Hogwarts Legacy‘s recent release has let Harry Potter fans finally experience J.K. Rowling‘s magical world like never before. As an immersive RPG set in the 1800s, Hogwarts Legacy offers unparalleled freedom to explore the iconic castle, its grounds, and beyond as a Hogwarts student. But progression often requires overcoming obstacles – like the imposing main gate barring your way.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through precisely how to open the main Hogwarts gate in Hogwarts Legacy to access new areas and advance in your epic magical journey.
The Grandeur of Hogwarts Legacy
With its sprawling open world, stunning visuals, and RPG progression systems, Hogwarts Legacy has already established itself as a new pinnacle for Harry Potter games. As a longtime fan, seeing Hogwarts brought to life with such scale and detail has been jaw-dropping. Reviewers praise Hogwarts Legacy for finally fulfilling every Potterhead‘s fantasy of living in the wizarding world.
The magical world of Hogwarts Legacy realized in breathtaking detail.
With full freedom to explore the castle, Prefect bathroom, common rooms, secret passages and so much more, Hogwarts Legacy revolutionizes the concept of "experiencing Hogwarts" compared to prior HP games. This hits its peak when you step beyond the iconic main gates…
The Grandeur of the Main Gate
Approaching the imposing main gate of Hogwarts for the first time gave me chills down my wizarding robes. Flanked by stone winged-boars and towering walls, the metal-barred gate stands as both sentry and portal to the secrets beyond.
In both the books and films, this gate serves as the primary threshold into Hogwarts. And in Hogwarts Legacy, it initially prevents you from leaving the castle proper to explore the grounds.
As developer Avalanche Studios explained, "The main gate …leads to some of the more dangerous areas beyond the castle walls," which you‘ll access later in your journey.
Concept art of the iconic main gate by Louise Mok.
Opening the main gate is your rite of passage from Hogwarts student to explorer. Let‘s discover how to do just that…
Step-By-Step: Opening the Main Gate
Opening the main Hogwarts gate requires using Depulso and Accio spells in a two-step process:
1. Lift the Gate with Depulso
The first step is lifting the barred metal gate itself up out of the way.
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Position yourself in front of the large spinning rotator mechanism to the right of the gate.
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Ready the Depulso spell and blast the rotator with it. This will slowly lift the gate upward.
Casting Depulso on the rotator to lift the gate.
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You may need to cast Depulso multiple times to fully raise the gate. Move around to find the best angle.
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Upgrading Depulso‘s strength through skill trees makes this quicker. Otherwise, patience!
Once Depulso has lifted the gate high enough, you‘re ready for step two.
2. Open the Doors with Accio
With the gate lifted, you now need to pull the giant golden gear-like handle on the brick gatehouse to swing the doors open.
- Aim your wand at the handle and cast Accio to magically yank the handle towards you.
Casting Accio on the golden gate handle to open the doors.
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Position yourself a good distance away and use Accio to pull the handle faster and fling the doors wide open.
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Upgrading Accio through skill trees helps here as well.
When Accio pulls the handle, the doors will slowly swing open, granting you access to the areas beyond!
Tips for Opening the Gate Smoothly
Here are some tips from my experience to open the main gate quickly every time:
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Use the camera to ensure the rotator and handle are both clearly in view before casting.
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Equip gear like the Augmenti Robe to reduce Depulso spell cost, or the Petrificus Chain to improve Accio.
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Eat Wiggenweld Potions to reduce spell cooldown time between casts.
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Unlock the Depulso Destruction and Accio Mastery talents for a major boost.
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If the gate gets stuck or closes, return to the gatehouse building to reopen it.
Walking Beyond the Gate into New Areas
Finally stepping through the towering opened gates felt like a true milestone in my Hogwarts Legacy journey. Once opened, the main gate unveils several new explorable areas and features, including:
The Boathouse
This large wooden boathouse on the Black Lake‘s edge features docks with boats you can use to fast travel across the lake and access new regions. Inside, you‘ll find a important potioncrafting station for brewing essential potions and concoctions.
The Quad
The iconic outdoor courtyard features statues of wizarding heroes and intricate landscaping. It also hides many secrets like treasure chests and hidden challenge tombs. Defeating enemies in the Quad unlocks fast travel points too.
The Greenhouses
These glass greenhouse structures house magical plants and fungi, which you can harvest for ingredients. The greenhouses also feature side quests and puzzles.
The Bridges and Viaducts
Unlocking the main gate lets you cross the network of bridges and viaducts leading towards the Quidditch pitch, Herbology class, and Transfiguration class areas.
Finally exploring these locations and seeing Hogwarts‘ scope in its entirety blew me away. But it‘s just the beginning of the epic adventure ahead…
More Than a Gate: Unlocking Hogwarts Legacy‘s Full Potential
As any Potter fan knows, walking through the main gate feels symbolic on a deeper level. Crossing that threshold takes you from Hogwarts student to wizarding explorer.
Opening the main gate and venturing beyond its walls for the first time teases the possibilities of what‘s to come. Suddenly Hogwarts becomes more than hallowed halls to walk – it transforms into a living, breathing world brimming with secrets waiting to be discovered.
In some ways, surmounting the main gate challenge unlocks Hogwarts Legacy‘s full potential as a vast magical playspace. Your destiny as the hero of this story truly lies beyond its doors.
So now, go revel in the wonders of Hogwarts‘ grounds, advanced classes, magical beasts and more mysteries yet unseen. Just mind the Dementors!
I hope this guide helps you easily bypass the main gate to access new regions and push forward in your own Hogwarts Legacy journey. Let me know if you have any other questions – and happy adventuring, wizard!
