Put aside any personal thoughts about something. Harry Potter creator in a moment, i am pleasantly surprised Hogwarts Legacy was one of my favorite games of 2023. With fond memories of both that game and the classic Quidditch World Championship title from the original Xbox, i went to review Harry Potter: Quidditch Champion with a heart full of hope.
Finally, I found that Harry Potter: Quidditch Champion is a worthy version of the fictional magical sport. The star of the show is the gameplay, which translates broomstick sports into video game form in a humorous and extremely entertaining way. In some ways, it’s almost like my new obsession with the way I shamelessly played Blitzball alone for about 40 hours. Final Fantasy X.
For those not too familiar with the sport, Quidditch is essentially football or basketball but on broomsticks. Wizards and witches fly around on their broomsticks, passing the ball (called the Quaffle) in the hopes of scoring a goal in one of the opponent’s three goals.
However, this basic idea has enough appeal to change things up. For example, there are many different roles in Harry Potter: Quidditch Champion. You have three Chasers, who are characters that try to score points with the Quaffle. Then each team has a Beater who has his own ball to throw at the opponent to try to knock them down.
Of course, there’s also a Keeper who protects goals from being scored on. Finally, there’s the Seeker — my favorite role — which fans will remember well from Harry Potter movie. This is the role he pursued to win the prestigious Golden Snitch, scoring 30 points for the team.
All four of these roles combine to create an engaging and often complex playstyle. There’s so much to explore from a gameplay perspective that it takes time to master each one. This is because, to developer Unbroken Studios’ credit, each role feels unique. Chaser is the most standard role, focusing on sprinting, tackling, passing, and scoring.
But then Beater takes that basic movement system and adds his own offensive flair to it. It becomes a much more skill-based experience with this role. It’s all about eliminating other players, sometimes quite violently.
Keeper is pretty simple but has some interesting hooks. You have less freedom of movement than others, as you focus on moving between rings. But there are layers to this defensive role, like blocking and tackling others. Additionally, you can place rings around the field for your team. These rings act as power-ups that give your team extra power, providing a leader-like role.
While Seeker is the simplest, it is also sometimes the most fun. Your entire goal is to find the Snitch and chase it around the field. This is done by using the golden rings that the Snitch drops for you to pass through. These rings give you an unlimited speed boost as you pass through them and get closer to it. Once you build up a bar before your opponent does, you can grab it. The challenge here comes from the speed at which the Snitch moves and the constant dodging you have to do to avoid other players, which makes the game interesting.
I absolutely love the gameplay of Harry Potter: Quidditch Champion to the point where I’ve been obsessing over it in my spare time every day since I got it. However, the gameplay only gets you so far. Unfortunately, while the gameplay foundation is as solid as it could be, the content lets it down. At least at launch.
Thankfully, there is a single-player experience. It includes a practice mode and four trophies, ranging from the Weasleys’ backyard to the iconic World Cup. However, you can absolutely get through all of this in a total of two to three hours. And once you’re done, there’s little reason to return to it other than the challenges.
This is definitely a game that lasts for a few hours. The real draw then comes from the PvP, but even that is lacking in terms of content. There’s only a single 3v3 mode at the moment, which doesn’t seem to be fully fleshed out. We know a full 6v6 mode is coming in the future, but that’s what this game is built for. It makes sense to have everyone on your team play a dedicated role. It’s a shame that there won’t be one at launch.
It’s unfortunate because there are some neat systems at work outside of the modes. First, there are a ton of skins and characters to unlock. Thankfully, you don’t have to pay a dime for any of them either. There are no microtransactions, which feels refreshing. The challenges, while basic, provide some structure and a small reason to come back for cosmetic rewards.
It’s a shame that there aren’t more game modes both online and offline for you to enjoy. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champion lays such a great foundation with the perfect gameplay of this fictional sport. Each role is meaningful, unique and worth playing. It starts very simple but has enough complexity that only the most dedicated can master it.
While the platform is great, it only goes so far. While it has the potential to become my next online gaming obsession, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champion Unfortunately, this feature will have to be temporarily ignored until more exciting content and game modes are added.
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champion Now available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and ComputerThe game will also be released for Nintendo Switch sometime during the holiday season of 2024.
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Harry Potter: Quidditch Champion
Your next chapter is about to take off! Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of Quidditch by playing alone or sharing the magic with friends and family.
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions has adapted this fictional magical sport brilliantly with engaging gameplay, roles, and moves, but there’s just not enough valuable content yet.
Food for thought
- Play as Harry Potter by reaching level 45
- 6v6 Multiplayer Coming Soon
- Connect your WB Games and Harry Potter Fan Club accounts to unlock awesome rewards
A copy of this game was provided by the publisher for review. Reviewed on PS5.
