In the new smartphone game “Harry Potter: The Magic Awakens”, half-giant Hagrid once again guides us to Hogwarts. Adventures, trading cards and magical duels await the main character. TECHBOOK took a close look at the game.
2023 seems to be a strong year for “Harry Potter” fans: “Hogwarts Legacy”, a comprehensive open-world game that TECHBOOK has already taken a closer look at, was only released in February. If you are already done with it or prefer to play on your smartphone instead of on the console, there is good news for you. On June 27th, the Portkey Games label added another game from the popular magic universe with “Harry Potter: Magic Awakens”. However, “The Magic Awakens” is not entirely new. Since 2021, players in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau SAR and Taiwan have been able to use the game. Now it’s finally available to the rest of the world.
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Harry Potter: The Magic Awakens features 70 spells and multiple game modes
It begins as it should: with a sealed letter. As a first year, you arrive at Hogwarts, where a school year full of new friends, adventures, puzzles, and yes, classes await you if you don’t skip them. The story begins ten years after the Battle of Hogwarts, where Harry Potter and his friends defeated Voldemort. In addition to many new characters, you can also meet old acquaintances in the course of the game, such as Harry and Hermione, Professor McGonagall and of course Hagrid, the school’s loyal gamekeeper. Die-hard “Harry Potter” fans can also discover allusions to the adventures of Harry Potter and Newt Scamander in the numerous details and short film sequences.
“Harry Potter: The Magic Awakens” is a mix of card collecting and strategy role-playing game (RPG) with easy handling. At the beginning you create your own character, which then learns to collect magic spells, to conjure up fantastic beasts and to hold your ground in duels against other classmates. In total, you can earn over 70 magic spells in the form of cards or win them as a reward in battles. Depending on your personal playstyle, these cards are arranged into strategic decks that you use to duel with others. These others can either be other players (PvP mode) or computer-controlled opponents (PvE mode). It’s even possible to team up with another person and compete against another team together.
Unlike Hogwarts Legacy, Harry Potter: Magic Awakens is a portable game available for both iOS and Android. There is also a PC version. In view of the many details and loving optical design, the large screen is almost worth more. The game itself is free to download, but there are numerous in-app purchases that can be used to purchase rare items or new outfits. As a result, you will inevitably encounter players in the arena who have equipped themselves with stronger items and magic spells in this way. The best thing to do here is to continue to improve your own cards through diligent play. Incidentally, the first download is so large at 3 GB that it is better to install the game in the WLAN instead of using mobile data.
New friends and old acquaintances
In addition to duels with classmates and fighting not-so-tame animals – thanks, Hagrid! – also has its own small tasks ready for each lesson. Those who successfully brew potions or answer questions about the history of magic win more cards and other valuable rewards. So the game provides plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself in the Harry Potter universe as a first year. In addition, new side quests await every day, but beware of the risk of addiction.
As far as looks are concerned, not only manga and anime fans will get their money’s worth. With its very specific style, the game is also extremely attractive to a younger audience. However, Portkey Games places a warning when the app is opened: Since there are many flashes of light and similar effects in the game, it is not suitable for people with photointensive epilepsy. In addition to the rich visual effects, the game is comparatively text-heavy. While the subtitles and explanatory texts are also available in German, the voice output is only in English. Nevertheless, it is worth playing the game with sound, if only because of the atmospheric music.
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JK Rowling boycott debate
Portkey Games, which also produced “Hogwarts Legacy”, belongs to Warner Bros and was also involved in the mobile game “Hogwarts Mystery”. A portkey is a portkey that teleports everyone who touches it to a specific location. So the name is well chosen for a games label that focuses on the Harry Potter universe.
For many fans, the books were a welcome refuge when they were young, but in recent years, with every new film or game from the Harry Potter universe, the question of boycott has also arisen. Both in “Hogwarts Legacy” as well as in “The Magic Awakens” Portkey Games in the FAQs the question to what extent JK Rowling is involved in the development of the games. The somewhat vague answer is: “Every experience offered under Portkey Games will be set in the wizarding world and will be authentic. JK Rowling supports Portkey Games and has entrusted the design and creation of the games to Warner Bros Games and the developers involved.”
The British writer is not directly involved in the production of the games and yet the debate about the author split the gaming community when “Hogwarts Legacy” was released. Rowling consistently uses anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric and actively supports anti-trans policies in the UK. An overview of the debate is provided, among other things GamePro. With Rowling benefiting from the financial success of the games as a rights holder, many fans who don’t support her views are wondering whether they should boycott the games. The same currently applies to the planned “Harry Potter” series on HBO – you can find all the information about it in our overview article.