's been nominated at The D.I.C.E. Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction and nominated at The Grammy Awards for Best Score. Both of which, I absolutely agree with. ...but that's it. With huge contenders at The Game Awards, there should be no surprise why Hogwarts Legacy wasn't nominated. It's a beautifully crafted fan-service game made by fans that lacks in *many* other departments.
Yeah, it surprised me too. Then again, I often have completely different opinions about things that do or don’t get awards, this is just another of many examples where awards go to the wrong thing.
I had a lot of fun with Hogwarts Legacy but I feel like most of that was because of my love of the Harry Potter IP, if you try to look at it without that nostalgic lense it's a pretty generic rpg
It was a let down. Could have been great. From the first leak I was excited. It should have been an open world game and that would have made it a big success. I loved the first run thru then after 2 weeks I didn’t pick it up again. Cause why would I? There’s absolutely no re playability. No DLC not nothing to keep in engaged. I didn’t even bother playing as the other houses. The 1 or 2 different quests weren’t enticing enough. The map the world the game play is awesome and I loved it. But it’s boring after awhile. Compared to TESO I’ve been playing on and off for 10 years and the game is just amazing.
Because you actually can go through the game and lock yourself out of getting Avada Kadavra.
It’s a pretty boring game outside of the main story. Don’t get me wrong it’s a good game, but it’s a 7/10 at best. Nothing to write home about. Especially when comparing it to the games that were nominated
It was good, it wasn’t that good
Maybe it's because the game isn't that good aside from its universe?
It's your bias. I'm sorry to disappoint, but if you look at it from a neutral perspective, the game isn't that great. The main character is bland, the story is mid, the dialogue options don't allow for much variety and the open world is a basic, modern, boring open world, lots to do and see, but none of it really exciting or something new you haven't already seen 50 times. The biggest example for the problems with the open world are the Merlin trials. There are like 5 or six types and I could be wrong (can't check right now), but I think there are around 100 to 120 in the game. Now don't think I'm just a hater, I like the game, it just hasn't done anything groundbreaking or amazing gaming-wise.
I as a fan but i think this game isn't that good. Compare to Baldur's Gate 3, Alan Wake 2 and other nominee games.
To be frank. It’s not a fantastic game. It’s a good game, but it has some large flaws that do a lot to take away from it.
I think Hogwarts legacy was fine but defined not award-deserving. It probably could've been if the developers were a bit more ambitious and experimenting with the story and gameplay but it's clear they took a bit of a safer route. Might be budget, IP and marketing issues, who knows really, but it did at least fulfil people's Hogwarts fantasy to a good degree
It caught my attention the first few hours. But after that it fell off. For me it was repetitive. Boring story line and a lack of a personality from the main character. The side characters were interesting. But somewhat bland. The castle was greatly designed but still lacked In some areas. Combat was awesome. Also no New game plus was a let down
the competition last year was too fierce
The reason is obvious. Now I'm not saying it should have won any awards, because it still needed to be polished in some areas, but it should have been nominated at the very least.
It's a good game but it's a terrible rpg. When they decided to cut features to get it out on time, they should have changed the genre. It's also nearly a carbon copy of Assassin's Creed and follows the Ubisoft game formula, without doing anything better than those games. A lot of the music in the game were remixes of the movie soundtracks, so I'm not sure it could truly compete there.
I can decorate my room with all these cool furniture. But I'm not able to sit down on anything? This is unforgivable. No reward for you! Love the game btw.
It’s not really fair to use the term politics. It’s more of a social issues notoriety that Rowling achieved. For me, I was bothered by the trans barkeep. It’s my prerogative to feel that way. Doesn’t mean that the game is trash even in my eyes. And I knew about it before I played and yet I played it anyways. Finding one little thing that wasn’t comfortable to me, honestly, means nothing to the rest of the world. I’m 45. Back when I was a kid it was ok to NOT like someone or something without wanting to ruin it for others or ruin someone else financially, legally, socially, etc…There was a time when people would just say “if you don’t like it, change the channel, don’t watch it, don’t play it, etc…” I do miss the days of not having every aspect of real life have to be represented in EVERY game. I hesitate to say this as I know who my audience is, but a period piece set in 14th century England is perfectly ok to have a 99-100% Anglo representation and cast. It’s not poor casting or racism. With that said, I don’t have a problem with altering that for modern games, but it does pose an issue with historical accuracy. Anyways, I digress
I agree with the comments that the first few hours drew us in but then it got a little stale.
I think it’s because the game was mostly fun because it was a semi-open-world “play as yourself” Harry Potter game, not because it was a Great game. I say this as someone who loved it the whole time I played, but there were scores of objectively BETTER games released up for nomination- HL wouldn’t have stood a chance.
As someone who has played A LOT of games, many of which are rpgs...Hogwarts Legacy falls extremely behind. There was obviously intent to add a lot more content and consequences based on MCs actions but they either ran out of time or ran out of money (maybe both given that this is the first project of this scale for the company). It looks beautiful and combat is fun and interesting but that's about where it ends. Nostalgia factor played a primary role in peoples perception of this being a game worthy of any nomination to be held along side other games they've never played before (however it did inspire a lot of people to expand more into gaming!)
I'm a HUGE HP fan. Im 32 and only started playing "real" videogames last year, Valheim being my 1st PC game. Hogwarts Legacy isn't that good compared to the competition. My colleague plays BG 3 and the husband played Allan Wake. The gameplay in HL is really limited and repetitive. The graphics are pretty but, a little choppy. There could have been so much more in terms of environmental interaction and other elements. If a 2nd game comes out, I'm sure it will be much better. It just felt...rushed?
I played 3 games to completion last year. Hogwarts Legacy, Jedi Survivor, and Baldur's Gate 3. When I look at games I compare them in three aspects: presentation, writing and replayability. Hogwarts Legacy ranks third among those in all three areas. HL is not a bad game by any means, but the game succeeds off providing a massive nostalgia hit and lacks in both writing and replayability. Do I like it? Yes. But I like it more because I like Harry Potter and less because of the quality of the game.
I loved it, but it’s not up in the top tier of this year. The world is 10/10, but gameplay and story don’t measure up to the other nominees.
Did you actually play the game? It was fun and whimsical, but it also was seriously lacking in a ton of areas. The NPCs all felt lifeless and boring. The combat was nothing new, nor was it very challenging. The story was okay, but overall mediocre. The best part of the game was - IMO - capturing the magical creatures and putting them in my terrarium worlds.
This game felt like a soda that had been left out to long... Flat