Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions

I don’t envy the development team at Unbroken Studios. It is one thing to read about fabulous Quidditch matches in the Harry Potter books. It is another thing to see them depicted in the film series, depicted through state-of-the-art special effects that got better and better as the series went on. But it is something else entirely to take this fanciful sport that – let’s face it – is utter nonsense, and actually try to force it make some sense in the video game space.

Not only do you have to alter the rules enough to compensate for the “catch the Snitch and instantly win” narrative from the novels, but you also must frame the thing in a way that allows the lightning-fast action to be parsed by common muggles. In both of these endeavors, Unbroken Studios has succeeded admirably. Capturing the Snitch is now only worth 30 points, and is no longer an insta-win for the team that nabs it (sorry, Potter purists, but the rest of us are trying to play a game here). And while the frantic gameplay can be disorienting, with a little practice players will at least kinda be able to keep track of the goings-on.

To break it down for Potter noobs, Quidditch is a game played while whipping around a giant pitch on brooms. The core of the game involves the three Chasers attempting to get the Quaffle (the ball) through their opponents’ three goal hoops, avoiding the Keeper (the goalie). You have to fly around, chasing whichever opponent has the Quaffle, and attempt to knock it free so your team can get it, then pass it around while zipping down to the goal, ultimately hurling it in. So kind of like Soccer or Basketball, but on brooms.

With me so far? Okay, so the Chasers’ efforts are complicated by the Beaters (one per team), a player position that exists only to beat the hell out of the Chasers. Beaters can randomly “tackle” whomever they please by smacking into them midair, and can also launch “Bludgers” (a kind of bat) at opponents, knocking them into a daze. It is a violent, often funny, way to turn the tide against an otherwise successful rally.

The last player is the Seeker (no real-world sports analogy). Their job is to try to catch the aforementioned Snitch, which is a tiny walnut-sized ball that zips around the field at random. In this version of the game, a regular goal is worth 10 points, and catching the Snitch is worth 30 points, so it can be a real game changer.

Quidditch Champions does a fine job of explaining all of this in a concise, matter-of-fact manner that breaks down the goals and controls for each position over a series of brief matches. It is one of the better tutorial sequences I’ve experienced lately, but there is lot going on here, so new players might want to consider dipping back for a refresher after a few matches.

The brief campaign consists of four championship tournaments (including the tutorial), which run you through a series of matches, first with the other houses of Hogwarts, and then on a wider scale against other wizarding organizations. In matches, the player can dip between the four positions with the tap of a button (and also pass the Quaffle between the three Chasers, much in the style of a basketball or soccer title). Whenever you aren’t in direct control of a player, your AI takes over that position and handles things for you.

At first, I pretty much stuck to playing the Beater, as I found that gameplay to be both the most comprehendible and satisfying. Whenever the Snitch was released, I would swap over to the Seeker and attempt to make the catch, which generally involves following the Snitch around the field until a button prompt finally shows up, then tapping the button for an instant 30-point bonus.

Over time, I eventually got brave enough attempt life as a Chaser, which I found moderate success at. It does seem as though – if one were to take this game super seriously and make a real run at online success – this is the position that will likely be the game-winner. I will be perfectly honest and admit that I am absolute trash as the Keeper and am perfectly happy to let the AI handle these duties. I’m not sure if the game isn’t telegraphing which goal to block or if I just can’t read it well enough, but me taking over as Keeper generally guarantees an opponent goal.

So yes, the core of the game has been translated into something playable and recognizable to fans of sports games. All of the other expected sports game accoutrements are here as well, run through a friendly Potter filter for the kids. The free battle pass, various other unlockable cosmetics, some minor position-specific character upgrades – Unbroken Studios has made a reasonable attempt to include all of this stuff in the base product, with no microtransaction ickiness gloobing all over your kids. Nice touches all around. And a special shout-out to the soundtrack music, which really impresses and lends cinematic weight to the proceedings.

Still, though, the base product does feel a little lightweight. For folks picking up the game for free with a PlayStation Plus subscription, this is probably not a problem at all. There is plenty of fun to be had dipping in for a couple of seven-minute matches and dipping back out again. And for players that want to get good enough to feel confident hopping online to test their skills, this shorter campaign will probably do the trick. However, for chumpy old men like me, the 3v3 online sent me quickly scurrying back to the safety of solo play, as my confidence is sadly lacking, which left me with not a lot left to do beyond some one-off matches. (Side note: A 6v6 mode is in development for later in 2024, for those with five Potterhead friends that want to ransack the online competition.)

Regarding that lack of confidence, I just haven’t fully locked into the gameplay, try as I might. Even after completing the campaign, I still feel like there might just be a wee too much happening on the field in Quidditch Champions for me to really lock in and feel in control. Too much activity is dependent on the game’s AI to feel like it’s really me winning games, and not me and five AI robot friends. It’s a strange dynamic, where I both feel like I need to rely on the bots to help me win, but I also feel like I’m relying on them too much. I had fun for a time playing matches and stacking up battle pass prizes, but after a time, I had my fill and sat the controller down.

I suppose your enjoyment of Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions will come down to how committed you really are to actually getting good at the game, as opposed to faking it and letting the bots carry you. I fall into the “not committed enough” category, but I can’t be mad at those that will enjoy this game. Unbroken Studios had a nigh impossible task here, and I have to respect the extremely friendly and playable end product they produced.