Blitz: The League - Review
Added November 19th, 2005 by Colin
IntroductionThe sports genre has been rather predictable over the last few years, to say the least. Each year you’re presented with another iteration of each sports franchise, along with a roster update and some new gameplay features. However, each of these iterations have tended to be evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Each one adds to the previous one, never reinventing the wheel. There’s nothing wrong with it. If you look at sales numbers, that is obviously what the average gamer wants.
This was all fine and dandy until last year when we were witness to a huge upset in the game industry. The NFL offered their exclusive license to the highest bidder, and when the smoke cleared EA was left the victor. This put 2k Sports and Midway, two competing sports game developers, in a bit of a conundrum. They were left with two options: scrap their football titles or develop a whole new football franchise sans official license. 2k Sports chose the former, Midway chose the latter.
Which brings us to Blitz: The League. When Midway got stuck without an NFL license, they decided to use it to their advantage by returning to the heart of what makes a Blitz game truly a Blitz game. Namely, cringe-inducing tackles, over the top on-field antics, and scantily clad cheerleaders. Midway went nuts, adding to each of those elements (or taking away, in the case of the cheerleaders), and adding a few new elements. From a story-based campaign to fully featured Xbox Live functionality, Blitz brings a lot to the table.
Gameplay
Blitz is, at its core, a football game. However, that would be oversimplifying things. Blitz is to football what Battlefield 2 is to the Iraq War, overexagerrated in every respect. The basic rules are the same: kick off, receive the ball, and try to get it to the end zone to score. However, those basic rules are about the only thing similar. For one, you can beat down receivers with enough impetus to prevent them from receiving the ball. Hit the left trigger and tackle them to trigger a dirty hit, which has a chance of injuring the player. A dirty hit will also use up a bit of your clash meter (more on that later). An injured player will face the player with two options: treat them safely and put them out of the game for a few plays (or even a few games!), or load em up with drugs and throw them back in the game. Be careful though, a player that shoots up too often runs a higher risk of being caught on a random drug test which results in fines and is also more prone to suffering an additional injury. There are less plays in Blitz than in most simulation football games, but for a game like this so much the better. Blitz isn’t about agonizing over every play decision; it’s about getting onto the field and breaking some bones. The play selection offers a good play for most all situations, but if you’re looking to scroll through massive playlists, look elsewhere.
So what is the aforementioned clash meter? It’s a meter that fills in the corner of your screen. To fill it, complete plays, string together jukes and stiffarms, score touchdowns, and generally be successful. Once you have some of your meter filled, you can hit the left trigger to activate clash. Clash will affect different actions in different ways. For instance, if you are throwing a catch, hit the clash button mid throw to have the game go into slow-motion, giving you time to rush the receiver to the ball and manually catch it. Then, if you have any remaining clash left, maneuver the receiver through the opposing players by juking, spinning, and stiff arming your way to the endzone. On defense? Hit the clash button to utilize dirty hits, as mentioned above. Running the ball? Use clash to go into slow-mo and dodge your way to fame and glory.
Stringing jukes and stiff arms into combos are one of the key points of the game. In order to become ‘Unleashed’, you must complete a certain amount of combos. These combos can be gained from scoring touchdowns, making a catch in clash mode, juking, stiff arming, taking down the opposing team captain, and more. Get enough of these combos, and your clash meter will be overtaken by Unleashed. At this point, you can hit the clash button to complete any action you want. If you are near the enemy ball carrier, hit clash and fire off a tackle for a guaranteed tackle. Tackling an enemy with clash or Unleashed increases the chance of causing a fumble, something to keep in mind when you’re 6 points behind. If you’re controlling the QB and are about to be sacked, hit the clash to dodge the oncoming opposition in a quick, red-tinted Unleashed segment.
Another unique feature of Blitz is the way it handles kickoffs and field goals. Instead of the regular power meter, you have a quick rhythm game akin to DDR. Hit the flashing face buttons as they show up in the power meter, aim the kick with the analog stick, and away we go. It’s not revolutionary, but it’s a nice change-up from the exact same gameplay mechanic everyone has been using for the last decade.
