Revisiting a childhood classic through a new video game. PHOTO CREDIT: Epic Games
Harry Potter has been a huge part of my life since I was young. I watched all the movies, read half of the books and fell in love with the whole fantasy of it.
This game takes place before the time of Harry Potter, but it’s not clear when it is. So, anytime before the 1990s is when the game takes place.
Of course, I always have to remind myself that Rowling is not the best person, but she did provide the world with one of the most popular and magical stories in the world. She gave people an outlet where they can make friends and imagine amazing things.
This game is one of the first games where you as a player can create your own avatar and choose your own house, whereas in other games you had to follow the book and movie storyline. This made me so happy because I finally got to live out my childhood dream of going to Hogwarts and learning magic. Your character is also going into the school as a fifth year student, which there are seven years at Hogwarts to complete.
For those who don’t know, the houses are Gryffindor (red), Slytherin (green), Hufflepuff
(yellow) and Ravenclaw (blue). New students must go through the sorting hat ceremony to find out which house they belong in. The hat decides based on who you are as a person and who you will become in the future.
Gryffindor’s are brave and chivalric, Slytherin’s are cunning and ambitious, Hufflepuff’s are patient and loyal and Ravenclaw’s are intelligent and witty. Rowling did get creative with these names and the founding wizards and witches of this house; Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw.
For people who know me, it’s no surprise that I’m a Hufflepuff in every aspect. I am very loyal, sweet and compassionate. So, when it came to the sorting hat ceremony and the hat put me in Hufflepuff, it was no surprise.
I then was taken to the Hufflepuff common room which was so beautifully decorated and animated. There were plants hanging everywhere and the dark yellow color of the room was so calming and relaxing to look at.
This game allows you to roam the entire Hogwarts castle, the small town of Hogsmeade and even areas far outside of the school and town. What makes traveling even better is that you can fly on a broomstick!
There are a bunch of main and side missions to complete throughout the game. However, the main quests are the same for each of the four houses, but the side quests are different. According to a bunch of people online who have played through the game, Hufflepuff has the most side quests out of all the houses.
One of Hufflepuff’s quests involves them going to Azkaban, which is the prison for the most dangerous witches and wizards in the Harry Potter world.
Throughout the game, you collect coins through missions and just walking around, and you even unlock new costume options like hats, capes/cloaks, shirts, pants and even designs for your wand. That’s right, you get to design your wand and choose the color of the wood you want!
Of course, you are still a student at Hogwarts, so another fun feature is going to classes and learning spells and other exciting magical things. Defense against the dark arts is a class I’m highly anticipating to take because you also get to fight evil witches and wizards in this game.
They aren’t called Death Eaters yet because Voldemort hasn’t been born yet I believe, but it’s very fun to fight these dark wizards and witches and use the spells that were used in the Harry Potter books and movies.
If you love Harry Potter and you want to live like a Hogwarts student, then this game is most definitely for you!