What is up XBL Radio listeners, B4 here with a review for you today. My review will be for a game that is a sequel to one of the goriest, most brutal, drug filled, sexually explicit football games to ever hit the market. I am talking about Blitz: The League II by Midway. Without further adieu, let us get right into the review.
The thing that Blitz: The League games are known for outside of the EA and 2K sports games, are that they try to deliver a story that focuses on the darker side of football, drugs, girls, brutal hits, injuries, going to jail, etc. The campaign mode is the meat and potatoes of this game, and it is actually pretty intriguing, has a few plot twists, and other side stories that you will keep you interested throughout the game. You are franchise, the first player in the “league” who can play up to two different positions, the commissioner of the league wants you to join his team, the LA Riot. You refuse because you want to play for your hometown, he gets upset, and eventually the story becomes a battle between you and him while you work your way up to the Division I championship.
You will get almost around 20 hours or so out of the campaign, because other than playing games, you can hook up with girls to earn different upgrades for your team, such as reduced prices on steroids, better training facilities, and more staff to help out with injuries. You have the option to auto-train your team, or choose to do it on your own, “auto” training is much easier, trust me. There are trophies you can unlock, equipment you can earn, and much more.
The graphics are passable this time around. The players on the field look great, they are animated very well, and don’t all look like they have blocks of woods as their arms. Their uniforms will gather dirt, mud, and snow on them, depending on the forecast on the field. Cheerleaders look just as good as the players, but the medical staff looks like they were brought over from the Xbox days, they are as dull and lifeless as ever. The fans are acceptable, and each stadium doesn’t look as generic as before, and the screen will also tend to have rain, mud, blood, haze, or anything else you can think of on there from time to time during gameplay. Cutscenes in the campaign look good, and when someone speaks, it actually looks like they are saying what they are trying to say. All in all, a much bigger graphical improvement over last years version.
Sound is good, music is a variety of rap and hard rock mixed tracks. Crackling bones, filthy words coming out of mouths, screams from being in pain, all sound like they should sound in real life. Jay Mohr, Lawrence Taylor, and Frank Caliendo lend their voices to the game, and do a pretty decent job of not sounding like meat heads all the time.
The gameplay is where I believe that this game is a winner. It is as fast paced, outlandish, and fun as the last installment, with a few changes. Late hits are back, and are activated by pressing the A button over somebodies body, and then repeatedly tapping it to inflict more damage. There are a few different late hit moves, all of which are funny, and all help add a clash icon to your clash meter, which can help you make crazy catches, interceptions, grueling tackles, season ending injuries, etc. You can also target the position of the body that you want to inflict damage on by moving the right thumbstick to the area you want to hit, then rapidly press A to inflict more damage. Enough damage will cause a gross cutscene to occur, in which you see the players ribs crack, shoulders pop, and colons explode, all in their HD glory.
Outside of the campaign you can play games on Xbox live with your created team, play offline in a tournament mode up to 8 players, or play a variety of mini games with a variety of rules, like no helmets or pads, score a TD to keep possession of the ball, etc. All modes are fun, and do add some replay value to the game.
In the end, Blitz: The League II is the type of game that is a nice, gruesome alternative, to the sissified, simulated versions of football games that we see today. If you have a strong stomach, or just want to break some bones, hit on some women, and play a fast-paced, exciting game of football, then Blitz: The League II is the game for you.
That is all from me this time gamers, take care, and see you next time.
Take Care,
Mr B4
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