Without further ado, let’s venture forth to the Campaign mode. The Campaign mode opens with a (exceedingly well-rendered) clip of a football team getting reamed by the opposing side. Following the embarrassing defeat, the video then cuts to the team manager, who promptly fires everyone on the team starting from the coaches on going all the way down. He decides to make a fresh start, hiring you to manage the team. From this point you take control, selecting the team city and name (I’m partial to the Oklahoma Bombers, myself), coaches, lead players, doctors, stadium, and the uniform. The entire process provides an incredible berth of possibilities for those who want to customize their team. Each decision (outside of the purely aesthetic uniform and team name choices) gives you the opportunity to create a team that fits your playing style. Like passing? Pick a QB who does as well. Want to blitz every chance you get? Pick the corresponding defensive coach. Looking to drug up your players to the brink of insanity? Pick a doctor who excels at it. Whatever you decide, the team you create will be uniquely yours. Unless of course you pick all the things I said above, in which case it really won’t. But other than that, uniquely yours indeed.
The campaign then goes on with you trying to guide your team through Divisions 1, 2, and 3 in order to win the League Championship. In the beginning your team will have low stats, but by making money by winning, completing challenges (Sack the opposing QB 3 times, win $20,000!), and winning wagers you can put that money back into training your team. From the central campaign menu you are able to upgrade players and equipment. You have two training slots on each player, and the option to put each player on one drug. Putting the player on a training regimen will increase their stats in a category, such as strength or tackling. Drugs have all kinds of differing effects, from increasing speed to giving your player a random bonus. Be careful, though. Put a player on too many drugs and you could put them out of commission. Drugs are all quite expensive, but training is all free. However, if you want to get the maximum stat upgrades, you’ll need to spend some money on higher end training equipment.
Aside from the management potion of the game, the rest of the campaign is fairly straightforward, play games until you win the championship. Luckily, when a game’s core gameplay is as much fun as Blitz’s is, the campaign doesn’t wear out its welcome. It is relatively short, though, but unlockables and a QuickPlay mode offset the campaign’s shortness. Plus, Blitz has Live functionality. When you take a game that is as in-your-face as Blitz, playing against real players only serves to heighten the experience. There’s just something magical about breaking the opposing quarterback’s arm and knowing that someone on the other side of the country is writhing in empathetic pain. Or just swearing at you. Either way, it’s just what the doctor ordered for Blitz. All the standard Live options are here (QuickMatch, OptiMatch), but there really aren’t any distinguishing features that set Blitz’s Live play apart from other titles’. Also, multiplayer is only two players, which is a bit of a downer. What’s there is all well done, though.
If there’s one issue with Blitz, it’s a general lack of polish that comes from the beginning of a new series. For one, the tutorial is pretty awful. On one of the tasks you have to rush the opposing QB and execute a dirty hit. No problem, right? Well, it would be no problem, if your teammates didn’t get there first every time. It seems that the play defaults to blitz in the offensive tutorial section, so you will be competing against your teammates to score the tackle. It took me a good 10 minutes just to finish one of the tasks. Not too much fun. Also, during loading screens little tidbits of ‘League History’ will pop up, which give context to the title. A lot of these are very interesting, and usually quite humorous, but oftentimes the screen will go away before you have time to finish reading. Adding a ‘Press A to Play’ before cutting to the match would fix that up in a jiffy. There are a few other nitpicks like that, none of which on their own would be an issue, but adding them together take away from the game’s overall presentation. Thankfully, the engrossing gameplay more than makes up for any shortcomings in presentation.
Graphics:
The graphics of Blitz: The League are on the whole quite good. Stadiums are all well-detailed, as are players and the field itself. Your stadium will bear the insignia you design in the opening sequence, which is a nice touch. Also, regardless of the uniform you pick for your players, they all look great. Animations in particular are exceptional. Players will reel with every hit, run like a runner should, and generally just behave like you expect them to. Honestly, in a football game, there is no higher praise. Of particular impressiveness are the helmets, which will be knocked from their respective player’s head, and bounce about. The only downside to Blitz’s graphics is that there are some jaggies, but it’s nothing to write home about. Blitz supports 480p, and will scale nicely to your HDTV while you wait for the 360 to arrive. Cheerleaders are also modeled after FHM models, and are all very accurately… rendered. Expect upskirt shots on the camera, this is an M rated sports game after all.
Stringing jukes and stiff arms into combos are one of the key points of the game. In order to become ‘Unleashed’, you must complete a certain amount of combos. These combos can be gained from scoring touchdowns, making a catch in clash mode, juking, stiff arming, taking down the opposing team captain, and more. Get enough of these combos, and your clash meter will be overtaken by Unleashed. At this point, you can hit the clash button to complete any action you want. If you are near the enemy ball carrier, hit clash and fire off a tackle for a guaranteed tackle. Tackling an enemy with clash or Unleashed increases the chance of causing a fumble, something to keep in mind when you’re 6 points behind. If you’re controlling the QB and are about to be sacked, hit the clash to dodge the oncoming opposition in a quick, red-tinted Unleashed segment.
