We Almost Had a Hogwarts Legacy Morality and Reputation System

Hogwarts Legacy has shattered expectations and become a quick success. Despite the controversies and doubts thrown its way, Hogwarts Legacy captivated the hearts of both Harry Potter fans and gamers alike. To carry the name and legacy of one of the most beloved media franchises today is a very daunting task. To the credit of Avalance Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, they made it work and successfully ran away with it. Now, Hogwarts Legacy is considered the game that the Harry Potter franchise desperately needed. However, it could have been even better. What if I tell you that we almost had a Hogwarts Legacy morality and reputation system?

Hogwarts Legacy Morality and Reputation System

Recently, data miners and gaming sleuths found out that Avalanche Studios originally planned for there to have a Hogwarts Legacy morality and reputation system. This system would have tracked the player’s actions and awarded or deducted points based on their alignment with good or evil. 

This system could have also played a huge role in the completion of quests and milestone achievements. According to reports, players could have also earned morality rewards or penalties based on quest completion and their choices in doing them.

And as we would have it, the enticing Hogwarts Legacy morality and reputation system was ultimately scrapped by the developers. In an interview, lead game designer Troy Leavitt explained that the system was removed in order to give players more freedom in how they want to approach the game. 

Leavitt noted that Avalanche wants gamers to play the game as they please without having to limit them in any capacity. He added by saying that they didn’t want to punish gamers for playing the way they wanted to play. He said that incorporating a fair and rewarding morality system is a hard undertaking on its own for the game creators.

The decision to scrap the morality and reputation system has been met with mixed reactions from fans. Some fans are disappointed that the system was removed as they believe that having it would have made the game more fun for the myriad of roleplaying aspects that it could have provided. On the other hand, others are delighted that they have more freedom in how they play the game.

How It Could Have Affected The Game

A morality and reputation system could have a significant impact on the gameplay of Hogwarts Legacy. Here are a few ways it could change the game:

1. The morality system could have forced gamers to stick to a particular playstyle for the rest of their current playthrough. They could have either been a force of good or an evil dark wizard. While this may sound limiting at first, you can only imagine the many roleplaying possibilities that we could have explored by playing the game with a set morality system.
   
2. It could affect the way players can interact with NPCs. Players with high morality could have gotten along more with the game’s good characters. They could enjoy shop discounts and even receive free stuff. NPCs will generally act more friendly and helpful to good players. Meanwhile, low-morality players could have unlocked exclusive content for dark wizards. Perhaps a noteworthy boss battle or the chance to interact with series villains. Maybe even the chance to cast unforgivable curses.
   
3. The morality system could have been a way to set up several ending options. The player’s morality could affect the ending of the game, with good players getting a happy ending and bad players getting a bad ending. Either way, having several noteworthy endings could have encouraged more playthroughs, adding to the game’s overall replayability.

Conclusion

Ultimately, a morality and reputation system could have added a lot of depth and complexity to Hogwarts Legacy. It could have allowed players to make meaningful choices that would affect their overall experience of the game. Furthermore, it would also make the game more immersive and realistic, as it would reflect the way that morality and reputation work in the real world. Just look at how immersive Red Dead Redemption 2 is because of its truly effective morality system.

However, we understand that there are also some potential drawbacks. For one, the developers are right. Morality systems are often difficult to balance. While the ultimate goal is to provide players with a much more immersive experience, it could also significantly limit player freedom. Additionally, it could make the game too serious. Players would constantly be worrying about their morality and reputation, which is just a turn-off for some.

So, what do you think? Say that the Hogwarts Legacy morality and reputation system did not get scrapped. Would the game be more appealing to you? Could it have been a much better game overall with a karma system?

Nevertheless, we can now only imagine how the game would have been supposing that the Hogwarts Legacy morality system stood its place. That is unless, of course, Avalanche adds it back in on the next patch.