One of the most anticipated games of 2023 brings Harry Potter’s magical world to an open world action RPG game called “Hogwarts Legacy.”

This game allows you to explore not only Hogwarts, the wizarding school, but Hogsmeade the beloved town, the Forbidden Forest, and many towns around the area.

“Hogwarts Legacy” was released Feb. 10. However, if you pre-ordered the game, you were able to play it up to 72 hours before the release date. There was also an option to purchase the Dark Arts DLC that gives you a Thestral Mount, Dark Arts cosmetic set, Dark Arts garrison hat and unlocks the Dark Arts Battle Arena.

Players can go online to the wizarding world website and create a profile. This allows you to take the quiz to determine your house. I was put into Ravenclaw, my all-time favorite house. I was always a huge fan of Luna Lovegood and her quirkiness.

After you take the quiz, you can connect your account to the game and start playing. The storyline is not terrible, but you do start off as a fifth-year student being rushed to learn everything and play ‘catch up.’

While that doesn’t really have any effect on the gameplay it does leave less room for another game as a student at Hogwarts or even extended content as a student. It also means you do not get to ride the Hogwarts Express, go through the 9 3/4 wall or see Diagon Alley.

I do feel they made up for it by adding the classes. That’s right, you get to attend actual classes. Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, Astronomy, Flying and Beasts classes.

The beast class is by far my favorite. You receive a bag you open and go around catching beasts to protect them from the evil poachers you are fighting.

At this point you already have your room of requirement and house elf Deek so you can unload the beasts into their own little world. The game also gives you a brush and food for the animals so you can interact with them.

That is just one of many exciting missions you have in the game. Each Hogwarts house has different side quests and extended main story lines. Ravenclaw sadly has the least side missions and the least memorable game play. However, it does take you to the owlery.

The Hufflepuff house allows you to go to the Azkaban Prison to solve a murder mystery and has one of the most interesting common rooms. Slytherin has quite a few fun quests such as following a series of map clues to meet Headmaster Black’s house elf and find a secret grotto. Gryffindor allows you to meet Nearly Headless Nick and join the Headless Hunt.

There is so much to see and do in this open-world game as the seasons change and the best way to see it all is on your broom or better yet on a mount. You can fly on the Thestral or Hippogriff or take a stroll on the Graphorn land mount.

However, do not expect to play in any Quidditch games, because the headmaster has banned that and I am not over that fact.

Unfortunately, that was not the only thing to upset me while playing this game. The trolls while streaming on Twitch also knocked the excitement down a couple pegs.

Streamers on Twitch, such as me, were extremely excited to play “Hogwarts Legacy” live with friends, however, some of us were not expecting the backlash of doing so.

As a streamer, I have moders that watch chat and block trolls and help promote the channel.

My moders had to block at least three people who came in calling me transphobic and to go to the doctor to get checked for gender dysphoria.

Some sent me a private message threatening my life, and for what?

For playing a game that not only includes a transgender character but was created by a group of people that support the LGBTQ community.

All they wanted to do was turn something that was so beloved to many into a game that would bring us back and away from the woman who sent a horrible tweet expressing her feelings.

I do not support what J.K. Rowling said in her tweet; however, I feel that we need to find a way to separate the artist from their art.

Harry Potter was such a huge part of our lives that I would hate to see all that magic be destroyed by one person’s horrible comment.

If you do not want to support the game that is fine, but that also means you shouldn’t support Warner Bros, Harry Potter World or HBO Max for streaming the movies. It also doesn’t give anyone the right to ask you to support a community because they are being mistreated by going onto Twitch and Twitter and bashing people for playing a video game.

All in all, the game was breathtaking, and I fan girl squealed all the way through the nostalgia of it. Including changing the skins of my clothing and wand. Even though there is no current talk of any DLC I am hopeful and can’t wait for more to come. 5 out of 5 stars.