Harry Potter fans are loving the new Hogwarts Legacy video game. However, there are some people that are banning the game and some “reviewers” are giving it a 1 out of 10 based on their dislike of J. K. Rowling’s transgender comments.

The people calling for the boycott or gave it a bad review is probably not going to buy the game anyway, so I wouldn’t pay attention to their outrage.

From what I’ve seen, this looks like a great game for Potter fans. Of course, having said that, I personally haven’t bought the game as I’m not a huge Potter fan… but I am mildly interested in picking it up when it goes on sale. I do this for most games, and I know all prices goes down a year later (in some cases like Gotham Knights it went on sale a month after it was released). So eventually, one day, I’ll probably own this game to play on my Steam Deck.

Anyway, if you bought the game and love it and want more… I’m happy to report that WaterTower Music has released two separate albums of music from Hogwarts Legacy. The two albums offer a total of 75 incredible tracks from the game soundtrack composers chuck e. myers “sea”, J Scott Rakozy, and Peter Murray.

The two albums are named The Hogwarts Legacy (Original Video Game Soundtrack) and Hogwarts Legacy (Study Themes from the Original Video Game Soundtrack). The first one, Original Video Game Soundtrack version is available on vinyl (via Mondo), streaming, and digital.
The second one, Study Themes version, is available for streaming and digital only.

The composers, Myers, Rakozy, Murray, along with Alexander Horowitz, had this to say:

“We feel so unbelievably lucky, privileged, and grateful to be a part of the amazing team behind Hogwarts Legacy. So many talented and brilliant people have poured their hearts and minds into this game – made by fans for fans. It is so impressive on a multitude of levels. The moment you step foot inside these great halls of Hogwarts, you can sense the love and passion that each person involved gave to this project. It’s an experience like no other. It is our sincere hope that fans of Hogwarts Legacy will experience the joy, the awe, and the magic we felt when immersing ourselves into the game and its music. We’re excited to see players’ reactions as they see and hear this world for themselves.”

Hogwarts Legacy is out now on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. PlayStation®4 and Xbox One will launch on April 4 and Nintendo Switch on July 25.

The Hogwarts Legacy (Original Video Game Soundtrack) and Hogwarts Legacy (Study Themes from the Original Video Game Soundtrack) are available now on WaterTower Music.

Track List: The Hogwarts Legacy (Original Video Game Soundtrack)

1. Overture to the Unwritten*
2. The House Cup
3. Fig’s Search
4. A Proper Hogwarts Welcome
5. Potting Mandrakes
6. Seeking the Keepers
7. Ranrok’s Rage
8. A Lost Friend
9. Everybody Grab a Broom
10. All Roads Lead to Hogsmeade
11. Anticipating Rookwood
*(from “Hogwarts Legacy”)

12. Miriam’s Memory
13. Grasslands Vivarium
14. A Fitting New Home
15. Isidora’s Pain
16. See You After Class
17. Hog’s Head Jig
18. Guardians Awaken
19. Accio!
20. Legacy of Magic
21. Ruins of a Noted Seer
22. A Portrait of Love
23. The Greenhouse

24. Ollivander’s Wand Shop
25. Coastal Vivarium
26. The Four Houses
27. You’ve Made Your Choice
28. Soaring over Hogwarts
29. Haven
30. The Halls of Hogwarts
31. The Room of Requirement
32. Niamh’s Lullaby
33. Trespassers
34. Tribute

Track List: Hogwarts Legacy (Study Themes from the Original Video Game Soundtrack)

1. Your Journey Awaits…
2. Sorting Hat Ceremony
3. Slytherin Common Room
4. Gryffindor Common Room
5. Hufflepuff Common Room
6. Ravenclaw Common Room
7. Honeydukes
8. Hogwarts’ Best & Brightest
9. Focus on What You Need
10. Gateways to the Far Stars
11. How to Care for a Beast
12. Contemplation
13. Aire on the Side of Love
14. Hall of the Keepers

15. Morning at Marunweem Lake
16. The Room of Hidden Things
17. A Trick of the Light
18. A Delicate Art
19. The Quest Begins
20. Forbidden Forest Waltz
21. A Focused Mind
22. Mysteries of the Cosmos
23. The Escape
24. “Intra Muros”
25. A Faded Path
26. Lost
27. Outside the Castle Walls
28. The Observation Deck

29. Potions Class
30. Meeting with Professor Weasley
31. Caring for a Puffskein
32. Friendship to Be
33. An Intense Aversion
34. Dance of the Mooncalves
35. Central Tower
36. The Arrival
37. Hope Fades
38. A Forgotten Mystery
39. Ancient Magic Coda
40. Submerged
41. Gringotts Vault

Encased
encasedgame.com

I’ve been playing a lot of Encased, by Dark Crystal Games, over the weekend (I’ve already sunk 33 hours into the game so far). The game is over two years old now, originally early access in 2019 and a full release on September 2021. I didn’t know about the game until I got it for free via Epic Game’s Christmas Giveaway 2022. I tried it out and I love it, so I bought it again on Steam during their Winter Sale 2022.

If you’ve ever played the first two Fallout games, it plays the same way. My biggest criticism is that, as far as I know, there is no way of resetting your stats. For example, I had to restart the game a few times because I was putting my points into the wrong traits. Wish I’d known that I can’t get a certain “Perk” if I have some stats too low, etc.

My third time restarting the game, I think I have the best solution: go for the Renaissance Perk, since that boosts all your stats to 6. Once I started with that strategy, I was able to level up much faster and it made the game much easier (I’m playing on Normal). The game can be very punishing and unforgiving if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Right now, my build is an Energy Weapon user. I’m at level 12 right now and got my first Power Armor after becoming champion of Junktown. It feels so much like Fallout, I love it. The more I play, the more I wish Bethesda would make a new Fallout game in this style.

Encased is normally $30, but sometime it’ll go on sale – such as GOG currently listing it for $6.