A fun but not very magical sports title
2023’s Hogwarts Legacy was a great game, but at its release, many people took to their keyboards to complain about the loss of one integral part of the Potterverse – the game of Quidditch. The sport was given a mention and the playing field was sighted but players weren’t given the opportunity to enjoy the Quaffle-chasing pasttime.
In fairness, the fact that Quidditch wasn’t included in that game is perhaps of little surprise. Hogwarts Legacy was more an action RPG than a simulation title so gamers didn’t get to live out every facet of life at Hogwarts. The planned sequel might lean more into the sim side of things but regardless if it does or not, Potter fans can now live out their dreams of becoming a Quidditch champion in the appropriately titled Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, which is out now on PC and all current consoles.
So, is this new game any good? Well, it’s okay. The team at Unbroken Games Studios have done a decent job of bringing the sport of Quidditch to life but due to a lack of graphical finesse and occasionally chaotic gameplay, the game isn’t quite as immersive as it could have been.
Players are eased in with a handy tutorial which covers such Quidditch basics as flying around on a broomstick and how to score a goal after catching the little round ball known as a Quaffle. During the tutorial, players take on various roles within their team so they can learn the intricacies of being a Chaser, Beater, Keeper, and Seeker.
The Chaser manoeuvres the field to get hold of the Quaffle and score a goal. They can also pass the Quaffle to a teammate who is flying near the goal (a set of three hoops) in the hope that they will score a point for the team.
The Beater’s job is to attack the opposing team with Bludgers (iron balls) to either cause them to drop the Quaffle if they’re holding it or put them off their stride if they’re chasing after the ball.
The Keeper guards their team’s hoops and stops the opposing team from scoring a goal. And the Seeker goes after the Golden Snitch (a gold-coloured ball) and nets their team a handy 30 points if they manage to grab hold of the fast-moving object.
During a tournament, you can switch between each role at will, so you aren’t confined to one position for the duration of the match. If you’re a Chaser, you can also switch to another Chaser if that gives you an advantage in the game. So, if your current character is nowhere near the Quaffle, you could switch to a Chaser that is, in the same way that you might do when playing a FIFA game or most other sports titles for that matter.
Movement is very smooth so you’ll have little trouble navigating the pitch. However, it’s not always easy to keep track of the Quaffle, especially when the game is in full flow and the ball is being passed from one person to the next in rapid succession. A handy arrow will alert you to its general direction, so it’s not impossible to find it. But especially in the game’s early stages when you’re still figuring out the controls, you might have some trouble keeping your eye on the ball when it is flitting around the field.
Unfortunately, you can’t play as Harry Potter, Draco Malfroy, or any of the other major franchise characters, but they do feature in the game, either on your team (depending on which House you have chosen) or on the opposing side. The rest of the playing field is made up of characters that you choose from the game’s starting screen. These aren’t people that you’ll recognise from the movies but you can customise them to your liking and in theory make them resemble your favourite Hogwarts students.
Graphically, the game is functional rather than outstanding. On the PS5 it looks very last-gen, with none of the graphical bells and whistles that we might expect from this overpowered console. That’s not to say the game looks bad but there was never a moment when I was blown away by what I was watching on screen. Of course, when you’re in the thick of the action, the lack of graphical finesse won’t matter. But as a passive viewer, you might be disappointed by the bland backgrounds and lack of detail on the playing field.
As expected, the game can be played in both single-player and multiplayer modes. When playing solo mode, it’s 6 vs 6 action but for some reason, it’s only 3 vs 3 when playing against online opponents. This isn’t too big an issue, as matches become less frantic when playing against fewer players on the pitch. But the opportunity to play in a full team might be preferred by some, especially as the included Crossplay option gives gamers more scope for adding friends who play on different consoles.
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions will probably best be enjoyed by fans of the movies and the original books. The appearance of fan-favourite characters will give some gamers a thrill, as will the opportunity to take part in the game of Quidditch itself, which captures every facet of the fictional sport.
Non-fans might also enjoy the game but as it sticks rigidly to the formula set out by other sports titles, they may be disappointed by the lack of magic in the gameplay department. Thankfully, it’s free on PS4 and PS5 (to players with PS Plus) and it’s relatively inexpensive to buy on other formats, so if the game doesn’t blow you away, at least you won’t have spent a lot of money on this fun but unremarkable title.
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