Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions Review (PS5)

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Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions Review (PS5)

Perhaps the art style in Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is its greatest ******, as on face value, it may look like yet another live-service Fortnite-inspired clone, but deep down, it is actually quite a layered gaming experience based on one of the most iconic fictional sports ever created.

After spending a good few hours in the new Wizarding World title trying to master the various roles that come with a Quidditch team, it has become quite apparent that the sports would not have been done justice if it was just a mini-game in last year’s smash hit Hogwarts Legacy.

Quidditch Champions is seamless, smooth, extremely addictive, way more fun than it had any right to be, and a title that fans of the 2003 Electronic Arts classic will most likely appreciate.

Unbroken Studios Has Created a Highly Enjoyable and Layered Quidditch Experience

While there was growing skepticism among the Harry Potter fanbase when the initial gameplay footage for Quidditch Champions was revealed, with many fans arguing that it should have been a part of Hogwarts Legacy instead of a full-fledged title on its own, it’s safe to say that Unbroken Studios has managed to create an amazing video game based on the fantastical sport.

Sure, the mechanics and controls can get really jarring, especially at first and while playing solo, since one has to take control of various positions according to the presented situation.

But with none other than Ginny Weasley showing the player the ropes right from the very beginning, the gameplay becomes one of the standout aspects of Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions due to its highly entertaining and layered nature.

As Ginny and other iconic characters from the Wizarding World introduce the player to the different roles within a Quidditch team, using practical tutorials for each position to make things clearer, one quickly realizes that the developer did not just cater to Harry Potter fans while creating this game; it also ended up making a pretty interesting sports title in general.

No two roles serve the same purpose in Quidditch Champions, making each position feel like an important element of the team and giving every member a clear objective to accomplish if the squad wants to secure victory in the match.

Quidditch Champions Never Slows Down Thanks to Seamless Switching Between Positions

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Every position has its own important role to play in a Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions match. Image Credit: Warner Bros. Games

Wizarding World fans probably do not need any kind of introduction to the four positions that form any Quidditch team, all of which the latest Unbroken Studios title presents in a really interesting way with their own specific responsibilities.

While the Chaser has to rapidly get their hands on the Quaffle and try to score goals by throwing it into one of the three rings on the opposing side, the Keeper has to ensure that they stop that from happening at any cost.

That may sound like a typical sports approach that many other similar titles have already implemented, but it is the Beater and the Seeker that add a unique flavor to each Quidditch match, keeping everyone on their toes because of the unpredictability that comes with them.

The Beater can use the power of the Bludger to stun opponents or knock them off their brooms, while the Seeker has to keep their eyes on the most valuable prize on the field, the Golden Snitch, which thankfully only grants 30 points instead of the lore-correct 150 to keep things balanced among each role.

Of course, none of that would have been effective if the switching between the roles was not instant and seamless, but fortunately, it takes a second to switch to the preferred position, resulting in the gameplay feeling quite fast-paced and uninterrupted, as the immersion never really breaks.

In fact, even if one is playing solo, the match continues with bots in the background while perhaps the player’s Seeker is trying to catch the Snitch to give their team a much-needed boost over the competition, always keeping things lively and happening without much time to slow down.

Nostalgia Is Not the Only Thing That the Game Has in Store for Harry Potter Fans

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Familiar characters, arenas, and more are the cherries on top of this entertaining sports game. Image Credit: Warner Bros. Games

The moment Quidditch Champions boots up, a wave of nostalgia hits the player thanks to an instantly recognizable soundtrack, familiar characters, and notable arenas, but these just become cherries on top of an entertaining sports title rather than taking up the entire game.

There is plenty of customization that players can take part in to create their own characters, along with a couple of serviceable game modes to satisfy both single-player (at least to some extent) and multiplayer enthusiasts.

First comes the campaign, which may have benefited from some proper animations and cutscenes between the characters from across the Wizarding World, but it works as an effective mode to witness four major tournaments in all their glory.

From the Houses of Hogwarts competing against one another to the three major Wizarding schools going head-to-head, which then leads to a spectacular World Cup and a grand throwback to the 2003 title, the campaign may be short, but it serves as a great alternative for those who don’t feel like going online to play some Quidditch.

The 3v3 PvP multiplayer mode is clearly where Unbroken Studios has put most of its focus, with each player having to control two positions in the team while bots help out as well, an aspect that proved to be quite controversial when revealed but does not take much away from the overall experience once the brooms take flight.

With over 20 teams, more than 10 arena variations, the ability to unlock anything in the game by simply playing it, and leveling up the roles and brooms, Quidditch Champions has just enough content to keep it afloat for a while as the developer decides to include more additions before the game starts to feel a bit stale.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions Has a Lot of Potential as a Sports Video Game

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Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions succeeds more often than not, keeping the Wizarding World‘s winning streak in the realm of gaming alive. Image Credit: Warner Bros. Games

Quidditch Champions doesn’t just limit itself to its popular Harry Potter IP and flies the extra mile to become a potent sports video game that always keeps the momentum going and never feels dull in the process.

No match feels the same thanks to the wide variety of gameplay tactics that the game offers its players, with all four team roles taking the spotlight at one moment or another and the uninterrupted switching between them never ruining the immersion.

The lack of extensive single-player content could be a huge deal-breaker for those who like to experience games solo, since the priority for Unbroken Studios was clearly the online multiplayer mode, which makes way for some excellent competitive situations among any two teams.

However, if the developer can keep focusing and building on the latter with meaningful additions for years to come, the Wizarding World can become a force to be reckoned with in the realm of sports games just like it has done in the action RPG genre.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions Review (PS5) – A Worthy Successor to the 2003 Classic

After dominating the action RPG genre just last year, the Wizarding World now has a strong contender in the realm of competitive sports games with Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, if Unbroken Studios plays its cards right in future development.

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