Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is a test run for Hogwarts Legacy 2. This video shows that.

After playing some Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions I have the immediate impression that this is a test run for the inclusion of the magical game in the likely upcoming sequel to Hogwarts Legacy. It's possible that it didn't begin this way. My money is on Warner Bros. Games to separate the experiences in order to sell two games instead of one, and thus, more Harry Potter fans. Money, of course. After Hogwarts legacy became the best-selling game of 2023 I'm not certain a sequel could exist without Quidditch. It seems like their union is inevitable, since Quidditch will be a huge upsell to gamers.

If there is to be Quidditch included in Hogwarts Legacy 2 then Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions will need to be re-taught. After playing it, I was left feeling a little overwhelmed by the game's fun-in-short bursts, but often confusing gameplay. You can see a video below that shows how the single-player mode works. Then I'll list what I like and don't like about my experience so far.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champion positives

• Explainer Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is a good game that breaks down the quite complex game of Quidditch. It gives the player introductory tutorials and guided gameplay for each position, whether it's the Chaser, Keeper, or Seeker. This is important because each position has its own unique abilities and movesets. When you start the game, you are automatically thrown into these tutorials.
• Mechanics -- The basic rules of the game are simple. You can either make a mad dash for the goal or pass the ball to your teammates as you fly to the enemy goal. If you don't get knocked off or tackled, and lose the Quaffle in the process, you can try to shoot the ball through one of the three goal rings defended by the opposing keeper. You score if you can get it past the goalkeeper. The first team to reach 100 points (or the highest score at the end of the clock) wins.

• Customisation- You can customize each member of your team. You can choose from a limited number of options but there are enough to make it interesting. You can select different hairstyles, colours, and faces. You can also assign outfits and accessories, such as custom broomsticks. You can create a team made up of Slytherin ne’er-do-wells by choosing from the standard Hogwarts house options.
• Presentation – The top-level display is excellent, with a visually appealing and excellent main menu screen from which you can choose the type of game that you want to play. Four different game modes are available, including Multiplayer, Exhibition, and Open Practice. There are plenty of options for Quidditch fans.
• Performance -- The game runs smoothly on older hardware. This game is not demanding in terms of minimum specs. I was able to play it at 60fps on an old gaming notebook equipped with a Nvidia GTX1080 Max-Q. On my main Nvidia RTX-3090Ti-equipped rig the game ran flawlessly with 60fps in 4K.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champion negatives

• Overload I've been overwhelmed by the sheer number of things that are happening on the screen at one time, even though I have completed the tutorials. Both teams of Quidditch athletes race around the arena at breakneck speeds, often very close together. While this is a great and accurate representation of the fictional game, it is difficult to keep track of the players, the Quaffle, and the people you might want to tackle or pass the ball to.
  The coloured arrows that appear on the screen's periphery give you a rough idea as to which direction you should be facing. But when there are many of them, it can get very confusing. It's not even mentioning the various colored rings that can be summoned from certain positions on the pitch to boost the speed and agility of team members. It's not always easy to know what the best course of actions are for your team.
• Handling- I have found it difficult to control the characters. I've struggled with them too much. This is particularly true when you want to quickly switch between positions, like going from Chaser to Keeper. Imagine the following scenario: A enemy Chaser is rushing towards your goal, and you are unable to stop them in time. You decide to manually control your Keeper to block the shot. You need to press two buttons fast, but without muscle memory it is difficult to do consistently. You take control of Keeper too late and the Quaffle flies straight into your goal.

• Roleplay- The fun factor of different roles in a team varies, at least for me. I find that playing as a chaser is the most fun, as it's the closest to the Harry Potter experience. I've never found it fun to play as the Keeper or Beater. As a Keeper, you'd think that using your Bludger to knock the enemy off their broomstick and attack them from a distance would be fun. But there's no oomph factor. Broomstick riders also don't crash into the ground as they do in movies, but instead hover down. It's not very good. My typical experience playing a Beater has been to switch over to them, chase an enemy Chaser straight on, get close enough to lock my Bludger and then throw it in order to knock the Quaffle from their hands or knock them off their broomstick. Rinse and Repeat.

• Seeker- Playing the role of Seeker (the player in the team who is responsible for attempting to capture the Golden Snitch, a small ball with wings which moves around the pitch very quickly) isn't nearly as much fun as it could be. You can choose your Seeker character when the Golden Snitch is revealed (its arrival will be announced). You will then be the Seeker and you must find the Golden Snitch (which is actually quite easy, in my opinion) on the pitch. Then, you have to race against the other Seeker to grab the Golden Snitch. You do this by following the Golden Snitch as it flies, flying through golden rings to maintain your speed, and staying close enough to it to press the trigger button. It doesn't get much simpler than that.
• Fun Factor I don't really like the game Quidditch, as it is depicted in this video. Playing this version only feels fun to me for very short periods of time, almost as though it would work best as a side activity in a larger game set in The Wizarding World. Hmmmm.

So there you have it. I think that this game, even at its lower price ($29.99/PS29.99 via Steam), will only be a real hit with those who are truly Quidditch-crazy. It's possible to have fun in short bursts, especially if you play with friends. But the unrefined controls and lack of oomph are what keep me away.

Imagine if Quidditch were to be a year-long open-world adventure within Hogwarts Legacy 2! There would be a narrative to the game, which would give it a more compelling reason for players to win. I would love to be able to sign up for Quidditch and attend tryouts in order to make the team. I could also shop in Hogsmeade for Quidditch equipment, complete challenges in order to unlock special moves, and play Quidditch whenever I wanted. Sounds magical to me.