If you're anything like me, then you're doing two things right now: readjusting to life without a torrent of classes and precisely timing your activities to match how much energy you need to complete your potions and flying lessons with a full star rating (so you can receive the maximum amount of House Points, of course).
The Wizarding World has crashed onto the scene once again although it's debatable if it had ever really left. Jam City Inc's, Warner Brother's and Portkey Games' single-player RPG mobile game titled Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery dropped for iOS and Android devices on April 25th and has since been the center of attention for fans across the globe, as players are given the opportunity to create their own witch or wizard character, customize them, and then embark on the adventure of their fictional lifetime - attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
As a lifelong lover of all things Harry Potter, I can attest that this game is nothing short of a magical experience. I'll confess, I had been anticipating its release for quite a while and downloaded it the day of release.
The game is extremely well-made. The graphics and artwork are beautifully done. The entire app runs smoothly and the transition between scenes and settings is spot-on. I have yet to run into any glitches and I have been playing it religiously since release.
One Warning: The game does run on an energy-based formula. Classes and interactions with NPCs typically take energy - not all of them, but many do. This means you will have to manage your time well while playing.
Side-note: I have noticed that you can get one free energy per floor. There is a House Elf in the dungeons, a stick on the Castle Grounds, and various paintings on each floor that offer an energy when tapped on. This adds up to around five free energy and they reset around every eight hours.
The gameplay itself is exciting and interesting enough to keep players engaged, while not being overwhelming. The plot line follows the player interacting with the mystery surrounding suspiciously protected vaults and the player's missing elder brother. The player must navigate this mystery while warding off rumors that their brother is both insane and working for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, deal with the terrible and blatantly rude Merula, keep their relationship scores up with various NPCs, and try to keep from losing too many House Points. You also have to work on getting both experience points to level up and points to boost your Courage, Empathy, and Knowledge skills (each skill is very important, so I would recommend trying to maintain balance).
The app itself is trending on the Apple App Store, has a jaw-dropping 152K ratings, and holds a strong 4.7 star rating. It is also ranked number one in the Adventure category. It is equally as popular on the Google Play Store. There it has a staggering 518K ratings and a solid 4.5 star rating. Across social media platforms and national boarders, people cannot get enough of this game.
Who is to blame them? People have been begging for a Harry Potter mobile game of this caliber for literal years. Finally that agonizing wait is over, and - thankfully - it was well worthwhile. If you don't believe me, check it out for yourself and delve into the magical world of Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery.
