Hogwarts Legacy - Whimsical Wizardry

[Specter Von Baren]

Well I'll get some of my hang ups about the series out since we're talking about it.

I do actually give props to Rowling for having a central protagonist that, while indeed being special, isn't super good at everything they do and have all the skills and answers. I wish Harry had SOME notable skill other than being good on a broom, but at least he isn't super OP.

And the other thing is I hate how many things seemed to be written purely for the sake of the fandom, like the "romances". Ron and Hermione really rubbed each other the wrong way and there was no inkling of a potential relationship until it suddenly happened. And it seemed to be written in just because fans liked the whole "opposites attract" and "hate love" tropes. Harry and Ginny also seemed purely as fanservice because it was wish fulfilment for girls to get with their first crush or something.

I've already gone over the houses... Can't think of anything else at the moment.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Mind, people have also sometimes compared the standard fantasy (i.e. derived from Tolkien) depiction of Dwarves with Jews but that was always much more of a stretch.

Tolkien himself said a few things which support that, though. OTOH, those aspects mostly got dropped and dwarves turned into short subterranean Scots instead.

For what it's worth with the Harry Potter books it was really only after Rowling came out in favour of trans discrimination that people went over the series with a fine tooth comb and started to look for subtext that would indicate other morally questionable views.

Not true, that might have revived interest in looking critically at the serious, but it was going on before that, if for no other reason than it was massively huge for many years, people couldn't not look at it.

Even without the trans issues, the whole thing about Dumbledore being gay, it just wasn't mentioned, but it was a massive part of his backstory, it just won't be mentioned in the backstory films, thing also raised eyebrows.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

For what it's worth, in the books the Goblins were never depicted as conspiring against humanity (Though there were some references to historical "goblin-uprisings") and in the game the goblin terrorist group is explicitly not affiliated with the goblins who are running the bank.

I think the thing is, there is just enough aspects to the Goblins that seem like parallels to negative jewish stereotypes to make you do a double take and question whether it's intentional. Mind, people have also sometimes compared the standard fantasy (i.e. derived from Tolkien) depiction of Dwarves with Jews but that was always much more of a stretch. Well, Terry Pratchett's Disworld novels of course took and ran, and throroughly interrogated, those parallels. We're Disworld has highly secluded orthodox dwarven communities and their spiritual practices seem kind of derived from Kabbalah, but that was by design.

For what it's worth with the Harry Potter books it was really only after Rowling came out in favour of trans discrimination that people went over the series with a fine tooth comb and started to look for subtext that would indicate other morally questionable views. Of which there is... some. The Goblins, as sneaky, hook nosed bankers are pretty much the most obvious thing to latch onto, especially after the first movie adaptation showed the set for Gringotts interior with a pattern that resembles a star of David on the floor. Which was probably the point where at least someone should have noticed what it looks like, but it's not like I had made that connection until it was pointed out to me.

Other than that there is some weird stuff in there that seems more or less inherited from the kind of childrens books Rowling herself would have grown up on. Unsympathetic characters are fairly consistently described as bad looking. Some kind of morbid iconography associated with the non human races. It's slightly uncomfortable, but also pretty standard for fantasy novels.

There's also the fact that the wizard society is portrayed to equal parts as mysterious and exciting as it's depicted as kind of backwards and isolationist. And it never quite makes up its mind whether it's an escapist or a borderline dystopian world. I mean, wizards look down on everyone who is not them, including muggles, and by the time the books are set, in the 90's, they're only really starting to accept that wizards with muggle heritage should be treated equally. And the slavery of house elves is so ingrained in their culture that both sides widely take it for granted.

Which seems to have given a bit of whiplash to people who read it as kids and saw it as this whimsical, fantastical world and now return to it as adults, realising that it's actually pretty messed up in a lot of ways. But that is nothing I hold against the books, matter of fact I think that kind of cynical undercurrent is part of what made it a cross generational success.

Rowling also brings this up very explicitly when Harry first goes to the ministry with the gold statue he sees at the front of the building. When he first arrives it looks benign and hopeful but when he's on his way out it looks saccharin and disingenuous, a representation of a reality that doesn't exist.

I do think she genuinely wasn't trying to portray the wizarding world as wholely one way or the other but instead make it more like the real world where everything is just jumbled and inconsistent.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

As a PSA this thread is on track to smoke the Elden Ring thread post count. Even if we start on the first review page (13) it took three weeks to reach what this thread did…in five days!

 

[Specter Von Baren]

As an PSA this thread is on track to smoke the Elden Ring thread post count. Even if we start on the first review page (13) it took three weeks to reach what this thread did…in five days!

Well, it's kind of just "devolved" into talking about Harry Potter in general and there's over two decades of material to talk about there.

 

[CriticalGaming]

As an PSA this thread is on track to smoke the Elden Ring thread post count. Even if we start on the first review page (13) it took three weeks to reach what this thread did…in five days!

