Blitz: The League
Posted November 27, 2006
Late hitting, trash talking, bone crunching football has been the focus of the Blitz series for years. With an entry into the next generation world of consoles, Midway looks to recapture Blitz's popularity with an Xbox 360 version of the franchise. The presentation of Blitz: The League attempts to add a story to the campaign mode for more overall depth. Basically, your team has to win out the season in order for the team owner to negotiate a deal with the local politicians. Unfortunately, the story is just glossy filler that probably doesn't appeal to folks just looking to play a little hard hitting football. It's but a token effort that seems very much out of place with the rest of the game. 
Gameplay:
At the outset, Players can pop into quick action via an exhibition mode, start up a new campaign, or head out onto Xbox Live for a little multiplayer action. Within a new campaign mode, players can create a brand new team from scratch. Selecting uniforms, team name, stadium, mascot, logo, and your main rookie / veteran is a must. The careers of the two offensive / defensive players selected will be concentrated on throughout the campaign. Their progress will determine the overall success of the team.
At the start of a new campaign, players have a number of options before launching into the first game on the schedule. Player training is a necessity for competing in the latter portions of the campaign. A specific player can be boosted in a number of ways, usually split into areas such as strength, speed, agility, etc. After training is decided, players can also boost their stats via legal or illegal pharmaceuticals. Popping a few pills can be the ultimate edge when taking on the next team. These drugs also have disadvantages such as being too expensive or lowering other abilities in favor of raw strength boosts. Increasingly using illegal boosts may also hurt the team if a random drug test is performed. Balancing drug use and proper training can be a tricky business.
Before each game, you have the ability to make a wager on the outcome. Beating the odds makers can be extremely lucrative and rack up the cash to pay for all the drug use. Also, piles of money can be racked up during the game for completing certain objective such as a number of touchdowns or back-breaking hits. Early in the campaign, the money is a bit tight. But with a few wins under your belt, the cash really begins to roll in.
The single player A.I. can be pretty dumb at times, but still remains challenging due to the sliver of rubber-band effect that remains prevalent toward the finality of a game. The A.I. doesn't cover the pass very well, nor do they have the ability to catch a speedy runner. Also, the A.I. quarterback has a godlike ability to dodge four blitzing defensive linemen. While I realize the arcade style should be at the forefront, it just becomes absurd at some point. The A.I. can catch up pretty fast in the 4th quarter as well, which kills betting on the point spread. Their uncanny ability to throw two bombs and score a touchdown in a matter of seconds is suspect. Thankfully, they are horrible at recovering an onside kick.
The game provides a method to slow down the action once your power meter has been filled; due to excellent performance on previous plays. On offense, decreasing the speed of the surrounding players will allow for last second jukes, a longer period of time to throw, or more accurate pass routes. On defense, there is no speed boost, but rather a separate benefit. Defensive linemen will be able to deliver the most punishing tackles to the QB when the meter is invoked. The clash meter almost makes the game seem too easy early in the campaign.
Once the campaign has worn thin, uploading your custom team for Xbox Live multiplayer is quite simple. This is where all that stat building in the campaign pays off. The player with the superior team usually prevails in a multiplayer grudge match. Since defense is usually a non-factor, total scores in Xbox Live matches can reach extreme levels. Lag over Xbox Live is fairly non-existent, although dropped connections from sore losers happens more frequently.
The achievement point values are oddly assigned. Rather than basing the point structure on 5 or 10 point increments, achievements with values such as 17 or 6 exist. The achievements are split into 47 tasks for a total of 1000 gamerscore points. The majority is awarded of single player tasks, but multiplayer points make up about 20% of the total. Points are awarded for a variety of single game achievements as well as completing the entire campaign. There is also a viral achievement that can only be garnered by playing another person online that has it; appropriately awarding 69 points. Midway did do an excellent job creating achievements that promote a moderate amount of replay value.
Graphics:
Easily the worst looking football game for the Xbox 360, Midway sets the standard for developer laziness. It's painfully obvious they did very little to upgrade the main gameplay engine from the port of the PS2 version. Even in high definition, blurry textures, ugly weather effects, and poor collision detection hamper the visual experience. The only redeeming factors of the graphics engine are the numerous cut scenes and smooth animations. Watching players dodge or squeeze out of a big hit makes me long to see EA incorporate such frivolity within the Madden franchise. The frame rate takes some major hits when re-entering the play call menu and often leads to a decrease in the amount of play calling time. Midway should be ashamed for attempting to pass of last year's PS2 graphics engine of Blitz onto the high powered Xbox 360.
