How to play Harry Potter: Wizards Unite for Pokémon GO fans
This new GPS AR game has similarities to Pokémon GO
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is finally out on Android and iOS, and we've been plugging ourselves into the new adventure to find out what we can. And, oh, surprise surprise, it has a fair few similarities to Pokémon GO.
That's no bad thing, and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite actually feels far more polished than Pokémon GO did at release. Or, even now, to be frank.
If you're a Pokémon GO player, you will be able to sink right into this new game, especially since these primary mechanics will be very familiar to you…
A whole new world
It's a whole new world we live in, a whole new way to see, it's a whole new place, with a brand new attitude, but you've still got to catch them all.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is a very different game to Pokémon GO, although is works very similarly. Namely, you've still got to catch them all. Yeah, the Pokémon Johto theme is pretty fitting here.
If you're used to Pokémon GO and want to know how similar Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is, you're in the right place. Niantic like their own style of AR game, and this is much more similar to Pokémon GO than Niantic's other GPS smash, Ingress.
Here you'll be visiting inns (PokéStops) to get items and spell power (Pokéballs) so you can take down all manner of magical creatures that are appearing in the world. And there's a bunch of other mechanics that Pokémon GO fans will find familiar, too.
But there's so much to do here. So many quests, achievements, creatures, and items to get used to. While you'll be playing a very similar game to Pokémon GO, you won't be able to immediately jump in, there's be an adjustment period.
But that adjustment should hopefully be pretty easy, as we're going to go over the main mechanics, and their counterparts from Pokémon GO.
1
Casting spells, throwing balls
In Pokémon GO you use your finger to spin and throw a ball, while here you'll be tracing out magical runes to cast spells.
Confoundables replace Pokémon, and you can find all manner of magical creatures, wizards, monsters, and more. Your spells will incapacitate them, and you'll collect the ones you defeat for your book.
Though, some rarer or more difficult creatures will require you to catch them multiple times before they can be added to your book. A bit like gaining Candy for Pokémon evolutions, then.
2
Portkey, incubators
In Pokémon GO, you'll throw an egg in an incubator before going for a walk. In Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, it's similar, except you'll be using Portkeys to unlock Portmanteaus.
Portmanteaus are essentially chests which can carry all manner of items, and your Portkey will begin to unlock it, completing once you've travelled enough distance.
The distance required seems to be similar to Pokémon GO, with rarer Portmanteaus taking 10km, and more common ones only 2km.
3
Fights, Pokémon battles
When you head to your usual Pokémon GO gym in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, you'll find it has been replaced by a massive tower. These dungeons contain tough fights.
By yourself, you should be able to smash through the first fight on each tower with little issue, earning yourself some premium currency.
You'll be swiping diagonally to protect yourself against damage, and tracing runes to attack enemies. Follow the on-screen prompts, and be as accurate and as fast as you can.
