Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery forces you to pay – or wait – to save a kid from being strangled

I’ve been waiting years for a new Harry Potter video game, and the premise of Hogwarts Mystery is instantly interesting – a time period so far untouched by the series’ lore, a chance to reconnect with well-known characters, and, yes, the simple ability to role-play being at Hogwarts, just like Harry and his pals.

But the game’s premium licence and production values all come at a cost – and that cost is forced onto the player in the form of a debilitating energy system, which slows progress to a near-impossible crawl unless you pay up.

Hogwarts Mystery is a narrative adventure, its scenarios taking the form of things like potion-making and broom lessons, conducted via simple on-screen tapping and the occasional need to trace a specific gesture. There are a few dialogue options but no ability to actually fail, as the story-led experience propels you onward through the game’s central plot.

Your Hogwarts character, whoever they are, had a brother who attended the school before you but vanished upon leaving – and there are rumours he was involved with a certain You Know Who. Like the best Harry Potter stories, Hogwarts itself holds many of the answers, and there are a fresh set of hidden areas within the castle to explore.

And all of that is nestled within the familiar framework of the Harry Potter novels – stories set across the length of a school year, with friends who need help, classes to pass and house points to earn. And, as usual, Snape is being a jerk.