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Notes -
How so?
The rules are straightforwardly bad from a game design perspective. 3v3+keeper gameplay works all right, the passing combo meter is a nice touch but small number of players with limited angles and the controls are not necessarily the best. The beater minigame does as well as it can but it's just controlling/dodging a circle (and strategic play of using it to force the quaffle holder into your own chasers is kind of pointless since they're AI controlled and won't tackle very well). The other special abilities (automatic turnover, team special to score automatic points, chaser boost) are fine but have very little reason not to use at first opportunity. The biggest design problem is the snitch. The point value plus ending the match makes it generally more important than anything else. They did their best with progress on the catch meter being influenced by play on the pitch so upsets are not that common. The race minigame is fine. Overall it's like a gimmicky NBA jam game but everyone has the same gimmicks.
Content wise it kind of falls off. Win 3 matches with any of the school teams to unlock world cup mode and all but one of the world cup teams. Grind away through an 18 round tournament (skipping two rounds) to win the cup to unlock a special exhibition only stage (that plays like every other stage). The teams do play differently but only minorly (appropriate for a sports game) and have different cinematics but the gameplay blends together a lot. The most interesting variation is how snitch meter gain from team special is balanced by whether it scores 1 or 2 goals. Matches run pretty long so winning a cup with any one team is something of a grind and the unlockables are one more team, a special location and collectibles. Collectible grinding is mostly rerunning and winning a cup with each team plus some special condition ones. Aside from achievements, meaningful unlocks are completed pretty quickly. In game moments of greatness are slim as is expression space so not much memorable about matches themselves. Outside of core gameplay doesn't carry it very far either. The cinematics/voice clips (x team player did thing) layered on top per stage visuals is thoughtful but becomes noticeably repeated. The announcer victory quote is the same every single match. There's not the type of story or characterization you'd see even in something like an older character racing game or fighting game.
It's a neat game but there's a reason it was more commonly found in the bargain bin than on a shelf. I feel like more team variation, some way to speed up play and characterization beyond names and different 3D models of the players could have made it better. Actual sports games like FIFA have more player choices in terms of passing and how the players are arrayed on the pitch affecting play up and down the field. They can be further carried by fans of the real life sport with an interest in the real stats and facsimile players from the real teams which doesn't really apply to Quidditch World Cup.
The book/movie story games have entire books worth plot events to use and can use many different kinds of challenges to control pacing, make the games interesting. Quidditch is just quidditch and doesn't have much to carry it besides the idea of the game.
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