I’m really enjoying this game, started it about a month ago after picking it up on sale. I was a big fan of both the books and the movies. It’s not just that Hogwarts is big and impressive, it is the surrounding beautiful countryside that you can practically run from end to end without a screen load and this includes entering and exiting Hogwarts and Hogmeade (the little village full of magical shoppes).
Anf the magic combat can be fast and furious! Besides the main story, there is so much to do all over the place, clean out bandit camps, rescue magical creatures, collect plant and animal parts, the latter after you’ve killed them for potuon, astronomy observation tables, treasures, etc.
Regarding magic combat (technique)
This is the first game I’ve where you are exclusively magic in combat, and you have an abundance of it so you’ll feel powerful.
The first duel for practise will be in the Defense of Dark Arts class, and it’s pretty basic, Left Mouse Button (LMB) is your basic damage attack. but you’ll find when you participate in Crosswands competition, the difficulty scales up rather fast. And from my experience, I’ll say that it can be a challenge to handle with keyboard mouse, if you don’t have programmable gaming devices, which I do, a Tartarus (Nostromo) hand sized keyboard for left hand and a Razer gaming mouse with 12 buttons on the side.
Your combat spells are assigned to keys 1,2,3,4 and as you earn experience, those points can be applied to talents which include up to 4 sets of attack or utility spell sets. Clcoe though spell sets using your mouse wheel.
Consider that you move with WSAD, so you can see there is could be an issue with managing these keys moving and shooting spells. I’ve set my buttons up with the goal of moving primarily in my left hand with my Razer Tartarus and spells in right hand mouse. The Razer gaming mouse has 12 buttons on the side so this is where I use 1,2,3,4. Protecto is Q and you use this often to block, blockable spells (orange) and it requires a fast response so I put it on the lower left of the mouse key matrix (key 10). On the Tartarus, which is a hand sized keyboard including some extra inputs, besides WSAD, I’ve got the Dodge key (Cont) where Shift key would be, and moved Sprint (Shift) up one row to where the Cap key is.
If not obvious there is definitely muscle memory involved and I’ll speculate some players will struggle until your muscle memory is learned. The first big fight is in the Hogwart’s library, yes the library
, involving 8 opponents.
Forbidden Section of Hogwart’s Library Combat Strategy
- 8 Stone Knight defenders that come to life sequentially.
- 1st 2 opponents- close half the distance and use Z (Ancient Magic Throw) on each one. Closer does more damage. Note, Z is dependent on having something to grab and throw. Z appears on your screen when it is available. Leviosa (lift) or Accio (pull) + Basic (LMB, damage) and Incendio (fire) spells to follow if necessary.
- 2nd two opponents activate- same.
- Now 4 defenders activate.
- Blue Health Shard: Sometimes after a statue is destroyed, a blue shard appears which heals you and fills your Ancient Magic meter allowing the super attack.
- Sprint and Dodge while using serpentine- to avoid projectiles you may not see coming. Always be moving. A red or an orange circle appears around you with inbound attacks. Orange is a blockable attack using Protecto. Red is not blockable, use dodge. When you get comfortable, wait for an attack before you block or dodge as described below.
- Blue Circle appears on ground, get out of it, opponent leaps and land there/on you, if you are still there.
- Orange Attack- Q (Protecto)- hold for orange attack. If it works Stupefy stuns them, blast with Basic or Fire.
- Q does not seem to protect against a leap attack, blue circle appears on floor.
- Red Attack- Cont (Dodge)- Use to avoid an unblockable Red attacks.
- X- Ancient Magic unloads strong attack X appears over targeted enemy when your ancient magic meter is full. It’s a one shot kill at this level.
- Leviosa (lift) or Accio (pull) + Basic (LMB, damage) and Incendio (fire) spells when Z or X not available.
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