Hogwarts Legacy is likely one of the most highly anticipated games to come next year, and that's because of the allure of a Harry Potter-inspired world that is fully explorable, filled with mysteries, compelling magic combat, and monsters to tame or defeat. The fact that players can craft their own potions, see what the life of a given house looks like, and even befriend some characters along the way makes Hogwarts Legacy a title that in theory has it all for those who want to experience the school of witchcraft and wizardry at its fullest. Getting to know fellow students and their personal story is a fascinating side of the game, and the new trailer from Gamescom reveals more about it.
The trailer that was shared yesterday at Gamescom focuses on a Slytherin student called Sebastian Sallow, who seemingly offers players the choice of either learning dark magic or rejecting the Dark Arts altogether. In the Harry Potter universe, Dark Arts are often used to harm others via spells, potions, or conjured dark creatures, and they are associated with evil wizards and witches. The new trailer shows the Hogwarts Legacy main character and their companion cast Crucio, one of the three Unforgivable Curses, which shows how different the gameplay's tone can be.
Why Hogwarts Legacy Including Dark Arts is a Big Deal
There are three Unforgivable Curses in the Wizarding World: the Imperius Curse, the Cruciatus Curse, and the Killing Curse. In the trailer, Sebastian Sallow makes the case for the Dark Arts to be life-saving when all else fails, and he wants to use them to unveil the secrets of his family while exploring a crypt protected by magical wards. Usually, indulging in dark magic is not an option for Hogwarts students because it's easy to succumb to its occult fascinations.
And yet, Hogwarts Legacy's new trailer explicitly shows that players can make that choice themselves -- but it will most likely come with serious consequences and the risk of being expelled if the story allows it. This choice puts players in a difficult position because the main character has to either endure Crucio at the hands of Sebastian Sallow to stay true to their principles or choose to forego them for the sake of getting to the bottom of a mystery and building rapport with the companion.
For players who want to experience the Dark Arts, this could be the only way to access otherwise forbidden spells that could reveal more secrets while traveling around the world as well as provide additional devastating tools when fighting enemies in magic duels. However, it's unclear how much Hogwarts Legacy is going to dig into dark magic just yet, and it's hard to predict the impact this choice could have on the playthrough, especially if multiple endings are on the table. In this case, using the Dark Arts could dramatically alter the story and the impact players can have on the Wizarding World as a whole.
This side of the Harry Potter universe is not something other games in the franchise typically explore, as they tend to be about the heroes that use socially accepted magic for good. The protagonist of Hogwarts Legacy could operate in a morally grey area where the events and the circumstances call for impossible choices, and this could provide players with a bit more leeway when using the Dark Arts for whatever reason. Overall, simply having the option to choose whether one wants to go down a sinister path is great for any RPG, and it's something more modern games should look into.
Hogwarts Legacy releases on February 10, 2023, on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with a Switch version also in development.