Avalanche Software’s recently released action RPGHogwarts Legacyhas been a hit with both fans and newcomers to theHarry Potterfranchise alike.Hogwarts Legacysuccessfully bridges the gap between bringing its own interpretation to established elements and honoring the plethora of wizarding content already released, combining new and old with enjoyable results. While the majority ofHogwarts Legacy’s narrative escapades revolve around new and unique aspects and the cast of characters is full of fresh faces, that doesn’t mean elements of the films and books don’t also make an appearance.
By setting the events of the game in a completely different time period,Hogwarts Legacyhas mostly avoided issues with established canon. Players won’t have to worry about a certain wizard who must not be named or an adventurous trio of Hogwarts students hellbent on getting into trouble during each school year. However, there are also plenty of ways thatHogwarts Legacyinteracts with parts of the Wizarding World that gamers might already be familiar with.Fan-favorite characters like Hagridmight not be present inHogwarts Legacy, but the game makes some decisions about his impact on the school and its grounds regardless.
RELATED:Hogwarts Legacy Feature Idea Would Make Vivariums a Lot Livelier
The Forbidden Forest In Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacyis set in the late 19th century, roughly a hundred years before the events of theHarry Potterseries. Other canonical material has covered time periods closer toHogwarts Legacy’s setting, liketheFantastic Beastsfilm series, but the game manages to set itself apart with a unique societal backdrop. Although it can feel like a separate entity at times,Hogwarts Legacyis essentially a prequel, and it offers a chance to see recognizable aspects of the Wizarding World at an earlier time, like the famous school and the more infamous parts of its grounds such as the Forbidden Forest.
ThroughoutHogwarts Legacy, gamers are able to experience a variety of new locations as well as different well-knownsites and landmarks like Hogsmeadeand The Room of Requirement. The Forbidden Forest, a large and mysterious woodland which as its name suggests is strictly off-limits to students, is an area that players can explore to complete Merlin Trials, collect items, and defeat a number of different creatures. The dark depths of the Forbidden Forest are full of secrets and mysteries to uncover, but one that particularly stumped fans was the huge number of spiders that they could encounter there – something they might not expect given the timeline.
Hagrid And Hogwarts Legacy’s Monsters
Fans of theHarry Potterseries will know thatHogwarts' beloved gamekeeperhas a soft spot for all kinds of creatures. Whether these are of the fluffy variety or the slightly more unusual scaly and fire-breathing kind, Hagrid has had a number of different pets throughout Harry’s time at the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Multiple times throughout the series, Hagrid’s creature companions play pivotal roles in the stories, like Fluffy the three-headed dog guarding the entrance to the Sorcerer’s Stone, or Buckbeak helping Sirius Black escape. However, one of the most memorable former pets of the half-giant wizard has to be Aragog.
The terrifying Acromantula (in other words, a really, really big spider) makes a significant impression on Harry and Ron duringHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and it’s solely because of Hagrid that the giant arachnid was able to survive and flourish in the Forbidden Forest for decades. Creating hundreds of progeny, Aragog established a gruesome dynasty in the forest, but some players were confused why there was already asubstantial amount of spider enemies duringHogwarts Legacy, years before Hagrid was even at Hogwarts. These enemy types might technically be different variations like Thornbacks – a type of large spider first introduced inHogwarts Legacy– and not Aragog’s children, but it does seem to undermine Hagrid’s contribution to the ecology of the Forbidden Forest and his future impact on the canon.
Hogwarts Legacyis available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE:Hogwarts Legacy Would Be Leaving Money on the Table without More DLC
