Harry Potter version of Pokémon Go will launch on June 21, 2019

You're addicted, Harry.

Guan Zhen Tan | June 20, 2019, 05:41 PM

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite (WU) finally has a release date.

The game will launch worldwide, June 21.

Magic and wizards

Developed by Niantic, the same company behind Pokémon Go,  users will be thrust into a world of witches and wizards.

According to the official website, users will find themselves confronting an incident known as "The Calamity", which causes artefacts, creatures, people and memories to appear in the muggle (normal) world.

Like Pokémon Go, users must locate certain places in the real world that will translate into actual checkpoints and event markers within WU.

Players must defeat Confoundables, and find creatures, items and even people known as Foundables, which users must collect to add to something called a Registry, which functions like a Pokédex.

One will also find themselves casting spells to attack and defend themselves, by tracing glyphs and symbols on the screen.

The more accurate the tracing, the stronger the spell.

Mixed reviews

Initial looks at the game have drawn mixed responses.

On the plus side, the game seems to offer a great amount of interactivity and Augmented Reality (AR) capabilities, which allow users to interact with objects in the game in the real world.

Tech review site Pocket-lint reports that the game seamlessly blends AR and reality, praising the WU's graphics for being more sophisticated than that of Pokémon Go.

There's much to do in-game as well: one can also choose their house, wand, profession and level up and learn new skills to aid your spellcraft.

This game also requires more teamwork, rather than pitting players against each other.

Users will be made to work together to tackle fortresses, which contains rare items and Foundables, according to GamersRadar.

&t=134s

 

However, there are also complaints about the game's background music during battling, which seems to be simply a short looped track.

Screenshot via Game Clips and Tips' Youtube video

Screenshot via Game Clips and Tips' Youtube video

One netizen was cynical about the AR function in particular, claiming that users turned off the equivalent function in Pokémon Go, despite being part of the immersive gameplay.

Screenshot via Games Radar's Youtube video

Despite the initial imperfections, perhaps the draw for most fans is simply the touch of magic in a muggle world - for some, it's all they ask.

Top image via Game Clips and Tips' Youtube video