Harry Potter: Wizards Unite has been out now for a couple of weeks depending on which region you may be in, and players are enjoying their foray into the augmented reality (AR) world of witchcraft and wizardry, and it makes us wonder: what could the new game offer to its big brother, Pokémon GO?
Because both games are made by developer Niantic, it seems only logical to blend the best of both worlds to give players an optimal experience. From a glance, both games look and feel quite similar, and playing one will be familiar with the other as most of the same data points are used in the mapping of the game. Yet, there are notable differences between each, and some features could certainly benefit Pokémon GO.
A Different Take On Daily Quests
One thing Wizards Unite has done well from the start is providing an ample amount of activities, daily quests, and login bonuses to look forward to. This eventually came to Pokémon GO in its own way, but it is fundamentally different.
In Pokémon GO, players perform tasks known as Field Research tasks that are acquired by visiting Pokéstops. Some daily tasks are also provided, but the login bonus is always a nice touch, particularly for rare or harder to find components.
Becoming A Potions Master!
A notable inclusion to Wizards Unite is the ability, or perhaps better said, the necessity to brew potions. Potions allow us to better our spellcasting ability, which in turn helps capture more difficult Foundables and expend less Spell Energy, which is still too limited in this writer’s opinion.
Creating potions is simple, and the ingredients to do so are found almost effortlessly while exploring the map and by visiting Greenhouses.
Imagine for a moment in Pokémon GO if we had a similar function to craft special Pokéballs, or items that could assist us in battle which we already use, such as healing potions. The possibilities are endless, and potion brewing in Wizards Unite has been an outstanding addition to the game.
Professions Galore!
Right out the gate, Wizards Unite has done a fantastic job of incorporating professions into the game in a way that really makes choices feel impactful depending on the type of fantasy one looks to fulfill in the game. Even better, eventually a player can level high enough to have points in all of the professions, meaning that they need not choose, but will be experts at many things.
For the unfamiliar, there are three choices within Wizards Unite to choose from: Auror, Magizoologists, and Professors.
Aurors are proficient against Dark Forces but are deficient against natural forces like Beasts. Magizoologists are proficient against Beasts, but deficient against Curiosities. Finally, Professors are proficient against Curiosities, but deficient against Dark Forces.
This marks an important distinction between professions, because within the game, proficiency adds a whopping 250% damage, meaning players can wipe the floor if in a favorable fight. Deficiencies, meanwhile, are the opposite, and to avoid too bad of a matchup, players need to keep an eye on their Deficiency Defense.
Thanks to the Wizards Unite Hub for placing this data into a table for easy reference:
Without getting into too much detail here, Aurors can have excellent first hit potential with their Critical Hit stats, Magizoologists have outstanding defensive skills and poor offensive spells, acting as the opposite to Aurors, while Professors are a balanced hybrid between the two.
In every sense of the word, it would be amazing to see any such profession system implemented into Pokémon GO. Imagine being known as an expert catcher, where your bonuses provide for finding and capturing rare Pokémon more easily. Battling could be another specialization, specifically at the Raids and Pokémon Gym PvE content.
With that in mind, professions have never been something presented in the Pokémon series of games, but still, the potential is there to begin.
Co-Op Attacks On Fortresses
Perhaps we have simply had Pokémon GO raids for so long that they feel repetitive and unchanging now, but the cooperative aspect of Fortresses has been a nice breath of fresh air. Maybe it is time for Pokémon GO to revisit how they have players work together.
This will be especially true if Wizards Unite fails to garner the same number of players as Pokémon GO. There seems no reason to keep such innovation in only one place.