The contraction of the sports video game genre has meant the near-extinction of unlicensed, creative options on the market. The current era of Madden, NBA 2K, and other big-time licensed “simulation” titles have squeezed most of the smaller and “arcade” titles out. Because of that, anytime a game comes around that involves even the loosest ties to sports, it’s a great opportunity to check them out with an open mind. As we’ve seen recently with games like Rocket League and Super Mega Baseball, they can sometimes be absolute gems.
Blood Bowl II is the latest unconventional game to draw some consideration from sports fans. It looks like football, has some of the rules of football, but plays nothing like a typical football video game.
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Originally a board game, Blood Bowl made the transition to game consoles in 2009 and now six years later the sequel has arrived; it will be instantly familiar to existing fans, as the core mechanics remain essentially the same as its cardboard cousin.
Blood Bowl is a turn-based game where everything is dependent on dice rolls. The players on the field are members of different races and play different positions which affect their ratings in the following categories:
Move Allowance: the number of spots the player can move on a given turn
Strength: physical power and ability to block opponent’s moves
Agility: higher chance of avoiding tackles and better at throwing and catching the ball
Armor Value: players more heavily armored are more likely to get up after being knocked down
The goal is to score touchdowns, which are worth just one point here. There are eight turns per half for each team, and failing on a move results in a turnover, the loss of the remainder of the turn. There is risk involved in most of the moves to be made on the board, whether it be in advancing squares, taking out an opposing player, or trying to move the ball through the air.
Those are just the basics, but there is a lot more involved, particularly when it comes to strategy. That’s one area where Blood Bowl II stumbles — it’s extremely difficult for novices to pick up, grasp with any understanding, and feel as though they’re constantly improving. That’ll come over time, but not without lengthy stretches of frustration and confusion. Considering each game can last an hour or longer, that’s a rough introduction.
The Campaign Mode is designed in a way to gradually teach some of the aspects of the game. While it explains how to do things, it does not go into when or why they should be done. The best way to learn about that will be to go online and read the rules of the game and various tips on how to play.
While the Campaign Mode involves some interesting story elements, it’s online where Blood Bowl II will provide its longevity. The Online League feature allows for not just tens or even hundreds, but thousands of people to be involved in a single league. It’s also where team-building and customization comes into play.
The competition online is fierce. Those who are inexperienced will get mercilessly crushed. However, for those comfortable with their knowledge of the game and various strategies, there are terrific battles to be had. When two good players go up against each other — and there are many passionate and skilled ones out there — the games can fascinating in how they play out.
One disappointing development is that only eight races are included with the game. Additional races will be coming as downloadable content (possibly over 10 of them) and they’ll apparently be offered at a price of $7 each. There’s a lot of work that has to go into each one, which in some sense justifies what they will charge, but at that cost it’s pricing out pretty much everyone except the most dedicated players of the game.
Blood Bowl II is a strategy game, far more than it is a sports title. It probably won’t have much crossover appeal to the sports fan. However, for those who are into methodical, turn-based strategic affairs, or anyone who was a fan of the first Blood Bowl video game or its board game, it delivers on exactly what it promises.
Bryan Wiedey posts sports gaming news and analysis daily at Pastapadre.com, has co-founded the new site HitThePass.com, is a regular participant in the Press Row Podcast, and can be reached on Twitter @Pastapadre.