When Hogwarts Legacy came out last year many gamers were more than a little disappointed that Quidditch wasn't featured. Little did we know at the time that Warner Bros. Games and Unbroken Studios were working on a game centred around the wizarding sport, with the announcement of Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions earlier this year bringing music to our ears. But now that it's finally here, how does it measure up to fans' lofty expectations?
Transporting players to the Burrow, the game jumps into a lengthy tutorial, introducing us to the various controls and positions. Whilst at the Weasley residence Ginny along with Ron, Fred and Harry Potter himself explain the game's mechanics and the unique differences between being a Chaser, Keeper, Beater or Seeker. This proves to be a fun and engaging way of getting gamers familiar with the different controls, as despite there being several similarities to each role, they all prove to be extremely different.
All four positions have their own focal points. The most basic amongst these is Chaser, with their objective being to grab hold of the Quaffle and send it flying through one of the three goals in the opponent’s half. The main defence to this is the Keeper, with the stationary role allowing players to keep focus on the Quaffle, having to swiftly move between the three goals to save shots. Aiding the Keeper in the defence of their goal hoops is the Beater, with this attacking player taking possession of a Bludger to send flying into an opposing player, either stunning them or temporarily knocking them out of play. The final, and possibly most important position is the Seeker, with their job being to keep track of the Golden Snitch and follow it fiercely to catch it before the opposing Seeker, netting a hefty 30 points for their team.
Now there was a lot of discussion regarding the changes to the reward for catching the Golden Snitch, but in principle they prove beneficial to the game, prolonging the length of a match. What Unbroken Studios has accomplished here is quite impressive, with the swift transition between roles allowing for dynamic gameplay. This seamless switch allows players to make a dramatic save as a Keeper to then pass to one of multiple Chasers to try and score a goal, with the sighting of the Snitch making an appealing choice to control your Seeker to go after it. What makes this even more dynamic is no matter what position you find yourself in control of, the AI will take command of the remaining roles, aiding in your quest for success.
Despite all this the game does take some time to get used to, with the manoeuvrability in particular being a little tricky to get the hang of. Having various different controls to master for each position, the game will naturally come to some players quicker than others, with the game’s fast pace nature potentially taking a while to get the hang of. As you progress through the game, playing a handful of matches things should start clicking together, with its dynamic gameplay being a joy for the most part. Just don't be surprised if you find yourself a little lost at times, struggling to keep track of the Quaffle or Snitch.
The games campaign sees players progress through a series of tournaments, starting with the Hogwarts House Cup. After checking this off gamers will find themselves taking on other schools, controlling one of the three Triwizard schools; Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. This all culminates in participating in the Quidditch World Cup, seeking victory for your respective country. Though this is a thoroughly enjoyable mode, allowing players to join their friends online, it ultimately feels far too short in length. Its function as a campaign also feels rather limited, as despite having a handful of cutscenes and occasional interactions from opposing teams, it focuses predominantly on its tournament bracket setting. Nevertheless what it does offer is sure to appeal to most, with its various difficulty levels and your preferred playstyle allowing for some level of diversity.
The game also features an Exhibition mode as well as 3v3 online multiplayer, the latter of which can also be utilised in the games campaign. In this mode, each player on your team takes on the role of a Chaser as well as one of the remaining positions; Keeper, Beater and Seeker. This simplistic way of divvying up responsibility naturally comes with both pros and cons, with the skill set of your teammates having the potential to aid in your success or contribute to your downfall. Thus communication and utilising each player's preferred skillset is a must, as even if you're all amazing Chasers, putting someone that struggles as either Keeper or Seeker can result in an easy victory for your opponent. Despite this the mode proves a lot more stable than anticipated, with real life players typically providing a better challenge than the AI.
The game also allows players to either create their own character or control popular ones from the Wizarding World. The former, though limited in its options, permits gamers to create a player in their own image as well as the ability to form a diverse team. These various customisations give the choice of different hairstyles and facial features, as well as different brooms to equip. As you progress through the game more options will become available, including House uniforms and Quidditch robes that mirror those from the films. In addition to all this there are certain attires and brooms that are only available through certain criteria including pre-ordering, Twitch, PlayStation Plus and owning Hogwarts Legacy.
One of the major questions looming over the game is its longevity, and how long players will remain invested in its online multiplayer. Now if it's anything like similar sporting games such as EA FC or NBA 2K then there shouldn't be much of an issue, with both having plenty of players even when newer entries hit the market. The only worry with the likes of Quidditch Champions is whether it's a novelty that will quickly wear off, with many PvE horror games suffering this fate once the initial buzz dissipates. Nevertheless, given its low price and lack of microtransactions should be enough to entice fans into at least giving it a chance, with the addition of it being free to PlayStation Plus subscribers sure to bring in players that wouldn't necessarily play such a game in the first place.
Verdict
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions exceeds expectations being easily the best video game adaptation of the popular wizarding sport to date. Unfortunately it does lack in several departments, with its short campaign mode and initially awkward controls making it feel like a novelty that will soon wear off. Despite this what Unbroken Studios does offer is a fun game, with its engaging tutorial and 3v3 multiplayer adding to what is already an easily immersive experience.
6.5/10
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