Contact sport of the future.

Every once in a while, a game comes along and takes a player base by storm. Rocket League was one of those games that is still getting content updates as well as a robust player experience. It’s those smaller concept games that capture that lightning in a bottle that captivates the audience with simple controls, easy to understand goals, and a rewarding game play model. Let me introduce you to Laser League, the next game to do just that.

Laser League is a team-based arena game that is actually pretty simple. Teams activate colored lasers on the pitch and attempt to get their opponent team members to run into said lasers. Players can revive eliminated teammates by running over their bodies. The team that has all players eliminated loses. Simple concept, right? Well, it is, but it also comes with some extra features that make it much more complex.

Platforms: PS4, XB1, PC
MSRP: $14.99
Price I’d pay: $14.99

Each player chooses a class at the beginning of the match. There are six classes in all, each with their own special ability that charges up over time. These abilities are what throws a monkey wrench into the simple concept game and make it even more fun to play. There’s the Shock, that emits a stunning AOE attack that will stop an enemy player in their tracks potentially getting them to hit an incoming laser, the Snipe that uses a teleporting line on the field that eliminates any enemy in the line when the teleport is activated, Smash that can knock an enemy flying into a laser with a giant shield, the Ghost that has the ability to phase in and out to avoid enemy lasers, the Thief can steal enemy lasers that have been activated and turn them into friendly lasers for some tactical surprises, and finally the Blade that can dash into an enemy and just straight up murder them with a sword. The classes are what make the game and coming up with a good balance for a team is pivotal.

The other monkey wrench thrown into the mix are the power ups. These will spawn on the pitch at certain times and will be activated when a player walks over them. These can change up the entire board at times. There’s things like Charge that fully charge the ability bar for the team, Speed up which makes the lasers move even faster, Switch that changes all lasers to the other team. This is a major one. Let’s say the majority of the board is controlled by enemy lasers. I hit the Switch power up, now, all those lasers are ours and guess what? The enemy team is surrounded by them. There’s even more power ups that will spawn depending on the arena.

Each match consists of three sets with each set consisting of three rounds. It’s the best out of three so if I were to lose the first two sets, it’s over, but with the rounds, I can be down 0-2 and still have a fighting chance if my team and I played our best. That’s one of the great things about Laser League, there’s always comeback potential and when it happens, it feels amazing. The team that loses a set then has the option to change classes if they think what they had in the previous set wasn’t working out. It adds a depth of strategy and allows for readjustment just in case the class odds are stacked against them.

There are two main modes, doubles and triples. 2v2 is a fun mode that has much smaller arenas while 3v3 can be a bit more chaotic, but has the depth and a more even playing field. One player can play Thief or Ghost and basically play a support class that helps revive teammates rather than attack while the other two team members stay on the offensive.
The game allows for AI partners if a match can’t be filled with players and it offers up full local play with six players on Xbox One and PC. Unfortunately, the PS4 can only support four controllers so it looks like it will be doubles for local play unless they are fine with an AI teammate.

Playing online will offer up XP that will level up the profile which, in turn, unlocks new cosmetic items like emojis, character models, and profile pictures. There’s actually a ton to unlock here and some of the character models look pretty fantastic.

If there was one gripe I had with the game it would be the fact that I can easily lose track of my character. When there’s five other players running around the pitch with tons of lasers rotating and moving, not to mention players having the ability to run through the edge of the pitch and come out on the other end ala Pac-Man, I would sometimes just miss my character and would be scanning the screen trying to find them while moving the control stick frantically.

The look and aesthetic is fantastic as well. Since this is a futuristic sport, everything gives off this neon vibe like something straight out of Tron. The soundtrack adds to it even more with pulsing electronic music that can be both ambient and high tension given the situation. It’s a great feel altogether.

Laser League should be the next big thing since Rocket League. It all really depends on the player base and how many dedicated players it will bring. There’s a lot to unlock here, and while it is complex at times, the main core gameplay is as simple as can be, which is what makes it so addicting to play. I highly suggest this game to anyone that likes team-based games with a little strategy. It’s fun, easy to pick up and play, and even more fun to master.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.