Post 7: GPS Game

This week, we played a mobile game called Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. This game is an augmented reality game that follows a similar sort of style as other games like Ingress and Pokemon Go. That is to say, it had a lot of spots that you had to walk to to access aspects of gameplay. And parts of the gameplay happened over top of the world seen by your phone camera so that it looks like Hagrid is standing right in front of you.

I was twelve days from turning seven years old when the first Harry Potter movie came out. I was surrounded by Harry Potter everywhere I went as a kid. There was a time I was not a fan, but I think that was due to fatigue and me being an angsty teenager.

So I enjoyed hearing John Williams’ musical score again when I booted up this game, and it was nice to see familiar characters and I felt the humor of the game was in line with the rest of J.K. Rowling’s vision.

I was bummed that it did not offer a chance to sign in to your Pottermore account so you did not have to get sorted or register a wand or a patronus or anything like that. And I felt the sorting and creating a character part was a little lackluster considering that’s one of the more fun parts of being a fan of Harry Potter. A lot of people take those quizzes that determine what merch to buy and what your imaginary aspects of customization are. So to see it as basically a dropdown menu was a little disheartening.

That being said the game is fine really, if you’re the type to enjoy that sort of thing. I experienced a lot of the same things I did when Pokemon go was new. That one had houses, too, only they were called teams. I remember people being just as fervent about their Pokemon team identification as their Harry Potter house back when J.K. Rowling hadn’t written all the books yet.

Having a lot of people all around you while you play certainly makes things nicer. Everyone is able to participate and see what is happening on your device which adds more authenticity than making Hagrid appear in miniature on your desk in class. That would be a sight if it happened for real.

I didn’t like, however, and others noticed as well, how there were some inaccuracies. I literally got the Philosopher’s Stone and a Time Turner right away. Both objects of immeasurable value, and both have been destroyed in the canon.

The game was charming though and it felt nice to be a part of a group seeing something fantastical in real life.