Blitz: The League is not exactly Grand Theft Auto 3 but it’s headed in the right (or is that “wrong?”) direction.
As an unlicensed game, Blitz gets away with some irreverent situations including steroid use, hookers, swearing, betting and showing your ass to the crowd. On the surface, some of these features appear to be added just for shock value but some are actually imbedded into the gameplay and are as important to winning a game as kicking a successful field goal.
In some respects the gameplay simulates the actual activity surrounding the sport of football better than the squeaky clean licensed version where the only grit you’ll see is on the grid. Blitz brings a more human element to the sport, one that is a welcome change. From conservative to controversial. That’s my kind of game.
But just how is the actual core of the gameplay? We’ve already got a handful of boisterous GTA games to deal with such questionable subject matter. Does this really need to be projected onto a football game? Why not? It’s only a game after all.
The core gameplay is more arcade than sim. It’s fun, fast and furious but it lacks the kind of depth you would find in Madden. Taken as is, it’s a great alternative to serious sports titles and should attract gamers that aren’t particularly interested in the genre. With various “supermoves” it’s easy to kick your opponent’s ass. Maybe too easy because once you find the key you will be able to get that ball to do your bidding virtually every time you get your hands on it. You can also thank the lazy offense that just doesn’t care about getting their hands on it.
The game features straight, eight-on-eight play. The on-field view is clear and clean. Moves such as Turbo and Clash make short work of scoring big. Press the Turbo button to make your player run like the wind. This can also be facilitated by injecting him with “juice,” specifically designed to enhance his performance. Once a player has the ball you can engage the Clash Mode which is a form of bullet time that slams the onscreen action into slow motion with the exception of your player. This indicates that he’s “in the zone,” and is virtually unstoppable. The meter won’t run out of juice either since it’s replenished by such super plays.
Using the Unleash move you can really inflict some damage on your opponents by kicking and tackling them with the intention of breaking their legs of necks. The same will likely happen to your players and you can relive the experience through an X-ray replay which shows you in gory detail just how the bones have been snapped. Expect lots of twisted limbs, blood and some really powerful thuds.
Plenty of options let you tailor the experience to your liking although you will have to experiment with different features to see how they all intertwine. The jerseys and helmets and such are purely cosmetic but whom you pick for a head coach and a team doctor will affect your team in different ways. The AI is somewhat unbalanced in that it will try to catch up to your score near the end of the game. When a weak team suddenly becomes great in the last minute of the game you know that something’s wrong. Fortunately you can enjoy a more natural game online against another human opponent. The online play is solid but it still lacks depth and won’t lead to a lot of replay value.
As hilarious as the cutscenes are there just aren’t enough of them. The story is told but I just want a little more elaboration. The graphics are excellent and the animation is superb. Voice acting is good but it’s done with tongue in cheek. Overall the production values are fantastic. It’s just too bad the gameplay wasn’t more sophisticated.
I sure applaud any game that doesn’t take itself too seriously, especially a sports game. I find it ironic that what is essentially a game itself, is taken so seriously by players and fans alike. At least Blitz puts some fun back in the sport, however temporarily. Recommended for a rental.