Harry Potter Quidditch World Cup
Score: 77% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: EA Games Developer: Visual Sciences Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Action
Graphics & Sound: The idea of a Quidditch game certainly holds appeal, but probably seemed out of question to fans of the books. Unlike muggle (that's you non-magical folk) sports like football, hockey and baseball, there's just so much going on in Quidditch that it would be hard to keep track of everything. But, the digital wizards at EA felt they were up to the task and end up doing a nice job. Quidditch World Cup uses the same graphical engine as previous Potter games. This gives the game a nice look that really goes along with the feeling of the books. All of the characters look great (if a tad creepy at times) and are easy to pick out on a fast-paced field. This includes some less written about characters who you only hear about in passing in the books. The Hogwarts Quidditch pitch (field) also looks great. However, the real graphical magic comes in when you move beyond Hogwarts and into the World Cup settings. The World Cup pitches look remarkable and really show off some great special effects - even at the game's high speeds. It is really hard to keep your head in the game the first time you encounter some of these areas because you want to just sit and stare. Each of the World Cup teams, representing countries from around the world, has their own distinct look and uniform. I really liked the variety offered, but did have a problem when there were two teams whose primary color was yellow - which got confusing. In-game cinemas, which show both victory stances and special moves, are nice additions. Sound is just as tight and really fits with the action in the game. The in-game commentary is great and manages to keep up with what's going on in the game (which gets hectic at higher difficulty levels). The soundtrack is made up mostly of classical scores and highlighted by Messa de Requiem: Dies Irae and Messa de Requiem: Requiem. The names probably won't mean much to many of you - but trust me, you've more than likely heard the music.
Gameplay: The actual rules and procedures of Quidditch may seem a little confusing to muggles at first, but once you get into the game, it is really quite easy to understand. The game is essentially a high-speed mix of soccer, basketball and hockey played on flying brooms. Games are played on a pitch that looks like a soccer field, only with three giant rings on each side. Each team is made up of seven players, who take on four job roles. Two players take the role as Beater. It is their job to hit a ball called a Bludger with a bat and try to knock opposing players off their brooms. The giant rings are goals, and it is the Chaser's job to get the Quaffle into the one of the three rings. Doing so nets 10 points for the team. The goals are protected by a Keeper, who acts as goalie. Finally there is the Seeker, who has the hardest job of all. It's his (or her) job to find a small golden ball with wings - called the Snitch - and catch it. If the Seeker is able to catch the Snitch, the team is awarded 150 points and the game ends. One of my original concerns about the game was exactly how it was going to play out in controllable form. Sure this isn't the first time Quidditch has be represented in game form (it has been a part of every Harry Potter game released), but there you were only acting as the Seeker and the outcome of the game never really mattered unless you wanted to win all the House Points in the game. The system used in the game works better than I expected and fits. You spend most of your time acting as Chaser. You try to get the ball from the opposing team, pass it to you team mates and hopefully score goals. At sporadic times in the game, an icon will pop up letting you know that the Bludger is in play - at which point you can choose to take the role of Beater and try to knock someone off their broom. After the two parts of the Snitch meet at the top of the screen (pulling off special moves and goals brings them closer together), you become the Seeker. You don't play as the Keeper at any point in the game. Beyond the Hogwarts and World Cup, not much else is offered in the game. You can take part in challenges, which earn Quidditch cards. These unlock new aspects in the game such as new difficulty levels. You can also choose to go back and win cups with other teams. Personally, I would have loved to see an online component to the game. Even if it were just a one-on-one match up, it would have been lots of fun.
Difficulty: Quidditch World Cup doesn't seem like much of a challenge when you first pop the game into your PS2. In addition, the game feels like an absolute bore and you begin to question if you'll even make it to the World Cup mode. It is not until you get halfway through the Hogwarts Cup that you realize this is all just a training mode. I thought this move was brilliant and really helped to explain the mechanics of the game without overwhelming you. You begin by going through a Challenge activity that shows you what to do, then you are invited to put what you learned to use in a match. Winning matches unlocks new Challenges, which in turn teach you new aspects of the game. Transitioning between the Hogwarts and World Cups is almost like playing an entirely new game. Before you begin the World Cup you choose one of four broomsticks on which to compete with: Cleansweep, Nimbus 2000, Nimbus 2001 and Firebolt. Depending on which broom you choose, you'll get a faster, smarter game in which to compete. The first two brooms are nice challenges and good for getting you into the game, but Nimbus 2001 and Firebolt are where the game gets really fun.
Game Mechanics: Although the rules may be confusing, the control setup is easy to pick up. Getting back to the game's training aspect, every time you complete a challenge, a new button is added to your configuration. The X and O buttons handle the basic moves of the game like passing, shooting respectively. The shoulder buttons allow you to 'tweak' your passes and shots, which makes it harder to intercept and block the Quaffle. Pulling off successful moves (both tweaked and un-tweaked) fills up a meter. This opens up opportunities for a turbo boost and a shot at the Beater. As the Beater, you hit the Bludger and control its flight towards whoever you are targeting. This takes some time to get used to, but it is an important skill to master when you enter the harder difficulty levels. As the game progresses, you'll also have the chance to pull off both single and team-based special moves. Pulling off single moves is controlled similarly to trying to direct the Bludger. After activating the move, you steer a magic swirl towards the player with the Quaffle. If you're able to get him, a short cinema cuts in showing your player pulling off a spectacular move. Using team moves is different. Once the option comes up (and I'm still not sure how it comes up, it just does), you press two shoulder buttons and another cinema plays. These are some of the slickest moves in the game and each team has their own special ones - so it is fun to watch even when the other team is pulling it off. All in all, Quidditch World Cup is an interesting game that unfortunately won't get much of a look based on its license (at least not from non-fans). Those who break down their notions of 'childish' games will find a fun, fast-paced game that's just a little different from other things that are out there now. Perhaps the game's biggest flaw is its length and lack of things to do other than compete for the cup. The number of teams and difficulty levels offered should keep the game interesting for a bit, but after you've played through the game with half the globe, it tends to lose something.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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