Based on a popular board game that
debuted in the 80s, Blood Bowl is a tactical take on football with Warhammer-like
Orcs, trolls, dwarves, elves, etc. taking to the field. Instead of being a
full-on football game rivaling Madden (or, dare I say, the beloved Mutant League
Football for the SEGA Genesis many years ago), the game is a strategy title set
on a football field.
The game scores points for being a
deep and complex take on console strategy, and thusly provides some truly
intense moments that require a lot of forethought to the action and a deep
understanding of the game’s mechanics and your players’ capabilities. However,
the overall presentation is too overwhelming, with a confusing tutorial and a
frustrating interface that makes it one that is hard to recommend for newcomers.
Blood Bowl’s rules are based in
American Football, albeit quite loosely. There are no four downs, touchdowns are
worth only one point, no line of scrimmage, and a few other key differences
(well, aside from the fantastical creatures that partake in the game). The
strategy elements come into play immediately, with you positioning your players
on the board and having them move the ball up-field while getting into
skirmishes with opponents. Each of these encounters is determined by a roll of
the dice (individual and race attributes come into play here as well), and
winning them will give you the edge you need to either score a touchdown or stop
your opponent’s drive. The turn-based system works pretty well here, pulling off
of the intensity and fun of the original board game without cutting many
corners. There is also a real-time option that does away with the turn-based
system in an effort to make the experience more intuitive and fast-paced, but
more on that in a bit.
The game’s core gameplay is fun, due
mostly to the original board game on which it’s based. Matches have a great deal
of intricacy to them, and there is a great system of risks and rewards to help
you achieve the upper hand when the chips are down. If you know what you’re
doing, matches can be long, engaging and addictive experiences.
While it does a good job of bringing
the feel and deep ruleset from the original board game, the game falls short in
a few key areas. The tutorials are plentiful and unintuitive, not really helping
foster in newcomers with helpful information. The game’s menus and interface
aren’t really user-friendly either, as this was a title that seems to have been
made with the PC in mind, with the Xbox 360 version being more of an
afterthought than anything.
Additionally, the real-time option,
which was seemingly made to get non-traditional Blood Bowl players to have a
good time, aren’t really done in a way that is fun or engaging. The real-time
play unfolds in a far too frantic way, with the game’s deep attribute system and
intricacies getting lost in the chaos.
Blood Bowl is not a terribly
good looking game, either. While the universe lends itself well to the idea of
some cool looking backgrounds and boisterous characters, this doesn’t come
through very well in this Xbox 360 port. The character models are pretty ugly
and lack real detail, and the environments are muddy and uninteresting. All in
all, this is an aesthetic that could’ve been done on the original Xbox.
The sound effects fare slightly
better, with some decent music and sound effects. The audio presentation is
really saved by the color commentary, which is interesting and funny, giving the
game some added personality and charm.
Blood Bowl can be fun at times, with
engaging on-field action and some cool, deep strategy elements. However, the
game is not very friendly to newcomers, with a frustrating interface, lackluster
tutorials, and a muddy aesthetic. File this one under missed opportunity.
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Gameplay: 6.5
The game’s does a fine job of bringing the depth and intricacies of the
original board game to a console, making for some intense and engaging matches
between two seasoned players. However, the interface is very unintuitive, and
the lousy tutorials do little to help out newcomers.
Graphics: 4.5
The character models and environments are muddy and simplistic, making for a
visual presentation that would be better suited on the original Xbox.
Sound: 6.5
The music and sound are average, but the colorful commentary does a great
job of giving some personality to the game.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 5.5
A shoddy port of what could’ve been a great game, Blood Bowl doesn’t really
capitalize on the great board game, instead losing points for having a lousy
interface and tutorial system.
Multiplayer: 6.5
The game supports one-on-one multiplayer matches, but the lack of online
league play is a bummer.
Overall: 6.5
Blood Bowl is a missed opportunity as evidenced by the potential of the
source on which it’s based. If you really want to get into the depth and fun of
Blood Bowl, you’re better off checking out the board game.
