It was already confirmed that Hogwarts Legacy won’t have a mortality system. However, Avalanche Software has gone into more detail regarding how the RPG handles its choices and why it doesn’t judge players for going down dark paths.
As noted in a recent GamesRadar preview, Hogwarts Legacy lets players lethally dispatch of others via fatal spells or environmental hazards like explosive barrels. Lead Designer Kelly Murphy said that it was important to let players be evil because that extreme is “the ultimate embodiment of role-playing.”
“This was important because it comes from a place of non-judgment by the game creators,” said Murphy. “If you want to be evil, be evil.”
The Unforgivable Curses (torturing, mind control, and killing) are not something players can simply learn at Hogwarts and players can choose whether or not to add them to their arsenal. Narrative Director Moira Squier said the world does react to players using those curses, but, as was previously stated, there’s no morality system that judges players for doing so.
“Characters will react visually and audibly to seeing the player cast an Unforgivable [Curse], but we don’t have a morality system that punishes them for doing so,” said Murphy. “This would be too judgmental on the game maker’s part. But, should the player continue these actions, the world will reflect back knowledge of them.”
Side and main missions can change depending on what order players complete them in, but it’s unclear how, aside from immediate reactions from other characters, the world shifts when going down the darker road. As noted about halfway through the first showcase, some of the player’s choices can affect the end of the game, yet it remains to be seen how grand these alterations can be.
Some have previously called out the strange disconnect of letting players embrace such cruel tactics (especially at such a young age). This started bubbling up more intensely around its Gamescom trailer full of dark magic and second showcase which featured a Dark Arts combat arena.