Excitement is building for the new Harry Potter augmented reality game, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, after a new trailer has been posted online.
The video demonstrates a series of magical incidents occurring throughout the real world, such as floating books, giant animals outside stadiums, and a mysterious trend of pointy hats on the front of some of the worlds biggest fashion magazines.
The trailer pleads: “Help save our world. Enlist immediately.”
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is an AR game based on the magical Wizarding World created by the makers of Pokemon Go, Niantic, in partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Initially announced last year, the game is slated for release this year.
The storyline of the game points to magical incidents taking place, reportedly named the “Calamity”, that is putting the Wizarding World at risk. Players are being recruited to the Statute of Secrecy Task Force and must explore their real-world neighbourhoods, with their phone in hand, to discover artefacts, encounter fantastic beasts, cast spells and meet some of their favourite characters along the way.
Magical objects can be found anywhere, from parks, to libraries and even art galleries. Make sure not to disturb the ordinary muggles when you’re playing though as you don’t want to give the game away.
Special Pormanteaus will be found around the map, which will reveal Portkeys to whisk players away to iconic locations. This is where the AR will really come in handy – for instance, you’ll be able to explore places like Ollivander’s Wand Shop in an AR-enabled immersive experience. Now that is magical.
Just like Pokemon Go, there is going to be some team action involved so players will be encouraged to team up with their friends to take down enemies.
Already, the game is in beta phase in Australia and New Zealand, so players are able to test the game, albeit in limited form, and provide feedback to improve the overall experience when it goes live.
In the meantime, pre-registration is available for Android smartphone users on Google Play Store, or you can sign up to WizardsUnite.com to stay in the know for updates.
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