It is like magic.

Speaking of magic, i feel like a lot of the spells in this game are redundant. Like you can pull people, smash them down, lift them up, set them on fire in 4 different ways, freeze them, death curse them.

But the problem is that your loadout is only 4 spells. And while you can have 4 sets of 4 setups at once and you can rapidly flip between them, it doesnt ever feel worth it. Instead you will have maybe 2 sets for combat and 2 sets for the various exploration skills you will regularly need like invisibility, light, repair, vanishing, etc.

Still the game is rewarding and frankly the open world is bigger than i expected but not a terribly large world.

And i find the game does a good job of giving you shit to do. Side quests, class assignments, scavenger hunts, all of these things keep you looking around for things.

However my complaint is that the world map sucks and there is no way to track collectibles and events. Which normally isnt a problem for some games but when you have 601 collectibles, you NEED to give player a way to track and hunt things down. It is too fucking much.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Speaking of magic, i feel like a lot of the spells in this game are redundant. Like you can pull people, smash them down, lift them up, set them on fire in 4 different ways, freeze them, death curse them.

Not an uncommon issue in games. But, as long as you have the spells you need, sticking a bunch of other stuff you won't use in doesn't hurt that much.

 

[Chimpzy]

As an PSA this thread is on track to smoke the Elden Ring thread post count. Even if we start on the first review page (13) it took three weeks to reach what this thread did…in five days!

That is so intrigueing. I'd be interested in discussing this, at lenght. No, not to maliciously pad out the post count. Honest

 

[BrawlMan]

We all knew this was coming...

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[CriticalGaming]

Not an uncommon issue in games. But, as long as you have the spells you need, sticking a bunch of other stuff you won't use in doesn't hurt that much.

Yeah, and there is a talent tree that really changes the spells too which is cool. Instead of the talents being boring, like give a spell X% more damage, all the talents in the game modify the spell to make it outright better.

For example, Fireblast is normally a short range blast of fire but if you talent it it will also explode a ring of fire around you which will damage enemies surrounding you if you need it.

Fireball is cool because when talented it will explode into smaller balls that will hit nearby enemies for less damage than the main target while still dealing full damage to the 1st target.

And they are all like that, which makes the talent choices meaningful and also makes you question whether you want some of the ultility talents the game also offers.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

Not an uncommon issue in games. But, as long as you have the spells you need, sticking a bunch of other stuff you won't use in doesn't hurt that much.

Reminds me of Ratchet & Clank 2&3. I'd have maybe two generalist weapons on my quick select and two weapons I was leveling up or experimenting with in the other two slots.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

We all knew this was coming...

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In the comments...

This reminds me of how uncomfortable it's been seeing my cis friends around me talking about this game, seeing people I trusted play it through steam notifications and what not. And how even more uncomfortable I felt airing out my problems with everything surrounding it, being met with the same 'I want to have my cake and eat it too' talking points. And then feeling like I rocked the boat or stepped out of line in what I said when I shouldn't have to feel this way, I want to feel like I'm being taken seriously on a topic that directly considers and influences my identity. And every time I have to see it I then remember it all, go through the same uncomfortability on a loop. And they don't, which clearly then don't consider. I have to have a stark reminder of that fear, a reminder that the people who want to bring me harm are taken the most seriously.

*sigh*

 

[CriticalGaming]

In the comments...



*sigh*

I hope they get whatever medication they need to stabilize their headspace. Sadly judging by the rest of the discourse around the game, I don't think that's going to happen.

 

[BrawlMan]

I hope they get whatever medication they need to stabilize their headspace.

They need more than that. They need people and actual friends around them that actually care and needs to hear that person out, regardless of whether they're so called "friends" like the game or not. If that user's/commenter's friends actually care, they would actually listen to him or her, and not make excuses for a game or IP they love and constantly try to justify themselves for purchasing and playing. People like that can screw off. If they brought that user in their group only just for extra headspace, or to say they have a friend that's trans, then they're not actually friends. Those types are nothing but posers.

 

[CriticalGaming]

They need more than that. They need people and actual friends around them that actually care and needs to hear that person out, regardless of whether they're so called "friends" like the game or not. If that user's/commenter's friends actually care, they would actually listen to him or her, and not not make excuses for a game or IP they love and constantly try to justify themselves for purchasing and playing. People like that can screw off. If they brought that user in our group only just happened extra headspace or to say they have a friend that's trans, then they're not actually friends. Those types are nothing, but posers.

How come in none of that, do you imply the possibility that the trans friend is over-reacting and their friends shouldn't have to punish themselves just to maintain a friendship over a video game? This is not a rational response, as there are generations of people who love the IP and shouldn't feel bad about playing the game nor should they feel like they have to not play it because of having a trans friend. Friends understand each other, and so long as these friends aren't rubbing the game in their trans friend's face, then it really shouldn't be their business whether people they know are playing the game or not. It's a video game not Mein Kemp.

