Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, the new mobile game from Warner Bros. and Pokemon Go developer Niantic, is now live a little early in the US and UK. Since its announcement, Wizards Unite has drawn frequent comparisons to Pokemon Go; both augmented reality titles are developed by the same studio and share many similar gameplay elements. Now that we've gotten our hands on the full game, how exactly do the two titles compare? Read on as we break down the similarities and differences between Wizards Unite and Pokemon Go, or check out our more in-depth guide to Wizards Unite for Pokemon Go players.
The general thrust of Wizards Unite is very similar to Pokemon Go, albeit with a Harry Potter spin. Just as in the Pokemon mobile game, gameplay primarily revolves around exploring the real world in search of collectibles. Rather than catching Pokemon, however, you'll be hunting for "Foundables"--people, creatures, and artifacts from the Wizarding World that have begun appearing in the Muggle world.
Not only is the basic premise of Wizards Unite similar, many of its elements have analogs in Pokemon Go. The game's equivalent of Gyms are called Fortresses, and just as in Pokemon Go, these will host Raid-like "Wizarding Challenges" that will require players to team up in-person to tackle. Instead of a Pokedex, you have a Registry that gradually fills out as you collect Foundables. Inns serve the same function as Pokestops, while Portkeys are similar to Eggs; after you've used either a Gold or Silver Key (Wizard Unite's version of Incubators), you'll need to log a certain number of steps and the Portkey will take you to a Wizarding World location.
While the games' foundations are very similar, however, Wizards Unite differs from Pokemon Go in some significant ways. The most obvious is the sheer amount of content it has from the outset; right from the start, Wizards Unite features a variety of quest objectives to complete. The game also places a bigger emphasis on story, with fully voiced dialogue and a clear--if not entirely comprehensible--plot running through the experience.
Wizards Unite also employs more traditional RPG-like elements than Pokemon Go does. Once you've reached level six in the game, you'll be able to choose a Profession, which will allow you to unlock abilities in skill trees. The game also features a potion-brewing system.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is available to download now on Android (through Google Play) and iOS devices (App Store). Like Pokemon Go, it's free to download and features optional microtransactions. You can read more about the game in our hands-on impressions of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.
