Broomstick League Early Access (english)

Not-Quiddich

“Records show that witches and wizards in Europe were using flying broomsticks as early as A.D. 962. A German illuminated manuscript of this period shows three warlocks dismounting from their brooms with looks of exquisite discomfort on their faces.” -Quidditch Through The Ages

The quote should end there as copyrights should be respected. Luckily Broomstick League is doing exactly that by placing the player to the team of three flying wizards. The goal of the team is to catch the ball and flung it through the magical mirror that is guarded by the opposite team. The commonalities between Harry Potter and Broomstick League end there. There are no balls that try to kill the players but more like fun with E-Sports in mind.

Game information

Name: Broomstick League Early Access Publisher/Developer: Blue Isle Publishing/Virtual Basement LLC
Platforms: P.C. (Steam). XBox ja PS4 (tulossa) Type: Flying, Sports, Multiplayer
Age ratings: nope
Reviewer: Rami
Pictures and links:
Announcement trailer
Broomstick League Gameplay

The perspective of the gamer?

I have to say while there’s certain Potter-feel of the flying wizards and thrill of speedy gameplay that’s familiar from Rocket League. The blue and red teams fight over the ball by flying and spellcasting. The player can try to steal or flung the ball with Blast-spell and catch it with Magnet-spell. Additionally, the player can dodge, dash, and apparate with Blink a bit forward. Every spell has a cooldown of a few seconds, so the player can’t spam them.

The customization options are there; the player can change their looks and customize broom and wand. Different emotes can be used to taunt and show approval. Professional teamwork works with passes from player to player, and achievements are rewarded with experience and currency. The currency can possibly be used to unlock upgrades later.

The game modes are limited to 1 vs. 1, 2 vs. 2 and 3 vs. 3 and six different play areas. Unlike many other games, the player can create a private game to local area networks, which enables the game to be played in local tournaments and LAN-parties.

The game is still in Early Access-phase, so everything can be changed. The tutorial was bare minimal and shoved player quickly to Player vs. Player competition. 

  

Other players don’t get injuries, but you can try to rob the ball from them with Blast. The game seems to be suffering from the distance to the server, and playing goalie was occasionally frustrating. This might be an indication of lag, and European player commands not reaching the server fast enough. Fast passes didn’t succeed as well as I would hope for because of lag or lack of U.I.

Controller mapping is slightly stupid. For example, Blink, magnet, and scoreboard are activated with the left shoulder. I had to map the controller again, as the scoreboard popped up when I didn’t need it. The second bad idea is to enable chat between teams. The game is way too fast for that and invites only trash talk.

While all of the six arenas were all unique, I was left to wonder how the core gameplay could evolve. The Early Access-phase is a bit dull that few players that were there were a bit too experienced. The Basing the gameplay on three players is enough, five could be a bit of mess. The learning curve should be made smooth enough for new players, and this means improving the lacking tutorial. The game needs proper league and more game modes to actually excel.

Should you get Broomstick League? I would say that if you don’t have ready players to play, I would wait for more content. The game has great potential for E-Sports and less serious gaming, but it needs a lot more love.