Quidditch World Cup

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Platforms:	PC, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox
Publisher:	Electronic Arts
Developer:	Visual Sciences Ltd.
Genres:	Racing / Arcade Racing
Release Date:	October 28, 2003
Game Modes:	Singleplayer / Multiplayer

As soon as a heavyweight franchise like Harry Potter flashes its name around, fans whisper sweet, game-lore nothings to each other. But with Quidditch World Cup, the developers at EA Games spent so much time trying to satisfy fans, they failed to make an actual sports game.

Quidditch World Cup begins in Hogwarts, and you play as one of the four houses. After defeating the others, you easily beat the almost never-ending World Cup. This is effortless because stealing the Quaffle from the opponent is a matter of proximity and the single push of a button. This adds up to uncontested wins; you can even lose the race for the Golden Snitch—a whopping 150 points—and still smoke your computer opponents, all of which seem a bit too eager to let you win and accept defeat.

The lack of difficulty is only surpassed by the lack of control. You’re unable to fly up or down at will, and you only control one Chaser; the game decides which one. This ruins all great passing opportunities, Quaffle interceptions, and true-to-the-franchise Bludger attacks. There is no real mastery since there is no actual skill involved. Therefore, matches against real players (on the same machine) end up in lengthy volleys, low scoring, and haphazard winning. EA left out online multiplayer, though it’s hard to miss that feature when the game is this dull.