Spanning seven books and eight movies, the Harry Potter series has captivated fans by transporting them to a world of magic and wonder for over 25 years. Hogwarts Legacy has given many longtime fans the adventure they have always wanted to experience inside the Wizarding World. However, a new generation of players might wonder if they’ll be lost without seeing the movies first. Luckily, Hogwarts Legacy takes a lot of steps to make the game fun for everyone, assuaging concerns about if you need to watch the Harry Potter movies first before playing the game.
As with anything set in a world with source material, it’s certainly helpful if you’ve seen all the movies before jumping in — even if it’s just to learn the terminology. However, most fans will find that a complete refresher on the Harry Potter movies is optional to enjoy the game.
You Do Not Need to Watch the Harry Potter Movies to Play and Enjoy Hogwarts Legacy
If you want to sit down and marathon the Harry Potter movies before jumping into Hogwarts Legacy, it certainly won’t hurt. You don’t need to, however, as the game is set over 100 years before the events of the movies. Nevertheless, the world is built in a way that’s authentic to the movies, so fans of Harry Potter will likely feel a lot of nostalgia when exploring the Hogwarts grounds.
Avalanche has done an excellent job accomplishing something that can be pretty difficult: making everything accessible for brand new fans while still providing many references and Easter eggs that dedicated fans will recognize and love. Most notable are the callbacks to certain characters, with Professor Weasley being an ancestor of the Weasleys from the Harry Potter books and Phineas Nigellus Black being an ancestor of Sirius Black. Other Easter eggs, like Harry Potter’s glasses being a wardrobe option, the Goblet of Fire casket, and Ominis Gaunt‘s blindness, are an excellent benefit for fans who know the lore well.
Knowing these things brought a smile to my face when I saw them, but it wouldn’t have affected my enjoyment of the game if I’d never seen Harry Potter.
As a story, the Harry Potter books and movies are worth experiencing if you haven’t yet. Obviously, the stances and actions of the world’s creator have made it difficult for many fans to enjoy the series as much as they once did. The right decision on the matter is for each individual person to decide for themselves, but if you choose to skip the Harry Potter books and movies, you’ll still be able to have a lot of fun in Hogwarts Legacy if you choose to play it.
