Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions Review

There are few people left in the world who don't know Harry Potter or the magical sport Quidditch that comes with it. For most, the idea of playing this fictional game is an absolute dream. Well, Warner Bros Games has made that wish a reality. Their new game, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, lets the player take the driver's seat, or should I say take the broomstick, and compete in the epic sport. With a slight deviation from the rules of the original books and films, this game takes a new spin that allows more players to feel involved.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions only uses a simple story for tutorial reasons. You are a young wizard visiting the Weasley's house, the Burrow. The family takes it upon themselves to teach you the rules of Quidditch, adding each position in turn, starting with the Chasers, Keeper, Beaters, and Seeker. You are introduced to each role with a shortcut scene and then allowed to play each role alone, getting used to each one before joining them together as a team.

Once playing as a team, you have the choice of several modes. Playing against bots or in a PvP mode. The closest to a continued story outside of the tutorial is in the tournaments. Playing and winning matches to move up in the ranks. There is no more narrative however, simply unlocking future tournaments as well as some new broomsticks and skins for both players and brooms.

The gameplay is the true make-or-break of Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions. All the way back in 2003, a Quidditch game called Quidditch World Cup was released. This was our first look at what a video game based on Quidditch could be like. While the games are not exactly the same, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions certainly has a lot more substance. The original World Cup game certainly gave the newer title a jumping-off point. The role of the Seeker, in particular, is very similar across the two games.

When it comes to the game, each player has a specific set of movements and rules. Like in the game set out in the book, there are 3 Chasers. They have the task of passing the Quaffle, the largest of the balls, between them and using it to score in three large hoops on each side of the game. Each time the Quaffle goes through the hoop, that team earns 10 points. The Keeper protects these hoops, stopping the Quaffle from going into them and sending them as far down the pitch as possible to the opposition's hoops.

In the original game, as it is set out in the books and films, there should be two Beaters. These players carry a small bat that is used to hit a ball called the Bludger into the opponent players. When the rules are being described to you in the opening cutscene and tutorial, eagle-eyed players will notice there are two Bludgers. This is because there should also be two Beaters. The game elected to have only one, however, and therefore only one Bludger appears to be in play.

The role of the Seeker is also different from how it was presented in the books and films. In the original depiction of the game, the Snitch, a small golden ball with wings, is released at the start of every game, along with all the other balls. The Seeker has to catch the Snitch, earning their team 150 points and ending the match. This made the Seeker the most important player in most matches and could also mean the match could be incredibly short or long, depending on the skill of the Seekers. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions uses the Seeker in a very different way.

The Snitch is not immediately released; instead, it comes out a few minutes into the game. When caught, the game does not end, either. The Snitch is out of play for a few moments and then rereleased a little later into play. Rather than the huge 150 points the Snitch earns in the books and film, the Snitch is only worth 30 points each time it is caught, making it a far less vital part of the game.

Now we know the rules of each player, let's break down each player's gameplay and how they differ from each other. Most positions are controlled with directional and pitch controls that allow you to move around the pitch. The exception is the Keeper, who has some ability to move around the pitch but mostly hovers in front of the Hoops, guarding them from the Quaffle. All players but the Keeper also have a boost that can be used to get down the pitch quicker. This comes with a stamina bar that slowly depletes, although there are boosts that can help you maintain more stamina.

The Keeper is a simple role, although very important. You guard the Hoops to stop the opposing team from scoring points with simple controls. You move in front of the Hoops, with an option to quickly switch between the hoops with a quick button sequence. You also have the option to draw plans for the team to give them boosts. As the Keeper, you have a good view of the whole match as it is happening, which means you are in a prime position to call plays. Calling a play means you leave blue rings in the pitch for Chasers to move through and have an increased boost.

The Chasers travel the whole pitch, throwing the Quaffle around to get it to the goal. The opponent team is doing the same, so there is a chance to intercept the Quaffle as the other team passes it around. The Chasers can also tackle the rival team to steal the ball and get it back to the opponent hop. You can switch between them while playing as the chaser and throwing the Quaffle around. While playing on the PlayStation, the default button to do this is up on the Dpad. You should change this; the triangle works really well, as it is very hard to reorient yourself when it's the same thumb that controls where you are going.

This issue is down to personal preference and has an easy fix due to the excellent accessibility options in the game. The other issue that accompanies switching between the players is how hard it is to reorient yourself. Some may find this easier as they play, but it can be really hard to work out where you are looking when you switch to a different Chaser. It could have been made easier by ensuring the player was left facing the same direction as you switched to them.

