Review cwknight 3/5 · Jan 3, 2023
Wish I'd played this as a kid!
Quidditch World Cup is actually a lot better than I was expecting, and I definitely would have loved this game to pieces when I was a kid.
What you have here is a really interesting little fantasy sports game -- I feel like they did a good job translating Quidditch into something actually playable. It's not without its criticisms, of …
Quidditch World Cup is actually a lot better than I was expecting, and I definitely would have loved this game to pieces when I was a kid.
What you have here is a really interesting little fantasy sports game -- I feel like they did a good job translating Quidditch into something actually playable. It's not without its criticisms, of course, but they were able to make something that feels a little bit like a simple hockey game with an emphasis on passing plays. For the majority of the game, you play as the Chasers trying to score points. But points aren't the only thing that matters -- what's more important generally than scoring points, is a need to make "Combos" by passing the ball quickly around your players before shooting to score. If you do it quick enough such that the combo is held, when you score you will fill up a bar at the top of the screen that confers a speed advantage to your Seeker at the end of the game. The combos also contribute toward the Seekers actually spotting the Snitch -- once the bars at the top of the screen for each team meet, the seekers have spotted the Snitch and the endgame begins. Because the Snitch is worth so many points, what you're really trying to do is build up enough of a speed-boost bar for your Seeker, so that they are more likely to grab the Snitch.
Once you are in the end game, you take control of the Seeker, and you play this little "roller coaster" style game where you chase after the Snitch on a circuitous path, attempting to stay in the center of the lane, which refills your speed bar. If you're able to stay in the center and boost up to meet the Snitch, you can grab it and (usually) win!
There's a few other mechanics related to bludgers and special moves, but this is the essential part of the game.
I think there are some critiques -- the tutorial (held at Hogwarts) is kinda strange, and I wish that it were more clear about its "tutorialness". What they have you do is they introduce you to moves, then have you play a game with only the moves you've learned so far. I find it strange to play full games with only a subset of the full mechanics available. But this is a minor critique.
In addition to the gameplay, the art design of this game is amazing. Every country has their own unique Quidditch Arena, with a look and design that reflects that country. The Japanese arena is particularly beautiful. I really enjoyed seeing these new locations in the Harry Potter universe. I also really liked how deep they delved into the lore on this -- after you complete the World Cup, you unlock a "Queerditch Marsh" arena that you can play in, and in the tutorial they use a Golden Snidget bird for the Snitch tutorial. In the lore of Harry Potter, Quidditch was invented in a place called "Queerditch Marsh", and they originally used these little magical birds called Golden Snidgets as the Snitch, before the witches and wizards invented the enchanted ball. This stuff really satisfied me as a Harry Potter fan.
Quidditch World Cup is a really enjoyable little fantasy sports game, and I'm really glad that I played it!