The main story ofHogwarts Legacywas fairly solid, with it containing plenty of set pieces, intriguing character dynamics, and connections to the wider Wizarding World. But the main appeal ofHogwarts Legacywas its open-world, something that theHarry Potterfranchise had never really tackled before, at least not on the scale ofHogwarts Legacy’s.
From Dueling Club to broomstick races to Merlin Trials,Hogwarts Legacyhad all the optional content fans ofthe Wizarding Worldcould want. That said, there’s still plenty of room left for a sequel to expand, and there’s one particular type of side quest that become the star of the show in a sequel if it was given enough care and attention.
Hogwarts Legacy’s Sleuthing Side Quests Should Take Center Stage in a Sequel
Hogwarts Legacy Has a Few Side Quests That See Players Becoming a Magical Detective
Hogwarts Legacy’s side quests aren’t the most varied in RPG history, but there’s an intriguing throughline between a handful that could pave the way for something even better in a potential sequel.Hogwarts Legacy’s ‘A Basis for Blackmail’ questsees players teaming up with fellow student Natsai Onai to investigate reports of extortion conducted by criminal leader Victor Rookwood and right-hand man, Harlow. After speaking with those who are being blackmailed, the player needs to find their missing friend and rescue them from a cursed dungeon.
The ‘Tale of Rowland Oakes’ side quest sees players engaging in a similar activity, albeit in a much different context. Players need to find and free Rowland Oakes, a man who’s seemingly been kidnaped by goblins. The ‘Thief in the Night’ quest also sees players tracking down a target by analyzing environmental clues, though this time the target is a mischievous Niffler.
Though theseHogwarts Legacyside questsdon’t have the most exciting gameplay sequences or even the most engaging stories, there’s a lot of potential behind the general premise of the player becoming some sort of magical detective who uses their skills with a wand to analyze clues, solve mysteries, find culprits, and bring them to justice.
Hogwarts Legacy’s Sequel Should Double Down on These Detective Missions
With enough care, effort, and attention, these detective missions could easily become a show-stealing side activity in apotentialHogwarts Legacysequel. There are plenty of ways these quests could be expanded and improved upon, one of which would be to have players solve a wider variety of magical crimes.
Rather than just track down thieves using environmental clues, players could be tasked with solving more complex and nefarious schemes, crimes that take multiple missions to solve rather than simple one-and-done cases. It would be great to see these missions gain some new gameplay mechanics as well, such as a more in-depth investigation system that allows players to observe evidence, and the ability to question suspects and make a final judgment on who committed the crime, similar to that oneDantooine side quest inStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
