Blood Bowl 2Review by Paul Fiander
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Available on: PS4, Windows, Xbox One
Developer: Cyanide Studios Publisher: Focus Home Interactive |
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It seems to be the time where egg chasing is taking over the world. From the Rugby World Cup to this intriguing mix of Warhammer and Gridiron. Okay 2 does not really constitutes really constitute taking over but hopefully you get my drift. Anyway what exactly is Blood Bowl and why exactly should it be classed as intriguing?
First things first the whole setting for the game is Warhammer Universe. This s means Orcs, Knights and Ogres a plenty. There are game mechanics as well borrowed from the table top game including dice controlled combat, where I must say the emblems on the die look pretty cool. All this Fantasy goodness though wraps up a tactical hybrid of Chess and American in a veneer of blood and guts that does take some beating. The actual gameplay plays out as a turn based scrimmage between 2 teams. You are able to play against AI opponents as well as real ones in the online realm. Both can give you a challenge but by learning the basics of gameplay you at the very least give anyone a game. The game tutorial is the best way to learn how to play, it sounds obvious but between this slightly fixed set of matches and helpful pop ups you should get all the information you need. The career is helpful as it make learning the gameplay accessible and fun a drier tutorial structure would not have suited the game aesthetic and thus betrayed the game. There is a slight catch this is by far from a hand holding experience and some prior knowledge of the mechanics of turn based games will help the player to learn. |
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I’m not generally a big fan of the turn based game mechanic I think I am in the minority of people who did not love the recent X-Com title. This game though did have one ace up its sleeve and that is its resemblance of sport. I say resemblance as it is far more brutal that any sport that has been played since the Romans through people to Lions. At one point I was chastised by the commentators for concentrating on the ball and not inflicting enough damage on the opposition before scoring a touchdown. As a more than avid sports fan this did feel a little odd but thankfully the in game combat is there to entertain you.
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This is where the dice come in handy. You actually don’t get to use them but instead roll when you are about to block an opponent. From there if you are successful you can drop kick an opponent or give them a hefty haymaker depending on your player of choice. Obviously this leaves an element of chance to proceedings but it still adds another layer of complexity to the game.
Visually the game is nice without really taking your breath away. The only side of the imagery that is a bit jarring is the grass. It feels artificial and a bit plastic. This is at odds with the rest of the art assets and so is a let-down. This can obviously be polished up but when you are going up against other grass based titles like FIFA and Madden you need to bring you’re A blades. |
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I’m not going to say that this is the game that finally moved me from RTS to turn based mechanics. I’m not sure if this will ever be possible but there is a lot to like in Blood Bowl 2. From the crazy setting to the quick to learn gameplay everything is created to bring a smile to the players face. There is a learning curve there that will need to be scaled but even a novice like me can have fun. At thirty five pounds on release the price is justified if the online leagues work as we and the developer hope but as a Single player only experience it could feel a little lacking at that price. Overall this is a good purchase for fans of turn based strategy titles or those Warhammer enthusiasts who are looking for something that little bit different to add to their gaming catalogue.
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Review copy and Images provided by publisher
