So here we go with a new Harry Potter mobile game.

This time it’s brought to us by Niantic Inc and it is essentially the copy of Pokemon Go. While that can be a bad thing, I think in this instance it isn’t and Niantic learned from Pokemon Go to help their new Harry Potter game.

All the Poke Stops and Pokemon Gyms carry over to Wizards Unite as Inns and the Harry Potter equivalent. So you can pretty much be playing both games at the same time so that you can collect stuff as you walk around, which is very nice. Instead of Pokemon, you are casting spells to release items from a spell, and you have to draw with your finger the exact same image that’s on the screen or else you don’t complete the task. There is one downside to this though, and that is spell energy, which is pretty self explanatory as to what its for. You use one per spell cast, and you don’t regenerate over time, you have to go to an Inn and use it to regenerate your energy, but at the cost of waiting around every five minutes for the cooldown.

You are able to collect items laying on the ‘ground’ around your avatar, as well as portkeys. The items you collect are able to create potions that help you with your spell casting. As an aside, I do wish Pokemon Go would come out with something similar because it does have the ability to create different PokeBalls to assist in the capture, but that’s for another time. The portkeys are similar to the Eggs in Pokemon Go, where you have to walk a certain distance to unlock them, which this holds my biggest gripe. Pokemon Go allows you to walk around with the app closed and your eggs hatch. Wizards Unite does not allow this. I work for a company that keeps me moving all day, and to not have a feature similar to Adventure Sync, is pretty annoying. I’ve walked more than 13 miles in the last week, and not one of my portkeys are opened because I do not have the app open.

The avatar you play, you can customize down to the exact minute detail. You can use your actual face for your profile, or you can use filters similar to snapchat to make you look like a Death Eater, or even just go with a generic picture of a Wizard Robes. You have a vast amount of Titles you can choose from, at level 6 you can choose your own profession, choose the house that you were apart of at Hogwarts, pick which achievements you display on your profile, and finally, which I think is the most important, completely customize your own wand. Your friends list is available right away to you as well.

The Break Down:

Pros

• Poke Gyms and Stops are transferred over to create Inns and other similar places to collect things
• Collectables to be picked up to create Potions to help you ‘capture’ items
• Graphics are great for this game
• Very Customizable Profile
• Friends list is open right away

 

Cons

• Portkeys being unlocked are currently not being tracked while the game isn’t being played unlike Pokemon Go.
• Spell Energy

 

Graphics: 5/5

Controls: 4/5

Gameplay: 3/5

While I enjoy this game, there are some big factors that do hurt this game. One being the Spell Energy and not being able to regenerate, it slows down anyone who wishes to remain free to play. Secondly is the portkeys not being able to be unlocked while the app is closed. One game already has it set up and is made by the same company, while this game does not. This does provide a way to experience being a real world wizard outside of actually playing a standalone roleplaying game.

Overall: 4/5