The Spellbinding Success of Hogwarts Legacy: Unlocking the Magic like Star Wars Outlaws

Avalanche Software did an impressive job with their first entry into the Wizarding World with Hogwarts Legacy. This game offers a breathtaking rendition of the iconic Hogwarts location, a plethora of side missions and activities, complex RPG mechanics, and a captivating fantasy story. However, above all else, it is the combat system in Hogwarts Legacy that truly captivates players and keeps them coming back for more.

Implementing spell-casting mechanics in a video game is no easy feat, especially when it involves wielding a wand. Previous Harry Potter games have tackled this aspect in various ways, ranging from simplistic one-button casts to gun-like casting and even intricate gesture-based casting. Hogwarts Legacy introduces a fresh approach to combat, allowing players to execute basic spells with the trigger button, utilize a block and parry function, and interchange between four spells for special moves. While the combat system in Hogwarts Legacy is incredibly satisfying, there is room for refinement, and Star Wars Outlaws offers an intriguing mechanic that could be worth adapting.

Hogwarts Legacy Should Borrow Star Wars Outlaws' Quickdraw Mechanic

Ubisoft Massive's highly-anticipated open-world Star Wars game, Star Wars Outlaws, was officially unveiled during the recent Xbox Showcase in June 2021. This exciting game follows the story of Kay Vess, a cunning smuggler, as she navigates the galaxy and orchestrates the ultimate heist.

Shortly after its announcement, a gameplay trailer was released, showcasing several groundbreaking features never before seen in a Star Wars game. The trailer revealed thrilling moments such as high-speed speeder bike chases, intense ship combat, seamless transitions between ground and space, a unique "Wanted" system reminiscent of GTA, and the classic third-person cover-based shooting mechanics. In addition, players can leverage their trusty companion Nix, a small furry creature, to retrieve weapons from fallen enemies or activate environmental traps to defeat foes while in cover.

At the start of Star Wars Outlaws' gameplay trailer, Kay Vess skillfully maneuvers through an enemy camp with the assistance of Nix. However, her stealth is compromised when a guard near the camp exit notices her. The game then employs a slow-motion effect while displaying a button prompt on the screen, directing the player towards the enemy. If the player presses the prompt, the camera focuses on the enemy while Kay momentarily raises her arms in surrender. Yet, with a quick trigger tap, she swiftly reaches for her blaster and eliminates the enemy in slow-motion. This action, although alerting nearby enemies, presents a stylish and impressive way to initiate combat, something that Hogwarts Legacy can certainly learn from.

Hogwarts Legacy's stealth system is rather basic and calls for better balancing. At times, it grants excessive power to players, enabling them to effortlessly take down groups of enemies without detection. On other occasions, players are detected almost immediately. Incorporating a mechanic similar to Star Wars Outlaws' quickdraw could potentially address this issue by providing players with some flexibility when first spotted, allowing them to inflict some initial damage on enemies before the entire camp becomes aware.

Hogwarts Legacy is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with a Switch release scheduled for November 14, 2023.