Madden Fatigue? Join the League! We Review Blitz: The League II

Despite critical and commercial success, the game was abandoned as EA focused their efforts on annual updates to Madden. However, gamers looking for a spiritual successor to Mutant League Football might take solace in Midway’s Blitz: The League II, a gruesome, arcade-style game for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. While Blitz lacks the extraterrestrials and undead players, its sense of humor and grand guignol -esque cinemas may delight those looking for quick pick-up and play action.

                                           This week’s halftime show includes a CPR demonstation

Free of the directives imposed by the NFL on football games, Midway has created a delightfully grimy football title where injury-producing hits, steroid juicing, and a constant flow of profanities are the norm. Typical football rules are nixed as well, as Blitz features thirty-yard first downs and seven man teams. Control is reminiscent of nearly every football game from the last quarter century: players hike the ball with the “A” (or “X” in the PS3’s case) button, while other face buttons jump, juke, and dive. While on defense, players can change players with a button press, or initiate a tackle after the snap. A press on the left trigger launches ‘Clash mode’, where time is slowed and a set of particularly vicious maneuvers becomes available to the player.

Stripped of its ostentatious additions, Blitz’s core game of football is slightly substandard. Playbooks are intentionally simplified, but lack an option to flip a play. The computer’s AI is highly suspect, as landslide victories invoke an increased percentage of fumbles for the player.  Wise players will complete the in-game tutorials, and gradually implement the game’s signature features into gameplay. Once these mechanics are integrated, the game becomes significantly substantial.

                                       The rain in Blitz looks beautiful, linebacker bellies- not so much.

Blitz is graphically competant, with a solid framerate and detailed player models. Two elements we enjoyed greatly were the Gears of War inspired clash-mode runs, and the internal damage cams. If players receive an especially brutal hit, the screen shows an x-ray of the tendons ripping or the bones breaking. It’s a visceral effect that really forges the personality of the game. Sadly, a few glitches exist, as we witnessed prone players sliding around the field, and a few glitchy tackle animations. 

One of our favorite elements of Blitz was the mini-games triggered after an athlete injury. One instance had us injecting a player suffering from a broken rib. We guided the swaying needle with the left stick, while aiming for a bull’s-eye. After missing wildly, the wounded player sprang from the bench, yelling uncontrollably, the needle still stuck awkwardly in his side. While these animations lost a bit of their charm after repeated viewings, they were still morbidly funny and captivated onlookers.

                        “You know, you weren’t lying when you said you give a damn good neck massage.”