Parents' Guide to

Hogwarts Legacy

Game Xbox Series X/S , PlayStation 5 , Nintendo Switch , Windows , Xbox One , PlayStation 4 2023
Hogwarts Legacy cover: Features a hooded figure holding a wand emitting magic. They're standing on a cliff overseeing the magical castle of Hogwarts.

Common Sense Media Review

Dwayne Jenkins By Dwayne Jenkins , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 13+

Wizarding World tale is fun, less magical than the books.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 13+?

Any Positive Content?

  • 1:07
  • A female-presenting character in wizard robes holds up a wand as the owner of Ollivanders, a wand-selling shop, looks on proudly.
  • A male-presenting character in wizard robes rides atop a Hippogriff (a half-horse, half-eagle creature) above a body of water and mountainous terrain.
  • A young wizard in a dark, foggy forest takes out their wand and prepares to battle a dragon.

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 9 parent reviews

lovelybitty
lovelybitty Parent of 8-year-old
February 18, 2023
age 13+

Great representation!

I'm absolutely loving the representation. So far in my play through there has been a transgender person, and a blind person (who is a student at the school). As someone who is disabled, I really love the representation being shown. Some of the battle scenes can be intense for those who are more sensitive, but so far the quests seem to be appropriate.
Courtney B.
Courtney B. Parent
April 17, 2023
age 13+

Beautiful open world game, a tad hypocritical in the execution of its story message.

An enjoyable and immersive open world game set in the Wizarding World. Things that are fantastically done: the expansive open world exploration, flying on a broom, initially the fun of collecting magical beasts, the ability to choose your own adventure/playstyle, lots of diverse character creation options. Questionable aspects: the actual messaging of the game, the heart of the game is a difficult thing - not sure the story grasps the hypocritical messaging it presents, also, there are some story choices that would be best served by other options and those options aren't available so it doesn't always allow for the "user" choice but forces you into game choices you may not always feel are the best (choosing the lesser of two). There is plenty of gratuitous killing that is desensitizing due to the fact it is not really gory (and often made silly) which is an interesting and possibly troubling thing - worth discussing with your teens (does the removal of gore and making death silly make the killing somehow better? more acceptable?) Overall, the game offers a solid fantasy open world rpg with lots of interesting story, that by the end gets a bit cumbersome and repetitive in tasking.
See all 9 parent reviews

What's It About?

In HOGWARTS LEGACY, you're admitted into Hogwarts under special circumstances: You're starting as a fifth-year student! On your way to the magical school with your professor and mentor by your side, you're suddenly attacked by a vicious dragon. At the last second, you teleport to safety, quickly realizing that things aren't quite right. You can see and feel surges of magical energy that few other wizards can. You're able to view glimpses of the past that only someone worthy can access, bringing into question the origin of these mysterious abilities. Why were you chosen? What are you meant to do with this newfound power? With a goblin rebellion underway, spearheaded by the malevolent Ranrok, who's eager to punish wizardkind for their crimes against the goblin race, you'll have to work quickly. Whether it's attending classes, learning new spells, sneaking into restricted areas, or going toe-to-toe with dark wizards aligned with Ranrok, you have an eventful year ahead of you. Well, young wizard? Are you ready to pick up your wand and face the perils ahead?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (9 ):
Kids say (15 ):

It's rare when something manages to evoke a genuine, childlike glee in adults and transport them to the whimsical places of their youth so effortlessly; this game's opening hours do exactly that. The beginning of Hogwarts Legacy brings the magical castle to life before the player's eyes. When you get sorted into your house and get to explore the common room for the first time, it's like jumping into the Harry Potter books. Hogwarts itself seems like a living, breathing character, with devious ghosts playing tricks on the students, potions comically blowing up in a classmate's face, and secret areas and items around every corner. In terms of making a strong first impression, few games come close to achieving what Hogwarts Legacy does.

But as the hours tick by and your journey deepens and expands beyond Hogwarts' walls, something happens. The magic that eagerly coursed through your veins fades once the illusion breaks and the game reveals its greatest act of witchcraft yet: hiding the fact that, at its core, Hogwarts Legacy is a fun but mechanically unremarkable open-world game. In many ways, Hogwarts Legacy epitomizes what it's like to return to what used to be your favorite cheap pizzeria growing up as an adult: The food doesn't quite taste as good as you remember, the animatronics are creepy rather than cool, and, as you leave, you end up asking yourself, "Why did I decide to come here of all places, when there were so many better options available?"

There's also another cost of enjoying this particular title. Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling has made hurtful, cruel comments about the transgender community that have further endangered an already targeted group. Separating art from the artist is a tricky business, and while how someone chooses to reckon with Rowling and Hogwarts Legacy is their own business, Common Sense doesn't tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia, bigotry, or any kind of attack against historically oppressed groups.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the concept of good vs. evil in video games (and the general media landscape). With Hogwarts Legacy's wizards-goblins conflict being close to the experiences of real-world oppressed groups, is it responsible to definitively label sides as "good" or "bad"?

  • Can you separate a creator from their body of work when it comes to being able to enjoy a piece of media if the creator turns out to have hurtful or detrimental viewpoints?

  • If your favorite creator were to speak ill of your ethnic, racial, or gender-based background, would you be able to support them? How should we structure conversations around this to promote as much open, honest discourse as possible?

Game Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

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