Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup, Desktop Computer

With the third instalment of the Harry Potter film series not due until next year, Electronic Arts has filled the void with the release of Quidditch World Cup, a virtual representation of the magical sport. It's a fictional game, so let's take a look at the rules. Each team comprises of three Chasers, two Beaters, the Keeper and the Seeker. Chasers are responsible for scoring with Quaffles, perhaps the easiest ball to control in the game. Beaters are charged with controlling the lively yet hostile Bludgers, and the Keeper guards the hoop goals. But the Seeker is the most important player in the game, charged with hunting down and capturing the elusive Golden Snitch. The Golden Snitch is the wildcard in the game of Quidditch. It's a tiny winged ball that's near impossible to see, and it moves extremely quickly. Catch it, however, and the game is over. With such seemingly complicated game rules, we expected EA's implementation of the fictional game to be extremely limited and difficult to learn. But this isn't the case, and with five initial challenges included to teach gamers the basics, players will be armed with all the game knowledge they need to compete in the World Cup Tournament. Players can choose from a range of teams including the USA, Bulgaria and Japan. Players must then make their way up the gaming ladder by defeating the team ranked above them by a varying amount of points. That's where the strategy element kicks in. You can either target the Golden Snitch as soon as the game starts, or try to amass enough points to overthrow your competitors first. The PC version is perhaps the best looking of the bunch, boasting crisp, hi-res visuals, but players really need to be armed with a control pad to get the most out of Quidditch. It's a worthy purchase, though. Quidditch World Cup isn't by any means a cheap cash-in, it's a good-looking 'sports' game and a fine addition to the Harry Potter canon.

Buy Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup for 0.49 GBP

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