On 14 December 2022, developer Avalanche Software unveiled the second Gameplay Showcase for the highly anticipated single-player ARPG, Hogwarts Legacy, inspired by J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter. The nearly 35-minute video featured Alan Tew (game director), Mekenzy Toner (systems designer), Chandler Wood (community manager), and special guest Ben Snow, offering insights into several exciting features headed to the game on 10 February 2023.
Among the many Hogwarts Legacy features showcased were broom flight and traversal, advanced combat, and the introduction of the Room of Requirement, which is described as a secret room in the original Harry Potter novels that presents itself to any witch or wizard in great need. Perhaps more interesting, though, the developers showcased the Dark Arts Battle Arena, in which players can fight waves of enemies in Hogwarts Legacy.
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In this arena, players can use any of the three Unforgivable Curses: Avada Kedavra, Imperio, and Crucio, and the Blasting Curse, Confringo. While the "Killing Curse" was previously confirmed by Warner Bros. Games earlier this year, this latest showcase provided more detailed in-game footage of the spell being used in the Dark Arts Battle Arena, which upon casting, emitted an intense green bolt that shattered the enemy's shield, killing them instantly.
According to the developers, everyone can access the Unforgiveable Curses through the base game upon launch. These spells can be added to players' repertoire based on their decisions in-game, meaning those willing to embrace the Dark Arts and follow the path of Lord Voldemort can do so if they choose. Ultimately, players can access Hogwarts Legacy's Dark Arts Arena to test these powerful spells and decide if the Dark Arts is a path they want to go down.
The developers noted that while all the Unforgiveable Curses would be faithfully replicated in-game, they would have a cooldown to prevent players from spamming the spell and mindlessly killing everybody in the game. That said, it's not clear if it will be possible to block Avada Kedavra in Hogwarts Legacy; however, it does seem to penetrate dueling opponents' shields.
Still, it's pretty cool to see Avalanche Software include the "Killing Curse" into the game, as it's undoubtedly a spell everyone will want to try.
Hogwarts Legacy will release on 10 February 2023 across Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC platforms.