Like Harry Potter, Hogwarts Legacy Shouldn’t Be a Trilogy Franchise

Like Harry Potter, Hogwarts Legacy Shouldn’t Be a Trilogy Franchise

As someone who grew up reading Harry Potter books and watching the movies, I can wholeheartedly say that Hogwarts Legacy brings back the magic of the series in a way that no other spin-off has managed to do thus far. It’s refreshing to see a game that captures the essence of childlike wonder without succumbing to the darkness that later installments brought.

The enchanting and playful nature of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” sets it apart from later installments such as “The Chamber of Secrets” and “The Prisoner of Azkaban“, which lean towards darker, more menacing themes. However, unlike many high-profile intellectual properties today, the initial Harry Potter book benefited from growing with age instead of suffering due to less-than-perfect performances in later works. A clear indication that “Hogwarts Legacy” continues to keep the Harry Potter franchise popular is its enduring appeal.

Star Wars is a notable franchise that dominates the entertainment industry in a unique way. Its storytelling structure, dividing itself into generational trilogies, limits the opportunity to explore other significant stories within those timeframes without spin-offs exploiting nostalgia and well-known symbols from the primary series. In contrast, Harry Potter escaped this three-act constraint by focusing each installment on J.K. Rowling’s boy wizard’s school years at Hogwarts, making it intriguing to observe how the upcoming game, Hogwarts Legacy, might follow a similar pattern.

How Trilogies Fall Victim to Lazy or Rushed Storytelling

Trilogies aren’t automatically flawed methods for narrating complex stories spanning multiple volumes. However, their widespread appeal can lead to disappointment if the storytelling within them isn’t well thought out. For instance, some elements or arcs might seem hurried by the end, and a trilogy’s structure implies that many loose ends should be tied up within three installments, which may not provide enough space for every character or event to have a satisfying resolution. Yet, a trilogy could be the ideal length for telling a story; it depends on the context and isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.

It’s true that the spin-off series of Fantastic Beasts is marketed as a trilogy, and it’s fair to say that it wasn’t as well-received as the traditional Harry Potter film series. Intriguingly, Fantastic Beasts shares some interesting similarities with the sequel trilogy of Star Wars. Both started off with engaging and refreshing beginnings (with and Where to Find Them and The Force Awakens, respectively), but their subsequent films have been more divisive in comparison.

Hogwarts Legacy Can’t Sell Itself Shorter Than Harry Potter

Like Harry Potter, Hogwarts Legacy Shouldn’t Be a Trilogy FranchiseLike Harry Potter, Hogwarts Legacy Shouldn’t Be a Trilogy FranchiseLike Harry Potter, Hogwarts Legacy Shouldn’t Be a Trilogy FranchiseLike Harry Potter, Hogwarts Legacy Shouldn’t Be a Trilogy FranchiseLike Harry Potter, Hogwarts Legacy Shouldn’t Be a Trilogy Franchise

Since the game Hogwarts Legacy is centered around a custom character, it’s plausible that a potential sequel might introduce a brand new protagonist. This way, there wouldn’t be a need to establish their identity within the existing canon. As an anthology series, it could maintain its appeal over time. However, from a game design perspective, trilogies might be more feasible due to the extensive time and resources required to create even a single AAA game today. Even established franchises like God of War are opting to reduce epic sagas into just two games to manage the enormous investment and time commitment that such projects demand.

It’s been suggested that the sequel for Hogwarts Legacy may aim to connect with HBO’s forthcoming Harry Potter series, which hints at a high possibility of seeing several follow-ups. If this is true, these sequels might be launched concurrently with each new season of the show.

It’d be a letdown if Hogwarts Legacy didn’t expand on its own story beyond Harry Potter’s adventures, but connecting the sequel of Hogwarts Legacy to the HBO series would be slightly preferable, as long as it means the game can have multiple installments to tell any stories it desires. Hogwarts Legacy has the potential to be a treasure trove if Avalanche and Warner Bros. approach it carefully, and a trilogy isn’t always the best way to guarantee this, as history shows us that not all trilogies are successful.

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2024-11-30 14:24