Hogwarts Legacy. From Sorting Hat to Final Battle: Game UX Journey
Hey there! Have you had a chance to play Hogwarts Legacy, the new action role-playing game set in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter? Since its release a few months ago, the game has generated a lot of buzz among fans of the franchise. However, as with any new game, there are bound to be some hiccups in the user experience. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some common mistakes in Hogwarts Legacy and discuss how they could impact your gameplay experience. We’ll also explore some possible solutions to improve the UX and make the game more magical. So grab your wand and let’s dive in!
Let the cat out of the bag
When you started playing Hogwarts Legacy, it was a game that you couldn’t stop playing. You saw many YouTube reviews praising its immersive world and exciting gameplay. But after 40+ hours of playing, you feel like something is missing. The additional tasks are repetitive, and the world around you doesn’t feel as lively as before. The magic that attracted you has disappeared, and you feel let down.
In most cases, developers only interact with the game during the development process. This limited involvement doesn’t allow us to fully evaluate the player’s experience. While the development process is finite for the developer, it can equate to tens of hours of gameplay for the player. Therefore, while long animations may look impressive during development, they can become frustrating or even maddening when the player must repeat the action triggering the animation 90 times.
Common Mistakes with Hogwarts Legacy
While some reviewers have mentioned issues such as repetitive characters, quests, a lack of Quidditch, a weak story, and boring dialogues, let's not spend too much time discussing those problems. Instead, we'll look at some other specific issues that can really disrupt the game's immersion.
Incorrect Icon Used for New Spell Slots
Problem: The interface designers are using an inappropriate metaphorical image for an empty slot, leading to confusion for players and negatively impacting their gaming experience
Why it matters: The crossed-out circle icon has traditionally been used to indicate something that is prohibited or inaccessible. This symbol is commonly used in international road sign systems to indicate areas where passing is not allowed. As a result, this symbol is often used in color coding.
Conclusion and possible solutions: Replacing the pictogram with a more appropriate icon is a simple solution to this problem.
No system exists for punishing theft or disturbing public peace.
Problem definition: The lack of consequences for stealing and engaging in other misbehaviors, ranging from burning books in the principal’s office to being absent from school for weeks, creates the impression that you are either using cheats or that you come from a family with significant influence. As you probably know, cheating can be enjoyable at first, but it quickly becomes tedious when everything is too easy.
Why it matters: The game is centered around immersing oneself in the universe of Harry Potter, where players take on the role of a student. The magical world, social hierarchy, and community trust levels impose specific rules on students, much like in the books and films. These regulations help players feel like they are truly a part of the magical world. You are a student, even though you are capable.
Possible solutions: Implementing a punishment system, character reactions, or limitations on certain spells can help solve this problem. Gothic 2 provides an excellent example of this,
- You cannot legally enter someone’s house, and if you do, you must be very cautious. If caught, they may call security or take personal action against you.
- Characters will respond negatively if you enter their house at night and ask you to leave.
- Traders do not permit you to go behind the counter.
- Taking negative actions, such as fighting, stealing, and ignoring other NPCs will affect how the world around you interacts with you, making it more difficult for the player to interact with the world around them.
Animal Abduction
Problem definition: The game simply replaces the concepts of kidnapping and rescue
Why It Matters: If you believe that you are actually rescuing animals, you might be mistaken. In reality, you are taking animals from their natural habitats to feed on their feathers or horns. To catch an animal, you often need to cast a freezing spell or lift it into the air. This process is not enjoyable, and after completing the quest, you do not feel like you have done something useful. You feel like a poacher.
Conclusion and possible solutions: We need to either stop misleading the player by calling it a “rescue,” or completely rethink this mechanic.
Quests do not provide the expected immersive experience.
Problem Definition: Let’s take the example of a quest where the player assumes the role of a Headmaster Black
Why it matters: Polyjuice Potion is a crucial element of the Harry Potter universe. In the second part of the movie, when Harry and Ron gather biological material for the potion, drink it, and sneak into the Slytherin room, the viewer experiences a range of emotions. The scene captivates the audience, indicating that the producer has successfully accomplished the task. Even in the second part of the game, this quest is both challenging and interesting, keeping the player on their toes. Those who have completed this quest will remember how sweaty their hands were during the passage. However, in Hogwarts Legacy, this quest lacks immersion. There is no time limit, the protagonist is not afraid of being discovered, and even when the potion ends, it does not truly end until the player rounds the corner.
Conclusion and Possible Solutions: To enhance the challenge, consider adding a timer and requiring the player to be more cautious in dialogues and movements.
Difficulty with Collecting Clothing
Problem Description: Players highly may have difficulty finding the starting point for collecting clothing, which is causing frustration and negatively impacting the overall gameplay experience.
