Hogwarts Legacy preview leaves fans torn

Just in time to leave eager Harry Potter fans craving more, Avalanche software revealed that they had recently hosted a Hogwarts Legacy preview event for influencers and journalists. Shortly after, Hogwarts Legacy preview videos exploded onto YouTube, as if by the Bombarda charm. XpectoGo, a well-known Hogwarts Legacy influencer who was also included in the first official gameplay showcase, emphasized that the game's environment and combat were areas to be highly praised. Many other influencers echoed these sentiments, with criticisms of the preview being few and far between.

Hogwarts Legacy fans weigh praise and criticisms of the game

The main Hogwarts Legacy Reddit page, r/HarryPotterGame, also exploded this morning, with fan reactions to all of the news and videos. Some reacted with jokes, like one of the top comments on this Reddit preview discussion page from user Squid_Apple: "It basically confirmed my fear, that I won't leave my house for days playing it." Others posted celebrating the little things, like their favorite spell seen in the gameplay footage.

However, it seems as if glowing expositions may not entirely convince fans. One of the discussion pages, so hot Incendio may have hit it, centers around criticisms of the game from the preview event. GameStar, a German gaming magazine, apparently noted in their preview that NPCs, a significant component of any game's environment, appeared lifeless at times. It was also mentioned that many other portions of the environment were static, making Hogwarts feel more like a stage.

Related: Can you swim in Hogwarts Legacy?

We at Pro Game Guides are, frankly, also on the edge of our seats. We're analyzing videos and footage, trying to weigh our own opinions on the game. The graphics, lush details, and overall care given to fully display Hogwarts in all its splendor are reassuring. The depth and variety of options showcased for combat are also incredibly exciting. We hope they'll allow for a variety of playstyles that make the game a joy to replay for all four houses.

But we also agree that criticism of any game is critical to previews and reviews. These preview videos should be seen for what they represent: gameplay footage largely experienced by enthusiasts of the larger Wizarding World. Most of us watching these videos are also included in that category. This is exactly why trying to view the game from a neutral standpoint, to see where its flaws may be, is also important.

A note here: the preview event and videos were based on gameplay from a developer's build of Hogwarts Legacy. That means that the version of the game previewers played was specifically built to test features quickly and may not be representative of the full game.

What did you think of the Hogwarts Legacy preview videos? Are you excited? Nervous? Concerned? Let us know in the comments below! While you're here, you can also check out our thoughts on some of the darker aspects of Hogwarts Legacy like You shouldn’t kill other wizards in Hogwarts Legacy here at Pro Game Guides.