Another unique feature of Blitz is the way it handles kickoffs and field goals. Instead of the regular power meter, you have a quick rhythm game akin to DDR. Hit the flashing face buttons as they show up in the power meter, aim the kick with the analog stick, and away we go. It’s not revolutionary, but it’s a nice change-up from the exact same gameplay mechanic everyone has been using for the last decade.
Without further ado, let’s venture forth to the Campaign mode. The Campaign mode opens with a (exceedingly well-rendered) clip of a football team getting reamed by the opposing side. Following the embarrassing defeat, the video then cuts to the team manager, who promptly fires everyone on the team starting from the coaches on going all the way down. He decides to make a fresh start, hiring you to manage the team. From this point you take control, selecting the team city and name (I’m partial to the Oklahoma Bombers, myself), coaches, lead players, doctors, stadium, and the uniform. The entire process provides an incredible berth of possibilities for those who want to customize their team. Each decision (outside of the purely aesthetic uniform and team name choices) gives you the opportunity to create a team that fits your playing style. Like passing? Pick a QB who does as well. Want to blitz every chance you get? Pick the corresponding defensive coach. Looking to drug up your players to the brink of insanity? Pick a doctor who excels at it. Whatever you decide, the team you create will be uniquely yours. Unless of course you pick all the things I said above, in which case it really won’t. But other than that, uniquely yours indeed.
The campaign then goes on with you trying to guide your team through Divisions 1, 2, and 3 in order to win the League Championship. In the beginning your team will have low stats, but by making money by winning, completing challenges (Sack the opposing QB 3 times, win $20,000!), and winning wagers you can put that money back into training your team. From the central campaign menu you are able to upgrade players and equipment. You have two training slots on each player, and the option to put each player on one drug. Putting the player on a training regimen will increase their stats in a category, such as strength or tackling. Drugs have all kinds of differing effects, from increasing speed to giving your player a random bonus. Be careful, though. Put a player on too many drugs and you could put them out of commission. Drugs are all quite expensive, but training is all free. However, if you want to get the maximum stat upgrades, you’ll need to spend some money on higher end training equipment.
Aside from the management potion of the game, the rest of the campaign is fairly straightforward, play games until you win the championship. Luckily, when a game’s core gameplay is as much fun as Blitz’s is, the campaign doesn’t wear out its welcome. It is relatively short, though, but unlockables and a QuickPlay mode offset the campaign’s shortness. Plus, Blitz has Live functionality. When you take a game that is as in-your-face as Blitz, playing against real players only serves to heighten the experience. There’s just something magical about breaking the opposing quarterback’s arm and knowing that someone on the other side of the country is writhing in empathetic pain. Or just swearing at you. Either way, it’s just what the doctor ordered for Blitz. All the standard Live options are here (QuickMatch, OptiMatch), but there really aren’t any distinguishing features that set Blitz’s Live play apart from other titles’. Also, multiplayer is only two players, which is a bit of a downer. What’s there is all well done, though.
If there’s one issue with Blitz, it’s a general lack of polish that comes from the beginning of a new series. For one, the tutorial is pretty awful. On one of the tasks you have to rush the opposing QB and execute a dirty hit. No problem, right? Well, it would be no problem, if your teammates didn’t get there first every time. It seems that the play defaults to blitz in the offensive tutorial section, so you will be competing against your teammates to score the tackle. It took me a good 10 minutes just to finish one of the tasks. Not too much fun. Also, during loading screens little tidbits of ‘League History’ will pop up, which give context to the title. A lot of these are very interesting, and usually quite humorous, but oftentimes the screen will go away before you have time to finish reading. Adding a ‘Press A to Play’ before cutting to the match would fix that up in a jiffy. There are a few other nitpicks like that, none of which on their own would be an issue, but adding them together take away from the game’s overall presentation. Thankfully, the engrossing gameplay more than makes up for any shortcomings in presentation.
