Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup

"A great game...for a few hours"

This has been one of the few Harry Potter games I've played thoroughly. It is a very fun, simple, and excitingly fast-paced game. You get to play as the chasers, beaters, and seekers on any one of a variety of teams. The only position you can't play is the Keeper, but this isn't much of a disappointment.

Graphics 9/10
The game is extremely fluid for the low system requirements. The texture of the stadiums and the people looks really nice. The animations are very smooth as well. The voiceovers aren't amazing, but they aren't that bad either. There are minor annoying problems though, such as the crowd looking like it was straight outta NBA '97 and the likes. Overall though it's some nice eye candy, especially the scenery.

Sound 8/10
Nothing too special about the sound, but it is definitely there. The same track of music plays over and over, but at least it matches the action of the game. The voices are really nice, complete with at least somewhat believable accents. Comments from the announcers are also really nice, but you're usually too focused on the game to notice.

Gameplay 9/10
This is where the game really shines. EA manages to make quidditch feel like an actual sport. You move quickly up and down quidditch fields, executing anything from tackles to team scoring specials that involve your whole team. To score with the quaffle is quite easy initially, but to build up real credit for your seeker takes some practice. The beater play is tough I found. You have to guide a sporadic bludger into hitting the enemy chaser which is basically so hard that beating becomes worthless. The seeker play is really neat and will have you on the edge of your seat as you frantically chase after the snitch.

Difficulty 7/10
The games first three difficulty levels are really, really easy. On the first two you should be winning games by upwards of 300-0. The enemy seekers absolutely suck. The game gets somewhat challenging on the ''firebolt'' (final) level of difficulty, but since you play through most of the game earning the ''firebolt'', it kind of defeats the purpose.

Controls 6/10
WASD controls are not allowed, which is disappointing. Also, the game essentially forces you to use the number pad because certain moves and combo moves can't be executed with the mouse. This makes the controls seem kind of limited. Luckily, they don't take TOO long to learn and they're pretty simple.

Replayability 5/10
This is essentially what kills the game. It's a really, really small game. Completing it and winning both cups will take almost no time at all if you know remotely what you're doing. Collecting all of the quidditch cards takes a bit longer, but even that doesn't bring the hours of gameplay up.

Overall 7/10
Basically, a good game if you're looking for some quick, brief fun. If you're a fan of Harry Potter and a fan of video games, you'll like it. It is a good one for the kids, but don't plan on necessarily getting your money's worth seeing as how little there is to do after a certain point. Happy gaming!

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/16/03