 

[BrawlMan]

come in none of that, do you imply the possibility that the trans friend is over-reacting and their friends shouldn't have to punish themselves just to maintain a friendship over a video game?

Because it usually not the case. Overreaction or not, they're supposed to be there for their friend. Not push their friend's feelings aside and act like nothing is wrong. I just find it funny you're getting this defensive right now. I don't care. If they really want to do right, then actually talk to that person, apologize, at least try to get understanding of where they're coming from. Actually have an actual discussion, and not a 30 second to 1 minute blow off. If the commenter's friends can't even do the bare basics, then I wouldn't call him friends. What's funny is that Sterling pointed this out several times in the video (with multiple examples), and you're only helping proving that point. That is all I have to say I'm a matter. You don't like it? Do something to actual help and not just whine, because, "I didn't get the full sides of the story & assume too much/judged wrong". Neither did you either. Neither of us are going to get the full story. I trust that commenter's words, cuz I've seen this multiple times before (doesn't matter if it's trans, racial, or gender) and I sooner trust them than their so called "friends". Live with it.

 

[CriticalGaming]

Because it usually not the case. Overreaction or not, they're supposed to be there for their friend. Not push their friend's feelings aside and act like nothing is wrong. I just find it funny you're getting this defensive right now. I don't care. If they really want to do right, then actually talk to that person, apologize, at least try to get understanding of where they're coming from. Actually have an actual discussion, and not a 30 second to 1 minute blow off. If the commenter's friends can't even do the bare basics, then I wouldn't call him friends. What's funny is that Sterling pointed this out several times in the video (with multiple examples), and you're only helping proving that point. That is all I have to say I'm a matter. You don't like it? Do something to actual help and not just whine, because I "didn't get the full sides of the story & assume too much/judged wrong". Neither did you either. Neither of us are going to get the full story. I trust that commenter's words, cuz I seen this multiple times before (doesn't matter if it's trans, racial, or gender) and I sooner trust them then their so called "friends". Live with it.

You're right we don't know the full story, we don't know if the friend told their other friends about how uncomfortable they were with this HP game coming out, we don't know if they even brought it up at all. We only have the commentator's, not even word really it's projection of treatment based off "friends" picking up a video game.

What's interesting is that you imply shit about me being "defensive" because the rule is you have to cater to what LBGT people want and any questioning or going against their wishes, no matter how ridiculous automatically makes you a transphobic bigot. Obey 100% or you are the enemy, there is no in-between.

 

[BrawlMan]

What's interesting is that you imply shit about me being "defensive"

Because it's true and you've done this more times than you care to count. You keep doing the same crap over and over again. Whenever we bring up evidence you either downplay it, ignore it, or "don't see the issue" for whatever reason a majority of the time (and I'm getting sick of the crap, so cut the excuses and what aboutisms). Yet, you're more than happy to get involved with some twitch girl's life that you have no business being in, act as if you have a say in her life when you don't, and then act like you don't care. Don't forget about the whole changing one thread into "woke" thread because one freaking journalist had some complaints about an all-white developer. Not worth making an entire thread over and then changing the name, cuz you knew it would be useless otherwise. A pathetic "counterpart" that was never needed in the first place.

LBGT people want and any questioning or going against their wishes, no matter how ridiculous automatically makes you a transphobic bigot

As we've already seen, they're jackasses as well, but are a vocal minority. The bigots and the bigots in power are still the bigger problem here.

Obey 100% or you are the enemy, there is no in-between.

So are the bigots, the racist, the sexist, the ultra conservatives, Q-Anon, Neo Nazis, KKK, and all of those that collaborate or sympathize with them. They are all that a million times more than a small group of jackasses claiming to fight for LGBTQ rights. No different from the HARDCORE Gamers, that only care about being right and having everybody agree with them. To the point that they'll stoop so low to say IGN was always right or have their back. No principles and no standards, they just want people to say they're right about everything. So they can get kicked in the groin 10 times as hard with a spiked boot.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Well, almost all of the evil. Unless of course Umbridge was a Slytherin when she was at school..........

Deep fan wiki dive: apparently Rowling was asked about it during a signing of her detective novel dreck and confirmed Umbridge was a Slytherin. So another one for the shitpile if you put any stock in canonizing every time she bullshits an annoying fan.

 

[SilentPony]

We all knew this was coming...

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My sister is trans and works on video games. The way she describes Hogwarts, and moral stands in video games is simple: There is no morality in video games. None. No one is good, everyone is out for a profit, anyone would make any game. She's currently programing the AI in a WW2 game. Yeah, she's making cyber Nazis that kill Americans. Talk about a moral quandary.
Enjoy the game or don't, buy it or don't. Jim is right that people who buy the game aren't trans allies. But no one who refuses to buy the game is an ally either. There are no allies in a profit driven industry like the gaming industry.