Hogwarts Legacy already lets players learn the Unforgivable Curses, but certain dark magic could offer much different gameplay options in a sequel. Hogwarts Legacy already lets the main character embrace the darker side of the wizarding world, but there is a Dark Arts spell missing from the game that could transform gameplay if it were implemented in a sequel.
The open world game which takes players to the eponymous school of witchcraft and wizardry in the year 1890 was already a massive undertaking for developer Avalanche Software, and with Hogwarts Legacy's Nintendo Switch release still in the works, no DLC has been announced, let alone plans for a sequel. With its success, however, some sort of follow-up feels inevitable.
Hogwarts Legacy makes an admirable attempt at grappling with the Dark Arts and the implications of becoming a dark witch or wizard. One of the game's most prominent side characters, Sebastian Sallow, explores the depths of dark magic while searching for a way to cure a curse on his sister, and it prominently features a dark wizard, Victor Rookwood, as a main antagonist. The impact on gameplay of choosing the dark wizard path for the main character, however, is rather surface level, though there's one spell in the Dark Arts that could remedy this shortcoming if a Hogwarts Legacy sequel were ever developed.
A Hogwarts Legacy Sequel Should Include Horcruxes
Although the Unforgivable Curses are canonically considered the most heinous magic in the wizarding world, they end up being rather benign in-game; none even qualify as Hogwarts Legacy's most powerful attack, an honor which hilariously goes to the Chinese Chomping Cabbages players can unleash on foes. Players ultimately have the choice in letting their student learn the Unforgivable Curses or not, but even using Avada Kedavra, the notorious Killing Curse, has practically no effect on gameplay aside from being another, rather simple way to easily dispatch enemies.
Although Hogwarts Legacy includes the big three of the Dark Arts – Avada Kedavra, Imperio, and Crucio – it is horcruxes that could truly revolutionize gameplay in a potential sequel. Horcruxes are most famously associated with Tom Riddle, better known as Lord Voldemort, who used six of the magical objects (and unwittingly created a seventh) to attain something close to immortality, at least for a little while. A horcrux prevents its creator from dying, albeit at a very serious cost: rending their soul in two. In order to split a soul, one must commit murder, and subsequently transfer a piece of the now-broken soul into a receptacle, most commonly an inanimate object, which becomes the horcrux.
To most of the wizarding world, the spell required to create a horcrux is unknown, seemingly a well-kept secret by those evil enough to perform the ritual. This may create some narrative hoops to jump through for the spell's inclusion in a Hogwarts Legacy sequel, but the gameplay advancements and variety it could bring to the game would be worth the extra effort. Hogwarts Legacy's use of the Unforgivable Curses is interesting but ultimately inconsequential, whereas the introduction of horcruxes could provide an enticing reward at the cost of genuine consequences.
How Horcruxes Could Work In A Hogwarts Legacy Sequel
Hogwarts Legacy screenshots showing off Hogwarts Castle with students in black robes standing near braziers. When compared to Hogwarts Legacy, the most immediately obvious benefit to the inclusion of horcruxes in a sequel is transferring the gradual descent into the darkness to the player character, rather than an NPC like Sebastian Sallow. Embarking on such a journey to split one's soul and create a horcrux could be a major quest line in a Hogwarts Legacy sequel, something much more tangible than the Unforgivable Curses simply being learned while following Sebastian's lead. Turning the path toward embracing the Dark Arts into a major quest line would go a long way in giving a sequel to Hogwarts Legacy choices that actually matter.
Such an undertaking could result in a fitting reward: a horcrux, which could grant the player an extra life in battle. This could effectively work like the resurrection mechanics in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice; when the player's health reaches zero, they're given the option of using their horcrux to try and see out the fight. Such an implementation of horcruxes in a Hogwarts Legacy sequel would admittedly strain the understanding of how the objects work in-universe. Horcruxes can only be used once in the wizarding world, but a single-use item would hardly make a compelling impact on gameplay.
The process of creating a horcrux (or multiple) in a Hogwarts Legacy sequel does have other enticing implications outside of combat. Horcruxes are known to dehumanize those who create them, famously resulting in Lord Voldemort's snake-like appearance after splitting his soul into so many pieces. Horcruxes altering the player character's appearance would make for an interesting consequence to balance such a powerful combat mechanic. In the best case scenario, there would also be a robust quest line for players who choose the opposite route, with equally good rewards, though likely no threat of appearance change.
Hogwarts Legacy is the most ambitious Harry Potter video game adaption to date, but its exploration of the Dark Arts through the player character is rather shallow. The inclusion of the Unforgivable Curses is fun, but getting and using such magic feels inconsequential. Horcruxes are similarly sinister, and could be used to great effect in a Hogwarts Legacy sequel, bolstering both storytelling and gameplay. Despite Horcruxes playing a central role in The Deathly Hallows, there is still some mystery surrounding the spell used in their creation, which makes it all the more enticing for them to appear in a follow-up to Hogwarts Legacy.
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