Graphics:
The graphics of Blitz: The League are on the whole quite good. Stadiums are all well-detailed, as are players and the field itself. Your stadium will bear the insignia you design in the opening sequence, which is a nice touch. Also, regardless of the uniform you pick for your players, they all look great. Animations in particular are exceptional. Players will reel with every hit, run like a runner should, and generally just behave like you expect them to. Honestly, in a football game, there is no higher praise. Of particular impressiveness are the helmets, which will be knocked from their respective player’s head, and bounce about. The only downside to Blitz’s graphics is that there are some jaggies, but it’s nothing to write home about. Blitz supports 480p, and will scale nicely to your HDTV while you wait for the 360 to arrive. Cheerleaders are also modeled after FHM models, and are all very accurately… rendered. Expect upskirt shots on the camera, this is an M rated sports game after all.
Audio:
Spot-on in some ways, off in others. Commentary is all well acted and varied. As any gamer who has played a football title with bad commentary can tell you, soddy commenting can ruin a good game. Thankfully, that is not the case here. The crowd roars with every score, and every big play, helping get you into the game. They will also chant the home team name, and boo the opposing team. Good stuff. Unfortunately, though, some of the campaign’s voice acting tends to be a bit too over the top, even for Blitz. Also, in the tutorial the guide voice will repeat the exact same phrases over and over, which gets incredibly obnoxious when you are also failing the same task over and over. The soundtrack of the game is rap, which fits well with the tone of the game. However, for those of us who don’t particularly enjoy rap it would have been nice to have some alt-rock or custom soundtracks. Also of note to parents everywhere is that when there’s an M on the front of a box, that isn’t for Mickey Mouse. It’s for swearing everywhere. It all fits in well with the game, and builds a great atmosphere, but you might want to send the kids out of the room before turning on the Xbox.
Controls:
Everything in Blitz controls great. The addition of the clash improves control all over the board by allowing you to finetune plays when you want. Everything is mapped well to the controller, and is responsive to boot. One nice feature is that while running the ball the right analog stick allows you to juke in whatever direction you press the stick, which is great for that extra itty bit of control you need now and again.
Replay:
After you finish the 30 odd game long campaign mode, you still have a myriad of unlockables, Xbox Live, and QuickPlay. Unlockables range from new game modes to new cheerleaders, to new outfits for said cheerleaders, and magazine covers of said cheerleaders. If you happen to like cheerleaders, it’s safe to say you’ll enjoy the unlockables.
Spot-on in some ways, off in others. Commentary is all well acted and varied. As any gamer who has played a football title with bad commentary can tell you, soddy commenting can ruin a good game. Thankfully, that is not the case here. The crowd roars with every score, and every big play, helping get you into the game. They will also chant the home team name, and boo the opposing team. Good stuff. Unfortunately, though, some of the campaign’s voice acting tends to be a bit too over the top, even for Blitz. Also, in the tutorial the guide voice will repeat the exact same phrases over and over, which gets incredibly obnoxious when you are also failing the same task over and over. The soundtrack of the game is rap, which fits well with the tone of the game. However, for those of us who don’t particularly enjoy rap it would have been nice to have some alt-rock or custom soundtracks. Also of note to parents everywhere is that when there’s an M on the front of a box, that isn’t for Mickey Mouse. It’s for swearing everywhere. It all fits in well with the game, and builds a great atmosphere, but you might want to send the kids out of the room before turning on the Xbox.
Controls:
Everything in Blitz controls great. The addition of the clash improves control all over the board by allowing you to finetune plays when you want. Everything is mapped well to the controller, and is responsive to boot. One nice feature is that while running the ball the right analog stick allows you to juke in whatever direction you press the stick, which is great for that extra itty bit of control you need now and again.
Replay:
After you finish the 30 odd game long campaign mode, you still have a myriad of unlockables, Xbox Live, and QuickPlay. Unlockables range from new game modes to new cheerleaders, to new outfits for said cheerleaders, and magazine covers of said cheerleaders. If you happen to like cheerleaders, it’s safe to say you’ll enjoy the unlockables.
Summary:
If you are looking for some visceral, inherently fun, and utterly over the top football action, you’ve come to the right place. While there are some polish issues, and a lack of four player support in multiplayer, Blitz is well worth your money if the other football offerings just aren’t cutting it for you. Give this title a shot, and get in on the ground floor of the revitalization of an age-old series.
If you are looking for some visceral, inherently fun, and utterly over the top football action, you’ve come to the right place. While there are some polish issues, and a lack of four player support in multiplayer, Blitz is well worth your money if the other football offerings just aren’t cutting it for you. Give this title a shot, and get in on the ground floor of the revitalization of an age-old series.
