Blitz: The League 2

l2With Football season in full swing many gamers look to duplicate Gridiron glory on their consoles especially to fill the downtime between the favorite teams games. There are many options for gamers to take on their favorite pro or college teams, but few have the distinction for brutal hits that Blitz” The League 2 has.

The game casts players as a new recruit in the league, and sadly predetermines your appearance and abilities, but does so in a very fresh way. Players are introduced to the game via a press conference which goes over abilities. This is much better way in my opinion than the usual loadout screens that force gamers to make a character and set skills without knowing how they will translate to the gameplay.

The gameplay is fast and brutal and players can inflict devastation on players unlike anything ever seen before in any sports game. Hits can break bones, rupture spleens, late hits, flying teeth and much more.

The game cleverly refers to scandals that mirror real life, though the game uses fantasy teams as I can imagine the NFL not wanting to have their teams and players associated with the violence that this game unleashes, even though anyone knows that Football is a very rough and violent sport.
The ability to custom hit location on an opposing player and to use items such as steroids and other drugs is sure to provide a morbid attraction to the game and while it is a lot of fun to unload on a player, the key thing to remember is that this is a football game.

It is in this area that the game struggles as player movements and essential football moves and tactics become an afterthought as it was clear that the main focus of the game is to inflict as much damage as you can on opposing players.

Lawrence Taylor, Jay Mohr, and Frank Caliendo also appear as voices in the game and while a nice touch, I found myself wanting more of them.

In the end the game comes across as a very twisted yet entertaining parody of pro football and the players and is an action pack gorefest that sets a new standard in carnage. As a football simulator it is lacking, so players be warned, if you want mayhem and carnage this is your game, but if your desire is for realistic football strategy, you will be disappointed.

The graphics and sound of the game are solid, and despite some initial trouble getting used to the control system, I soon found myself unloading on any players crazy enough to cross my path.

4 stars out of 5.