Hogwarts Legacy is Avalanche’s upcoming RPG set in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, giving players a chance to roleplay as a student at Hogwarts in the late 1800s. The teaser trailer revealed iconic locations seemingly based on the visual design of the Warner Bros. movies, and many fans will be hoping to make some big choices about their story as it unfolds in the upcoming game.
However, there’s one element of the Harry Potter universe where choice is not involved, and it could have some very interesting implications for the RPG. One of the iconic early experiences of any Hogwarts student is having the Sorting Hat placed upon their head and their house decided upon. There are a few different ways Avalanche could approach the Sorting Hat sequence and the house system which could mean big things for Hogwarts Legacy.
The Sorting Hat
The Sorting Hat famously chooses the Hogwarts houses of young wizards and witches when they enter the school for the first time. Students have no choice as to which house they’re placed into, but instead the Sorting Hat makes up its mind based on their personality traits and the wearer's proficiencies in certain schools of magic. Supposedly the decision can be boiled down to which key traits define the student, with brave students being placed into Gryffindor and cunning students placed into Slytherin, for example, without an actual moral judgement being made. This raises some huge questions for Hogwarts Legacy.
It seems likely that players will be able to choose their house in Hogwarts Legacy, but this causes a problem by disconnecting the experience of the player character from the experience of the player. The Sorting Hat sequence would be more immersive if Avalanche could figure out a way to put the player and the player character in the same position of not knowing which Hogwarts house they’re going to be placed in.
There are a few ways this could be achieved. If players get to choose their stats at the start of the game like in many RPGs, the Sorting Hat could base the decision off of that, though some players may find that inflexibility frustrating. It is possible that players will make this choice during the Sorting Hat sequence itself and be given an indication as to which house this will result in. For example, if players put more points into the stat which affects Defense Against the Dark Arts spells in Hogwarts Legacy, the player might be put into Slytherin.
Another possibility is that the main character of Hogwarts Legacy will always be placed into the same house no matter what. The story of the main character may always be the story of a Hufflepuff, for example, which would allow the player to enter not knowing which house they would be placed in. However, this would likely put off some fans who were hoping to play as other houses in the RPG.
The House System
No matter what Hogwarts house the player is placed into, another question arises. Does the house choice affect the starting experience, including which early characters the player meets and befriends, or will the characters they meet beforehand always be placed in the same house as the protagonist? If Hogwarts Legacy had more distinct house experiences the game would have greater replay value, but it is possible that the story could be less focused if Avalanche can’t focus on developing some key characters early on.
The Sorting Hat and the Hogwarts house system pose some big challenges when it comes to player choice in Hogwarts Legacy. Avalanche Software will have a balancing act to perform between player choice and player immersion, especially towards the beginning of the game. Striking that balance could prove the difference between a game which renders the Wizarding World well, and one which makes it a great setting to roleplay in.
Hogwarts Legacy is in development for the PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.