It may not be the most impressive technical achievement and it is certainly cursed with a lack of enemy variety, but none of Hogwarts Legacy’s issues can cast a Descendo charm on this triumphant visit to the Wizarding World.

Its open world map absolutely nails the vibe of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it has spellcasting combat that’s stupefyingly good, the characters that inhabit it are charming and unforgettable, and it is positively brimming with countless diversions to soak up dozens of hours of your time. With Hogwarts Legacy, I’m happy to say that we finally got a Harry Potter game that captures some of that magic.

But none of these has come close to fulfilling that fantasy of receiving a Hogwarts admission letter that opens the door to a secret world. In that time, we’ve gotten some respectable LEGO Potter games, an underwhelming EA Sports Quidditch game for some reason, and even suffered through the fevered nightmare that is Harry Potter Kinect. Like many, I’ve been waiting for a truly excellent Harry Potter game since I was in the third grade.

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