Hogwarts Legacy Switch 2 Review – A Surprisingly Great Port

It’s somewhat easy to forget just how hard-hitting the sales and player base for Hogwarts Legacy has been since its 2020 launch. The thing sold 34 million units and broke the Twitch viewership record as far as single-player games go. The game even felt ambitious enough to find a home on the original Switch, making it one of the more graphically intensive games on that system. Now Hogwarts Legacy is making waves again as a Switch 2 launch day title. Let’s explore what it does to differentiate itself from previous versions and how it handles on Nintendo’s new console, shall we?

First and foremost, like a large swath of third-party Nintendo Switch 2 games, physical copies of Hogwarts Legacy are game key cards. At least the file size won’t set players back too much though. The Switch 2 edition of Hogwarts Legacy takes 23.1GB, which is a tad more than the 17.1GB of the Switch 1. But that small added data is put to good use, as the Switch 2 version boasts a set of improvements over its predecessor.

Many magical wand enthusiasts will be delighted to hear that this edition features Joy-Con 2 mouse functionality. You can switch between mouse controls seamlessly; simply point the sensor on pretty much any surface imaginable. Don’t like how slow or quick the cursor glides? Thankfully, Portkey Games has included a handy mouse sensitivity slider for aiming and camera control. The sensitivity can be adjusted on a sliding scale from .5 to 4, so there’s a good range to accompany all mouse pads (including improvised surfaces like armrests and the like, of course).

"Don’t like how slow or quick the mouse cursor glides? Thankfully, Portkey Games has included a handy mouse sensitivity slider for aiming and camera control."

I like the holistic application of mouse controls here. You can cursor through all the menus, use the mouse for camera control, and of course aim your magical wand to cast precisely targeted spells at all manner of creatures. I just came off of reviewing Hitman for Switch 2, so I appreciate not just the existence of mouse controls (as Hitman doesn’t have any), but the variety of applications for the Joy-Con 2’s mouse mode. Like the Switch 1 version, you can also opt to wave your Joy-Cons to simulate the casting of spells, and even chart a flight path on your broom. The motion controls feel about the same here as they did on the Switch 1, so there’s not much to talk about in that regard. And there’s even touch screen controls to help navigate menus and the like quicker.

Now, HD rumble, that feature is notably improved over its predecessor. Getting hit by an exploding Bombardia spell or merely watching action-packed cutscenes feels much lively and immersive with the variances in rumble intensity that accompany such moments. And there’s quite a few instances of rumble through the game too, showing that the devs put some care into not just how the game looks but feels to play.

Speaking of looks, the game’s graphics are notably improved over the Switch 1. Visuals are about on par with the PS4 Pro, with resolutions at 1440P docked and 1080P in handheld mode. That said, if you’ve played other Unreal Engine 4 titles on modern graphics cards, you’re bound to be fatigued as I am by the janky way that hair shimmers and behaves. That still translates to this edition, with hair tips looking oddly translucent and individual strands phasing in and out of existence. At least, the color pops this time around, thanks to the 4K docked support and wonderful HDR handheld screen.

"The color pops this time around, thanks to the 4K docked support and wonderful HDR handheld screen."

Performance-wise, this is about as good as a AAA third-party game is gonna get on a modern Nintendo system. It runs better than Hitman Signature Edition on Switch 2, usually hovering around 30 FPS with few noticeable dips. I’m also impressed by the load times here. Loading up a save file only takes 10 seconds on average, and going in-between menus is fast, apart from the animated map transition which takes around 5 seconds give or take. As a 40-hour RPG, Hogwarts Legacy is an ideal handheld experience on-the-go, just mind the Switch 2’s three hour battery life. Finally, Hogwarts Legacy is a GameChat compatible game, meaning you can hang out with long-distance friends and share your screen with others as you advance the wizarding ranks. For Switch 1 owners of Hogwarts Legacy, the updated Switch 2 version is absolutely worth the $10 update. And for those entering Hogwarts for the first time within Nintendo’s ecosystem, the Switch 2 edition costs just as much as the Switch 1 version at $59.99.

"Hogwarts Castle is shimmering with environmental detail from every corner."

And for those unfamiliar with the game entirely, here’s a brief overview of my time with it, sprinkled with some impressions of Switch 2 exclusive functionality. The thing that immediately gets my attention is just how littered with rich environmental detail Hogwarts Castle is. There’s loads of nice little interactive doodads around the environment, helping Hogwarts Castle feel that much more alive. I can’t help but grin at all the unique moving portraits hanging up on the gilded walls of the illustrious wizarding school. For Harry Potter fans, you’re getting a ton of referential material here as well, no doubt, and there’s plenty of lore entries in the Field Guide to read through at your leisure.

