Hogwarts Legacy has over 100 side quests that "manipulate the main campaign"

Hogwarts Legacy magic
(Image credit: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)

Wizarding RPG Hogwarts Legacy will let you shape your destiny with over 100 side quests – and you can play them in any order.

As one of the most hotly-anticipated new games 2023, we already know that the twists and turns of this open-word adventure will feature expansive maps and character creation. According to narrative director and advanced game writer Moira Squier, it seems the plot itself will be similarly staggering.

"The main storyline is complicated and engaging and involves a variety of different characters and viewpoints," Squier told GamesRadar+ in an interview as part of our Hogwarts Legacy preview. "But by giving the player choice moments throughout the game, we allow them to tell their own version of that epic story."

As well as playing through the storyline itself, your character's decisions in what they choose to do outside classes could "manipulate the main campaign by virtue of the experiences they've had," says Squier. "Interacting with someone in a side quest will impact how you interact with them in the main storyline - and vice versa."

There doesn't seem to be any linearity in how these missions should be played. "The order in which the player chooses to complete these quests will impact their story and game. Everything is interconnected," confirmed Squier. "So, while it was challenging, it was a lot of fun to do, and it's rewarding to see how well it turned out."

So yes, it's a bummer that we won't be able to play Quidditch in Hogwarts Legacy, but with branching side quests to influence how our characters react to the world around them, it seems we will have plenty to keep us busy when Hogwarts Legacy Early Access let's us into the magical realm anyway.

 Although she is not involved in the development of Hogwarts Legacy, GamesRadar+ acknowledges the role of J.K. Rowling in the creation of the Wizarding World, as well as her publicly-stated, harmful views regarding the rights of transgender people. If you'd like to offer your support to the communities affected by Rowling's rhetoric, consider donating to the National Center for Transgender Equality in the US, or Mermaids in the UK. 

Jasmine Gould-Wilson
Staff Writer, GamesRadar+

Jasmine is a staff writer at GamesRadar+. Raised in Hong Kong and having graduated with an English Literature degree from Queen Mary, University of London in 2017, her passion for entertainment writing has taken her from reviewing underground concerts to blogging about the intersection between horror movies and browser games. Having made the career jump from TV broadcast operations to video games journalism during the pandemic, she cut her teeth as a freelance writer with TheGamer, Gamezo, and Tech Radar Gaming before accepting a full-time role here at GamesRadar. Whether Jasmine is researching the latest in gaming litigation for a news piece, writing how-to guides for The Sims 4, or extolling the necessity of a Resident Evil: CODE Veronica remake, you'll probably find her listening to metalcore at the same time.