While the Harry Potter book series was loved by tweens, teens, and even adults in the early nineties, some question whether its most recent spin-off, Hogwarts Legacy, is appropriate for all of these audiences. Prior to release there were hints that the game could contain mature themes. There was even potentially a change to one of its age ratings shortly before release. Here's what you should know.
What is Hogwarts Legacy's Age rating?
There are several different organizations that provide age ratings for games. In North America, Hogwarts Legacy is rated by the ESRB. It was given a rating of T (Teen 13+) by this organization. The Australian Classification Board gave the game an M (Mature 15+) rating.
The PEGI rating for Hogwarts Legacy may have changed prior to the games launch. PEGI is the rating system used largely in Europe. Originally, Hogwarts Legacy was listed in online stores with a provisional PEGI 16 rating. Around November of 2022, that rating was officially listed as PEGI 12.
In general, Hogwarts Legacy was given these ratings with content warnings for Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Use of Alcohol, and In-Game Purchases. The ESRB's Rating Summary goes into slightly more detail, describing battles as "frenetic at times, with explosions, cries of pain, and impact sounds." They also state: "A handful of story sequences depict characters getting slain by a killing curse."
Should kids play Hogwarts Legacy?
As a parent, I know how involved these decisions can be. Informed decisions are generally best. My suggestion, if you are concerned about the content, is to play the game either with or prior to them playing, to decide for yourself if it's appropriate.
If you don't want to play Hogwarts Legacy, I can tell you that there are certainly some mature themes featured, particularly in its story sequences. To give you some examples, the killing curse is used to stop a teacher from using an intense and unknown power on her own students. It is also used by a student, Sebastian, to kill his uncle and guardian. He thinks it necessary to continue his work to cure his sister from a painful curse. There is also an intense scene in which Sebastian uses a separate, but almost equally terrible, curse to force an attacking Goblin to kill itself just before it is about to reach his sister.
Most of the mature content revolves around these curses, known as Unforgivable Curses. Your player character can decide whether to learn these curses and use them in battle. There is generally little to no consequence stemming from their use. There are some consequences for Sebastian in the story for his actions. The extent of these consequences can be influenced by the player at the end of the the questline.
There are also some quests that use fear and terrifying situations as a mechanic. The PS5 exclusive quest, Minding your Own Business, is a good example of this.
Hopefully this information helps you to make your own decision about Hogwarts Legacy. If you want to read more of our opinions, check out Hogwarts Legacy Review: A Glamorous Illusion here at Pro Game Guides.
Published: Feb 23, 2023 07:51 am