Unless you've been living in the caves of a remote, desert country, you've
probably noticed that Potter-mania is once again sweeping the world. As
millions of people eagerly read the newest installment, Harry Potter and
the Order of the Phoenix, some are left wondering when the next game
will make its appearance (or at least I am). While the lack of a Harry
Potter movie being released this year would lead some to believe that this
would be a 'Potter-free' year on the consoles (something Snape would surely
enjoy), EA has ambitious plans to take the Harry Potter license in a very
unique, and exciting new direction with Harry Potter: Quidditch World
Cup.
For those who've never read the books or seen the movies, Quidditch is the
sport of choice for the wizards and witches in Harry's world, featuring 2
teams of seven broom-riding wizards, four balls in simultaneous play (the
Quaffle, two Bludgers, and the Golden Snitch) and a unique scoring system.
Like other sports, each team is made up of different positions. Chasers use
the Quaffle to try and score goals; Beaters try to control the dangerous
Bludgers from knocking teammates off of their brooms; the Keeper acts as a
goalie and protects the goal; and the Seeker tries to catch the Golden
Snitch which, once caught, awards the team with 150 points and automatically
ends the match.
Though Quidditch has already been featured in previous Harry
Potter games, it has been little more than a mini-game, rather than a
fully realized sport. Perhaps the biggest difference between this game and
previous ones is that for the first time, players will have complete control
over all of the positions in the game rather than being limited to Seeker
duties. How this will be handled remains to be seen, but judging from the
game's trailer (which can be found on the game's official site), the action
looks incredibly exciting and could make for a very unique experience.
Players will begin the game by selecting one of the four Hogwarts Houses
(Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin) and competing for the
Hogwarts House Cup. This section will serve as training for the game's later
challenge, the international Quidditch World Cup. Here players will be able
to play as any of the international teams, such as Bulgaria, Norway,
England, and the United States. Each team will sport their own strengths and
tactics that will lend themselves to different strategies of play. Teams
will also feature their own unique uniforms and rosters, complete with
players straight from the books such as Harry Potter, Oliver Wood, Draco
Malfoy, and Victor Krum (the world's greatest Quidditch player). In addition
to a deep single-player mode, the game will also hold the distinction as
being the very first multiplayer Harry Potter game.
Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup is scheduled for release this fall
on all consoles and the PC.
