Hogwarts Legacy was a hotly anticipated game of 2021 until it was delayed until 2022. Ultimately, this is good news as it means Avalanche has more time to perfect a game that will be and has been in the eye of criticism, due to some controversy but also because it's set in the Harry Potter universe, a seminal piece of many folks' childhoods.
In the meantime, other works have attempted to get in on the hype around schools of witchcraft and wizardry, such as the popular cartoon Owl House, a direct parody on the Harry Potter films and Hogwarts. For those interested in this genre that has come about since the Wizarding World's inception, check out Near-Mage, an indie game from the three-person studio Stuck In Attic. It's currently seeing a successful run on Kickstarter, where it's been funded by nearly 400% of its original goal.
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What is Near-Mage?
Just like how Hogwarts Legacy boasts a character creation system rather than forcing players to step into Harry's shoes once again, Near-Mage allows players to completely customize their own avatar before diving into the world, however, the player character is strictly a teen woman by the name of Illy Vraja. She's invited to the Transylvanian Institute for Magick as she comes from a long lineage of witches. There, she learns to perfect her magical abilities, just like one would at Hogwarts, but it looks like she discovers dark secrets along the way, not unlike Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
As for spells and magic, Near-Mage looks to be extensive, going so far as to craft spells. While Snape is known to have created the malicious spell Sectumsempra, spell creation is known to be highly dangerous in the Wizarding World. So in regards to Hogwarts Legacy, it's most likely out of the question, giving Near-Mage a leg up in this department. Players will get to craft their own spell inventory, which can influence how Illy's story plays out.
In Near-Mage's stunning trailer, the words "New Class Available" can be seen. Whether this means school classes like Hogwarts Legacy or RPG classes that dictate what players can specialize in is currently unclear. Perhaps it's a bit of both though; Near-Mage pulls a few elements from traditional RPG. But as the game is still very deep in development, there are likely many details that still need to be hammered out.
And taking a page from games like Life is Strange, players must make choices throughout Near-Mage, such as escalating or de-escalating situations, the trailer shows. According to Near-Mage's Steam page, the choices it offers give the game high replayability value. Using different spells in certain scenarios can change the outcomes of some questlines, but it's unclear how big of an influence choices may have on the main plot.
If anything, it sounds like Near-Mage is a great magical adventure game well-suited for a slightly more mature audience. At this point, it's unclear what direction Hogwarts Legacy will take in terms of childishness, though it seems to be good for gamers of all ages. Near-Mage, on the other hand, will feature some mature themes like swearing, alcohol consumption, and sexual innuendos, so perhaps the Transylvanian Institute for Magick is the perfect magical school for college students and young adults.
Near-Mage is set to release in February 2023 for PC, PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox.
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