If there is an element of mobile gaming that can still get me excited, it’s seeing how developers utilize smartphone cameras to create dynamic AR experiences. Pokémon Go was an absolute blockbuster title even if it didn’t work all that well at the beginning. The game still rakes in millions of dollars for developer Niantic and its success has spawned a fruitful genre of real-world, location-based gameplay. Dragon Quest, Yo-kai Watch, and Minecraft all have their own AR mobile games in the works while film and television franchises like The Walking Dead and Jurassic World have jumped on the bandwagon. There’s also Garfield Go for the cat-sweater-wearing grandmothers out there.
As the originator of this walkabout genre, with Ingress kicking it all off back in 2012, it’s no wonder Portkey Games went with Niantic to bring The Wizarding World into our world. With a solid foundation in place from its last two games, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite has something of a leg up compared to its contemporaries. However, as I’ve learned over the past two days of playing, the Harry Potter brand might not be the best fit for a game like this.
Source: Destructoid Review in Progress: Harry Potter: Wizards Unite