You can also call for a pass as a Chaser. This can be used in online matches to signal your team that you are open. It also works well with bots, as they are likelier to pass to you when they know you are free. There are also emotes and voice lines, accessible from the Dpad, which can be used to the same effect.

The Beater is in charge of the Bludger, an offensive ball which is used to attack rival players. You summon the Bludger to you and fire it at rival players to knock them off their broom. Each player has a health meter, which can be affected by the broom you choose to use with each player, and if they run out of health, they will be knocked from the broom and be out of play for a short time. The Beater can also Tackle rival players, becoming the Bludger themselves and causing them to drop the Quaffle.

While the Beater is a fun role, it is one that feels a little odd to switch to in a fast-paced game. Despite the speed you would expect from an offensive role, it is actually one of the roles that is the most slow during play. When the Bludger is off being fired as a player, it is unavailable to recall for a short time. While you can give it a boost as it fires towards the opponent, the Bludger is not ready to be shot again for a few moments meaning you can't do much unless you are near enough to another player to knock into them, but this isn't always an option.

As the Beater, one of the best ways to play is to target the Seeker. The Seeker has the ability to earn a lot of points fairly quickly by catching the Snitch. Hence, throwing off the rival Seeker is a very effective play. The Seeker has to spot and chase the Snitch. Spotting it is fairly easy; sometimes, the game we say you have seen is just on screen long enough, often without you even finding it yourself.

Once the Snitch has been found, it leaves a series of rings in its wake. Flying through these will let you boost indefinitely, as well as filling up a meter on the Snitch. Once this meter is full, you can close the distance and make a grab for the Snitch, earning your team 30 points. The Snitch is not in play for a few moments before being released again.

When you are in a match, you can switch between the roles through the Dpad, but be careful not to accidentally emote mid-game while trying to switch between roles. The speed at which you often need to switch between roles can be frustrating, as it is always two keys to switching roles. This means that when the Quaffle is nearing your goal, it is often a better idea to let the AI take over the Keeper or try to defend yourself as a Chaser, as switching, getting your bearings, and nailing the role in a split second is really hard.

When playing with friends, this is less of an issue. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions also has a multiplayer mode, which allows three people to take on the roles. Each player can play as Keeper and Chaser, Beater and Chaser, or Seeker and Chaser. This means every player always has something to do, and the Seeker will take on the Chaser role until the Snitch is released. While this seems like it would mean everyone gets to play a fair amount, it doesn't feel necessary. The Seeker is a really fun role, and waiting around for 60 seconds at the start of every game wouldn't be a real detriment to the role.

It seems like a waste that a 6v6 mode isn't available. The current 3v3 mode means you are switching between roles and don't have the chance to fully focus on one. It also leaves many situations where players will focus on their non-Chaser role, leaving the Chasers as just the AI playing. While teaming up with friends would have the potential to stop this, a game such as this should have the merits alone to play in a team online without communication, particularly when there is a method of communication in the game that doesn't always cut it effectively.

The 2003 Quidditch World Cup focused on the Chasers and Seekers. While it was not a perfect game and definitely lacked some depth, the simplicity of only having two positions to worry about made for a more streamlined experience. The 2003 game also had special moves, such as passing the Quaffle between chasers to earn boosts. Sadly, this feature is missing from Warner Bros. Games' version of the Quidditch experience.

The graphics of Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions are very stylized, following a cartoon-like design rather than the realism seen in the last big Harry Potter game, Hogwarts Legacy. The cartoon style is a lot of fun and makes for some suitably whimsical collectibles available in the game. However, this style can have issues, as it can be hard to see which players are on your team and which are the opponent players.

This is an issue with the game as a whole. The screen is busy, and the whole UI is filled with other players, arrows pointing out teammates and enemies, and warnings when Bludgers are coming your way. It is messy and gives the player far too much to keep track of. The sound is fine, it would have been good to have the sounds as Bludgers hit by a meatier, but it is not a huge issue.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is a fine way to experience the magical game of Quidditch. It is far too busy, and there is a huge skill ceiling that isn't introduced to the player well enough. The tutorial goes through each role, which is helpful, but more than that is needed to understand the flow of the game. While being a fun game with friends, it sadly lacks when playing alone, and the limited substance makes the whole thing feel like more of a DLC than a full game.