Some of the most interesting features in Harry Potter lore come from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This seems plain since that is where many of its installments chiefly take place, but the castle’s stone walls hold within them an incredible amount of world-building for its students. The magical school has certain rules put in place that help orient students’ lives, such as not wandering into the Forbidden Forest or vying for the House Cup. If Hogwarts Legacy wishes to be immersive, the same rules should apply to players.

It is up to players whether they wish to break these rules, but to keep players accountable for their actions within Hogwarts, the action-RPG should implement Harry Potter’s House Cup award. This yearly award is given to the Hogwarts house that earns the most points, which are awarded to students who demonstrate knowledge in the classroom or perform outstanding deeds for one another. At year’s end, the total points of each house are measured from large hourglasses to determine which house has won. This would be highly immervise in Hogwarts Legacy if tied to RPG features.

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How House Points Could Tie into Hogwarts Legacy’s RPG Features

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It is already known now that at least one of Hogwarts Legacy’s companion quests will help shape the protagonist’s morality. In the case of Slytherin’s Sebastian Sallow, the player may have a darker path to pursue if they wish to follow his companion questline. This suggests that each Hogwarts house will have a notable companion whose quest resembles their respective house characteristics. It would be terrific if this is subverted somehow with other houses, where a Gryffindor companion’s quest may also lead down a dark path.

However, since it seems like each house is stereotypically drawn from the original canon, there may be another way that the player’s actions could be held accountable. A House Cup would determine that acting altruistically could result in more house points. Any extracurricular RPG features in Hogwarts Legacy may have to be overseen by a professor or prefect to actually have points awarded, but it would give players a reason to not act maliciously.

Outside of companion quests, for example, it would be fantastic if trivial deeds were noticed by prefects in the corridors of Hogwarts. Then, if players act in opposition to Hogwarts’ rules or endanger other students, they could have house points subtracted. This would make the player’s experiences in Hogwarts Legacy more rewarding and thoughtful with late-game repercussions in mind.

House Points Could Be a Bonus Incentive to Excel in Classes

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That said, if Hogwarts Legacy did implement a House Cup and house points, it should only be as an optional incentive for more XP. This way, it would be an alternate source of XP if players go out of their way to help others or do well in classes, but would not be an essential feature that is detrimental to the experience later on. Players roleplaying as a Ravenclaw, for instance, might want to studiously excel in classrooms and could earn extra house points and XP as a result.

At the moment, though, it is still unclear how instrumental classes are to players in Hogwarts Legacy’s gameplay. Classes seem to be meaningful in the narrative, but it would be fantastic if professors would ask the player questions with multiple-choice answers, echoing social features from Persona 5. Answering these questions right could grant house points, while answering them wrong could reduce house points.

If balanced correctly, house points could be awarded whether fans were more interested in extracurricular activities and interactions, or in Hogwarts Legacy’s narrative-driven classroom setting. Social RPG features are looking to be the backbone of Hogwarts Legacy, and with a lot of mechanics in place already, it will be intriguing to see how immersive players’ experiences are in the game.

Hogwarts Legacy releases February 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. A Switch version is also in development.

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