Broomstick League Closed Beta Impressions by Matthew O’Toole and John Pruitt
I remember being a young gun once and playing Harry Potter Quidditch World Cup on Gamecube. A fun game for its time, it took the eponymous fictional sport and brought it to life on your TV, and nostalgia notwithstanding, I remember it being a pretty decent game.
Flash forward just about 18 years, however, and there is a superior version shaping up titled, Broomstick League by independent developer and publisher Blue Isle Studios, along with developers Virtual Basement and Code Headquarters. Similarities and inspiration aside, the game is a bit simpler in its rules, but no less fun because of it. Thus, fellow Gaming Cypher editor John Pruitt and I embarked on a magical quest to become the two greatest wizarding champions this side of a Balrog. Did we succeed?,,,,
Broomstick League allows you to play in 3rd or 1st person (I really enjoyed the latter) as you fly around on your broomstick, use a magnetic attraction spell to grab the ball, or a push spell to “kick” it away or into a goal. You can also do a teleport spell to combo with your sprinting in order to close the distance and get that ever important goal (or not, in our case). One big warning for all players is that the bots have been programmed extremely well. By that I mean that they will absolutely DECIMATE you if you are not good enough, so even when playing against the AI, expect a great challenge.
The game controls work perfectly well and the graphics do their job in creating a magical atmosphere. There is plenty of customization for your character, such as cape types, hair styles, broom series, and logos to name a few. My only concern is that the customization, particularly hair colors, seemed glitchy or did not actually show the intended color. A relatively minor thing especially considering it is a beta and I am sure will soon be fixed.
Broomstick League was an overall fun and frantic romp with both people and computer enemies alike. John and I may have gotten our brooms kicked, but we had a lot of fun all the same. It has so far succeeded in exactly what it intends to do in bringing players a fantastical competitive sports game where you can let your imagination run wild just like when you were a kid. If you’re looking for the next best fantasy sports game this side of Blood Bowl, you cannot go wrong with keeping an eye on Broomstick League!
Take a Look at the Broomstick League Trailer:
Broomstick League is heading to PC via Steam Early Access on March 5, 2020.
For more information, please visit: https://www.broomstickleague.com/
Your local neighborhood nutjob, gamer, and teacher! I'm an avid fan of many genres such as platformers, shooters, horror, etc. I am also an avid tabletop gamer - hugely into the worlds of Warhammer and all of their spinoffs. I'm a big believer in being objective - even if something is not my cup of tea, I want to talk about it on the objective level - is it well made, crafted with love, and with care for the fans? If so, that's a good game in my book for someone and well worth their hard earned dollarydoos!
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