Does the Ending Really Matter in Hogwarts Legacy? A Deep Dive
The question of whether your choices truly matter in Hogwarts Legacy, especially concerning the game’s ending, is a frequent one among players. The short answer is: yes and no. While Hogwarts Legacy presents three distinct endings, the impact of these endings on the overall game experience is more subtle than dramatically game-changing. This article delves into the nuances of the endings, their implications, and answers some of the most pressing questions players have about the narrative choices in Hogwarts Legacy.
The Three Endings: More About Nuance Than Divergence
Hogwarts Legacy offers three primary endings, each reflecting the culmination of your character’s journey. These endings aren’t determined by a rigid morality system, which the game notably lacks. Instead, they hinge on your final choice regarding the ancient magic you’ve been investigating: whether to contain it or harness it.
- The “Good” Ending: In this ending, your character chooses to seal away the ancient magic, preventing its misuse. The scene shows your character grappling with the magic, trying to contain it before it destroys everything. This ending emphasizes responsibility and safeguarding the world from potential harm.
- The “Bad” Ending: There is no inherently evil or “bad” ending. The final choices revolve around how you handle the ancient magic, not if you choose to be good or bad. This does involve not sealing away the ancient magic, choosing to keep it. However, even choosing to keep the magic doesn’t lead to a path of evil, as the story is built so that the player is always working to save the world.
- The “Neutral” Ending: As the main choices and results of those choices are centered around either sealing away or keeping the ancient magic, the neutral ending can be thought of as the same as the “bad” ending, not having an evil path or result to the story. The choices remain the same, and so does the result of keeping the ancient magic.
The Illusion of Choice: What Really Matters
The critical point to understand is that these endings, while distinct in their presentation, do not drastically alter the gameplay or your post-game experience. Hogwarts Legacy is designed without a “point of no return” mechanic. You can continue to explore the wizarding world, complete side quests, and collect items regardless of which ending you achieve. This allows for a rich post-game experience where you are not locked out of content due to your ending choice.
The most impactful choices in the game, are arguably, separate from the ending itself. Decisions such as:
- Picking a Hogwarts House: This affects your initial experience and a specific side quest involving a visit to Azkaban if you chose Slytherin. While it doesn’t drastically alter the overall storyline, it does change your social circles and some dialogues.
- Deciding Sebastian Sallow’s Fate: Choosing whether or not to turn Sebastian in after his actions has a profound impact on your ability to interact with him post-game. Turning him in means you lose access to his character, while not doing so allows his storyline to continue. This decision is significant due to its impact on character relationships and your ability to learn certain unforgivable curses.
- Learning the Unforgivable Curses: While optional, the decision to learn or reject the Unforgivable Curses, especially Avada Kedavra, does have an impact on how you play the game and on what additional Dark Arts related content you can explore.
The Absence of a Traditional Morality System
Unlike some RPGs with branching storylines and explicit good/evil paths, Hogwarts Legacy doesn’t feature a morality system. Your actions do not result in a shift in your character’s moral alignment. This allows you to explore the story and the world without the need for a “good or bad” playthrough. While you make choices with consequences that change things such as who you can or can’t talk to post game, the result on the actual ending is minimal, with only three options based on what you choose to do with the ancient magic.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some common questions players have about choices, endings, and consequences in Hogwarts Legacy:
1. Are the endings significantly different?
No, the endings are not significantly different in terms of gameplay. They primarily affect the final cutscene and reflect your choice regarding the ancient magic.
2. Can I keep playing after the ending?
Yes, you can continue to play after the ending. There is no ‘point of no return,’ allowing you to complete side quests, explore the world, and finish any remaining activities.
3. Does the House I choose affect the ending?
No, your house selection does not impact the ending. It primarily affects your beginning experience and provides a house-specific side quest that is unique.
4. Does it matter who I side with during quests?
In general, most choices do not have significant consequences on the main storyline or ending, except the choice regarding Sebastian.
5. Can I become a villain in Hogwarts Legacy?
No, you cannot become a villain. The game is designed for the player character to save the world, and your actions ultimately lead towards that goal.
6. Does the choice to learn or not learn the Unforgivable Curses change the ending?
No, learning or not learning the Unforgivable Curses does not change the ending. However, if you turn Sebastian in you will lose the option to learn Avada Kedavra through his side quests, though you can learn it through other methods.
7. Does choosing between Natty and Sebastian matter?
No, this choice does not affect the main storyline or the ending. It impacts some dialogue during a side quest, but it’s ultimately inconsequential in the larger picture.
8. What happens if I turn Sebastian in?
Turning Sebastian in results in his expulsion from Hogwarts, and you will no longer be able to interact with him. This has an impact on learning Unforgivable Curses through him.
9. What happens if I don’t turn Sebastian in?
Not turning Sebastian in allows his storyline to continue, and you will be able to learn all the Unforgivable Curses through his side quests.
10. Can I save Sebastian’s uncle?
No, you cannot save Sebastian’s uncle. This event is a fixed part of Sebastian’s storyline.
11. How do I get the “bad” ending?
There is no defined “bad” ending. The choice to not seal the ancient magic could be seen as a more undesirable route, however, the game remains the same in this result.
12. Is it okay to lie to characters in Hogwarts Legacy?
Lying to characters does not impact the game’s outcome. Most of the times, the choice is purely for role-playing purposes.
13. Can I visit Azkaban in Hogwarts Legacy?
Yes, you can visit Azkaban, but only if you chose the Slytherin House, and the visit is part of a specific questline.
14. Does choosing a witch or wizard matter?
No, the choice between a witch or wizard is purely cosmetic and has no impact on gameplay or the story.
15. Can I learn Avada Kedavra without Sebastian?
Yes, you can learn Avada Kedavra in the Dark Arts Battle Arena, provided you purchased the Hogwarts Legacy Deluxe Edition or the Dark Arts Pack DLC. This means you can still learn it without choosing to turn Sebastian in.
Conclusion
While Hogwarts Legacy presents multiple endings, these variations are ultimately more about the narrative wrapping up than about impacting core gameplay. The freedom to explore, continue quests, and collect items post-game remains regardless of the chosen ending. Your most impactful choices revolve around character relationships, the choice to learn unforgivable curses, and how you interact with the narrative, not on choosing a particular ending. In short, enjoy the world of Hogwarts Legacy, explore your personal narrative and don’t worry too much about the specific ending, as the game allows you to continue playing and enjoying all of its contents, regardless of which path you chose.