Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup

"Fun, fast-paced Quidditch action that does justice to the Harry Potter market."

Introduction
Unless you've been under a rock for the past five years, you've probably heard of Harry Potter, an adolescent wizard at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. If you HAVE been under a rock for the past five years, then let me introduce you to Harry Potter, an adolescent wizard at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At the school, there's a magical sport called Quidditch in which players ride around on brooms while trying to maneuever balls into hoops. Sound simple? Play the game.

Graphics - 8/10
I expected the Xbox version of this game to have the best graphics out of all (hence the reason I picked it up rather than the Gamecube version). However, I was surprised that the graphics were somewhat choppy during the Menu shots. But during the game, they are smooth, colorful, and so reminiscent of the movie's Quidditch scenes. With wicked cool environments and awesome cut-scenes throughout the game, the graphics will definitely be eye candy for some.

Gameplay - 8/10
Chaser, Beater, Seeker, Keeper--take your pick. You can control all four of these positions in the game (without having to choose one for the entire match). The ability to switch between players during a single match is definitely a plus for the game that I didn't expect. Each unique position has controls that are easily learned and mastered, but somewhat repetitive. However, this is cancelled out by the wonderfully creative Special Moves that you earn throughout the game. Use them wisely and you'll be rewarded with collectable Quidditch cards (there are 104 of them to collect throughout the game).
Additionally, there are three modes. In Exhibition, you can play a normal Quidditch match against a friend or the computer, both of which are tons of fun. In Hogwarts, you compete for the Quidditch House Cup by controlling all of the four teams (you'll have to if you want to get all the cards). In the uber-cool World Cup mode, you control one of many pro Quidditch teams from all over the world, and compete for the World Cup! Very fun and very competitive, with plenty of challenge within. If you're a speed demon, though, don't expect it from this game. While there's plenty of action, it feels slow at some points.

Sound - 8/10
The sound in QWC is very well-fit for the action that takes place. It's fast-paced, it's whimsical--there's pretty much nothing wrong with it. The characters also speak, and it might just be my Xbox, but if not, then their voices do not match up with their mouth movements. Also, don't expect the voiceovers to be done by the movie's cast--all you've got is a bunch of English people (and some other accents for the other countries). But nobody buys a game for voiceovers.....right?

Replayability - 7/10
This game could be classified as a sports game, meaning that you can play infinitely many times, and each game would be different. This statement holds true only somewhat to QWC. Until you unlock all the special moves, the game is extremely repetitive, and therefore not that fun to play. However, once you do unlock all the moves and Quidditch cards, the game is great fun. So, it's all in how much you play it. If you play a lot, it'll be more fun that if you had only played a little. Good idea.

Rent or Buy
I bought this game just because I'm a huge Harry Potter fanatic, and well, I'm still torn. At times, I think I should have rented it, yet I'm very happy I bought it. It's an odd feeling. If you're a Harry Potter fan, this is a must-buy game. If you're just interested in playing Quidditch or seeing what the hype is about, then pick it up at a rental store.

Overall - 7/10
Ignore the scores I gave each individual category. They are only there to show you what each is like, but they do not contribute to the game's final score. While QWC is a fun game, I feel it could be much better. If a sequel was to be made, I would like to see 4-player action, the ability to create your own team, customizable arenas/weather, and being able to be one position instead of all of them. Having 4 people on the same Quidditch team would be TONS of fun, or even just 2 people. :)

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/01/04