NPC chatter is also impressive, with character conversations happening in the background as if life were actually occurring separate from the hero’s involvement. Though, background NPC dialogue does tend to repeat quite often if you’ve stopped by to listen to more than a couple of them at a time, rendering it somewhat uncanny seeing different faces uttering the same exact lines with the same voices. But to the credit of all the incidental NPC dialogue, many of the conversations divulge lore about the wider Potter universe and flesh out the world rather wonderfully.

Character conversations happen in the background as if life were actually occurring separate from the hero’s involvement.[/custom-quote]

Helping to further embody the whimsy and magic of the setting is the Williams-esque soundtrack. It’s just a delight for the ears as you explore the castle and the surrounding open-world countryside. What’s surprising is the music isn’t merely a bunch of re-used tracks from the films but entirely fresh scores from a trio of talented composers. While the music draws one into the fantastical world, the same can’t always be said for some of the voice acting. The voices in Hogwarts Legacy varies in quality. Important characters sound like a natural fit to the Potter world and their performances don’t disappoint. However, some of the side NPCs sound…off, like a voice filter was passed through to make them sound younger or vice versa. Which kind of makes sense considering the voice filter within the character creator scales based on the age you select.

All told, Hogwarts Legacy is like an ornately wrapped gift with regards to its presentation. All the menus have neat little animated elements and sound effects which make it more playful and satisfying to sift through inventory the map. And as previously mentioned, the art style and sound has a magic to it that pretty much nails the Harry Potter aesthetic, and it runs and looks great on Switch 2 to boot.

"Your chosen house determines your common room location and grants access to house-exclusive quests."

But Hogwarts Legacy is more than mere aesthetics, even if its world presentation is my favorite aspect. Player-driven choices shape the content you experience throughout the game. For instance, the ever-popular “Which Hogwarts house am I?” quiz is here in truncated form, and your answers directly determine your house placement. Your chosen house determines your common room location and grants access to house-exclusive quests. Decisions like these make Hogwarts Legacy feel like an immersive wizarding school experience.

Beyond house selection, players also make meaningful choices like which relationships to develop and how to respond during pivotal story moments. Though, I have to say, the main plot doesn’t quite do it for me. It hits predictable cliches and makes your character a bit too ‘perfect’, like an untouchable hero who just effortlessly saves the day. I’m not a huge Potter fan, but I can still appreciate all the cool fanservice and worldbuilding done here, but in terms of just pure plot and writing, Hogwarts Legacy doesn’t do much with its unremarkable story and side quests.

"If you’re not confident in aiming damage-dealing spells like Incendio yourself, target lock-in is available to swiftly cycle between enemies."

Combat is your traditional action RPG fare as well, except colored through the lens of the Wizarding World. You fight using various spells cast from your magical wand, execute jumps and dodge rolls to evade attacks and/or run from combat altogether. I’m not super fond of the over-the-shoulder camera here, and would probably prefer a wider field of view or maybe even something resembling an isometric perspective, but it’s not a deal breaker. The zoom aiming and instant shoulder toggle help make the usual clunkiness involved with this perspective more manageable. And being that the Switch 2 version includes mouse control aiming, this version has a leg up on other consoles due to the better precision. If you’re not confident in aiming damage-dealing spells like Incendio yourself, target lock-in is available to swiftly cycle between enemies.

There’s a good selection of spells here, and I like the progression needed to learn them. You basically add new spells to your repertoire as you progress the story and level up, very basic and standard, I know, but I’d rather that than some overly complicated skill tree or worst of all, a battle pass structure. The added immersion from having to complete an acrobatic wand motion with the mouse or thumbstick to learn each individual spell is a nice touch.

"Solving the castle’s numerous secrets rewards the player with Field Guide pages, which provide further history behind the castle."

Lastly, the investigative gameplay here may intrigue some more puzzle or detective-minded game fans, despite how simplistic it can be. Hogwarts is positively brimming with secret rooms, riddles, and a fair amount of invisible portraits asking to be uncovered. Solving the castle’s numerous secrets rewards the player with Field Guide pages, which provide further history behind the castle and lore of the surrounding world. Of course, the entirety of the game isn’t purely set inside the castle walls, so that selfsame riddle-laden gameplay extends to the swamps and caves throughout the fictional portrayal of England.

If you ever wanted to simulate what it might be like to enter into Hogwarts as a student, and perhaps fight a few dragons along the way, Hogwarts Legacy supplies that fantasy with some competent gameplay and a satisfying RPG structure. While Hogwarts Legacy on Switch 2 may not be that much different from other versions, it’s a noticeable  improvement over the Switch 1 port with the support of PC-centric features like mouse controls.

This game was reviewed on the Nintendo Switch 2.