Hogwarts Legacy allows players to wander through the enchanting realms of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, fulfilling long-held fantasies of Harry Potter enthusiasts. While the open-world concept of the game has received acclaim, it has also left players craving more immersive experiences. Fans eagerly anticipate future games set in the Wizarding World to explore iconic (or notorious) locations. One such site briefly introduced in Hogwarts Legacy is the infamous wizard prison, Azkaban.
Although Azkaban is accessible in Hogwarts Legacy for a short visit, it leaves a chilling impact. This eerie location is exclusively reachable by Hufflepuff students undertaking the 'Prisoner of Love' quest on behalf of the late Minister of Magic Eldritch Diggory's portrait. Despite its fleeting nature, the visit to Azkaban, with its haunting prisoners, sets the stage for a potentially gripping game setting in the Wizarding World.
Hogwarts Legacy's Azkaban: A Missed Opportunity
The decision to focus primarily on Hogwarts in the inaugural Hogwarts Legacy installment was logical, given its title. However, the scant exploration of Azkaban in a quest limited to Hufflepuff students feels like a teaser. This was a prime opportunity to unveil the mysteries of the wizard prison, which remained enigmatic in the books and movies preceding the game.
Instead of a comprehensive exploration, the Azkaban visit in the game barely scratches the surface, showcasing only a solitary hallway of prison cells. Within these cells, inmates either reach out desperately through bars or languish in a catatonic state. This portrayal aligns with existing lore on Harry Potter's Azkaban: a bleak, desolate place driving its captives to madness, reminiscent of the atmosphere in survival horror games like Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Resident Evil Village.
Embracing Darker Themes in Future Games
While the original Harry Potter series catered to a younger audience, video games set in the Wizarding World can explore more mature themes. Hogwarts Legacy hints at a slightly darker tone, paving the way for future titles to target adult fans of the franchise. The prospect of a horror game unfolding in Azkaban is tantalizing. Drawing inspiration from Hogwarts Legacy and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, a narrative featuring a wrongly accused sorcerer striving to escape his unjust incarceration is conceivable.
Azkaban hosts terrifying entities rivaling the monsters of Amnesia: the Dementors. These soul-sucking, joy-draining specters are tasked with subduing inmates and can only be repelled by the Patronus Charm. Players could navigate stealthily within the prison to reclaim their confiscated wand for defense against Dementors. The subsequent challenge lies in orchestrating a daring escape from a magical penitentiary situated on an island in the tempestuous North Sea.
An escape from Azkaban would offer a gripping survival horror experience. Potential future installments of Hogwarts Legacy might venture into uncharted territories within the Wizarding World, steering away from the familiar grounds of Hogwarts.