Importance of the Issue: The collection feature is a powerful customization tool that greatly affects players’ session length and interest. Unfortunately, players may not discover this feature until after completing the main story, which can be disappointing. This is due to poor inventory design within the game. The collection feature in this game is different from other games, as players have a limited pool of slots, and must pass Merlin’s Trial to increase them, which can be quite tedious. As a result, players may be reluctant to expand their inventory and make do with what they have. Additionally, the mechanics of destroying items is strange and could be improved by replacing it with a chest and reducing the number of items encountered, increasing their value.
Conclusion and Possible Solutions: Firstly, it may be helpful to focus more closely on the collections mentioned in the tutorial. Additionally, consider making the entry point more visible and the hint on how to access it a permanent fixture, rather than only appearing when hovering over the clothing icon.
Rubbish Clothes
Problem Statement: The clothing in the game loses its value to the player after just a few hours of gameplay, and there is an overwhelming amount of it that is almost identical.
Why it matters: Importance Character customization and item collection are key components in keeping players engaged. However, it is equally important to ensure that players can easily distinguish between different items. By designing this aspect of the game well, players will be excited to obtain rare items. However, in HL, most clothes are indistinguishable from one another and can be found easily.
Conclusion and Possible Solutions Clothes in the game hold little value due to their abundance in every other chest. It is odd to find a school uniform in a poacher’s chest instead of a leather cloak. Additionally, the decision to limit clothing slots is questionable. Players are forced to destroy many clothes throughout the game, and to obtain more storage slots, they must complete tedious Merlin quests. Even then, their pockets do not automatically expand, and players must remember to open new slots in the challenges menu.
To address this issue, several solutions can be implemented:
- Add a loot chest for accumulating gear instead of including them in every chest.
- Clearly differentiate legendary and regular clothes.
- Create a background story for legendary clothes.
- Allow players to order clothes from a tailor.
Rewards for Challenges are not Automatically Credited
Problem Description In this scenario, rewards for completing challenges are not credited automatically. This approach has both advantages and disadvantages.
Importance On one hand, players are presented with many possible rewards and achievements, making it more like a mobile game mechanic that keeps players engaged for longer. However, the disadvantage is that completing hundreds of tasks in a game without receiving any rewards can be discouraging.
Conclusion and Possible Solutions To deal with this issue, consider implementing a system that automatically credits rewards upon completion of challenges. Alternatively, provide players with more immediate feedback і пррдемонструвати шорткат, натиснувши на який гравець зможе потрапити до потрібного інтерфейсного вікна.
The issue with Castle Navigation
Problem Definition: Currently, the castle map does not provide adequate orientation within the castle, which makes it challenging for players to fast travel to their desired location.
Why it Matters: This is a significant issue because the castle has multiple floors, and the fast travel point and destination can appear adjacent when they are on different levels. Consequently, players have to spend additional time manually navigating to their destination.
Conclusion and Possible Solutions: In conclusion, this issue requires complete rethinking. One possible solution could be to take inspiration from the building map in The Ascent game.
Non-flight Areas Affect Player Immersion
Problem Definition: In some instances of gameplay, players may encounter areas on the map that are inaccessible. Unfortunately, the game does not provide an explanation as to why this is happening which can lead to frustration and disappointment. Players may question why they cannot access these areas each time they encounter them.
Why it matters: When an explanation is missing, it can lead to frustration, which can negatively impact the gaming experience. When players come across zones they cannot pass through without an explanation, it can cause frustration and disappointment. This is most likely due to game optimization or unresolved bugs.
Conclusion and Possible Solution: Providing a brief narrative can help alleviate this frustration. However, stating it once may not be enough. CD Projekt Red solved this problem in The Witcher 3 by displaying a message explaining that dragons live beyond and there is no path forward when a player approaches the edge of the map. This solution is both straightforward and effective.
Stealth
Problem: When engaging in combat with an enemy in the game, players are presented with two options: to do it quietly or to engage in an open fight. However, the level design does not allow you to complete the full level in stealth mode
Why it matters: The game deceives players by presenting them with a choice that does not actually exist. Every time the player needs to clear a location, the game asks whether they want to enter into a fight or do it quietly, but this choice does not affect the outcome of events. Even if the player tries to be stealthy, it’s possible that he won’t be able to complete it fully. Some parts of the location may be impossible to pass through in this mode, either due to the construction of the location or the presence of enemies. Nevertheless, even if he manages to cast a spell on an enemy and another enemy witnesses it, they won’t react to it.
Conclusion and possible solutions: To improve the game, the developers should optimize the levels for it. It’s worth examining the game design solutions in Splinter Cell to better understand how stealth and artificial intelligence react to function. When enemies spot a body, the camp is alerted, and they become more vigilant, changing their routes and responding to their comrades’ disappearances. This adds complexity to the player’s task and encourages them to be more careful.
Closing Thoughts
The player experience is impacted by a wide variety of factors, including the game’s mechanics, story, and aesthetics. As game developers continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, it is essential to remember that every aspect of a game has the potential to shape the player’s experience and that even small details can make a big difference. Ultimately, the goal of game design is to create a captivating and immersive experience that draws players in and keeps them engaged, and achieving that goal requires careful attention to every element of the game’s design.