Audio:
While occasionally on the cheesy side, the character dialogue is often the most entertaining aspect during a football game. The trash-talking, cursing players will add a poignant barb at the end of each play or perhaps during the actual tackle. The F-word flows out like a steady stream of water, so parents need to be very careful before picking up Blitz for a young 360 owner. Up in the box, the in-game commentary is usually spot-on and keeps up with the fast paced game. The commentary mainly sticks to play calling rather than competing with the players on the field for witty comments. The soundtrack is easily forgettable; mostly comprised of alternative rock and hip-hop. Thankfully, it doesn't become too overpowering during the actual football games; mostly based within the menu structure.
Conclusion:
By looking past the horrific graphics and poor storyline, one will see an entertaining, complex football game hidden in the mix. The campaign mode is a delightful change of pace from the stat-laden muck within the Madden series. Additionally, the achievements add considerable hours to your overall playtime. That being said, players who love simulation-style football may be turned away by the arcade nature of the game. Give Blitz a rent before purchasing and see how well it fits your play style. Also, the Xbox & PS2 versions of Blitz are down to the $20 area, so I'd wait until the 360 version falls in price considerably before investing in a purchase.
Gameplay:
At the outset, Players can pop into quick action via an exhibition mode, start up a new campaign, or head out onto Xbox Live for a little multiplayer action. Within a new campaign mode, players can create a brand new team from scratch. Selecting uniforms, team name, stadium, mascot, logo, and your main rookie / veteran is a must. The careers of the two offensive / defensive players selected will be concentrated on throughout the campaign. Their progress will determine the overall success of the team.
At the start of a new campaign, players have a number of options before launching into the first game on the schedule. Player training is a necessity for competing in the latter portions of the campaign. A specific player can be boosted in a number of ways, usually split into areas such as strength, speed, agility, etc. After training is decided, players can also boost their stats via legal or illegal pharmaceuticals. Popping a few pills can be the ultimate edge when taking on the next team. These drugs also have disadvantages such as being too expensive or lowering other abilities in favor of raw strength boosts. Increasingly using illegal boosts may also hurt the team if a random drug test is performed. Balancing drug use and proper training can be a tricky business.
Before each game, you have the ability to make a wager on the outcome. Beating the odds makers can be extremely lucrative and rack up the cash to pay for all the drug use. Also, piles of money can be racked up during the game for completing certain objective such as a number of touchdowns or back-breaking hits. Early in the campaign, the money is a bit tight. But with a few wins under your belt, the cash really begins to roll in.
The single player A.I. can be pretty dumb at times, but still remains challenging due to the sliver of rubber-band effect that remains prevalent toward the finality of a game. The A.I. doesn't cover the pass very well, nor do they have the ability to catch a speedy runner. Also, the A.I. quarterback has a godlike ability to dodge four blitzing defensive linemen. While I realize the arcade style should be at the forefront, it just becomes absurd at some point. The A.I. can catch up pretty fast in the 4th quarter as well, which kills betting on the point spread. Their uncanny ability to throw two bombs and score a touchdown in a matter of seconds is suspect. Thankfully, they are horrible at recovering an onside kick.
The game provides a method to slow down the action once your power meter has been filled; due to excellent performance on previous plays. On offense, decreasing the speed of the surrounding players will allow for last second jukes, a longer period of time to throw, or more accurate pass routes. On defense, there is no speed boost, but rather a separate benefit. Defensive linemen will be able to deliver the most punishing tackles to the QB when the meter is invoked. The clash meter almost makes the game seem too easy early in the campaign.
Once the campaign has worn thin, uploading your custom team for Xbox Live multiplayer is quite simple. This is where all that stat building in the campaign pays off. The player with the superior team usually prevails in a multiplayer grudge match. Since defense is usually a non-factor, total scores in Xbox Live matches can reach extreme levels. Lag over Xbox Live is fairly non-existent, although dropped connections from sore losers happens more frequently.
The achievement point values are oddly assigned. Rather than basing the point structure on 5 or 10 point increments, achievements with values such as 17 or 6 exist. The achievements are split into 47 tasks for a total of 1000 gamerscore points. The majority is awarded of single player tasks, but multiplayer points make up about 20% of the total. Points are awarded for a variety of single game achievements as well as completing the entire campaign. There is also a viral achievement that can only be garnered by playing another person online that has it; appropriately awarding 69 points. Midway did do an excellent job creating achievements that promote a moderate amount of replay value.
Graphics:
Easily the worst looking football game for the Xbox 360, Midway sets the standard for developer laziness. It's painfully obvious they did very little to upgrade the main gameplay engine from the port of the PS2 version. Even in high definition, blurry textures, ugly weather effects, and poor collision detection hamper the visual experience. The only redeeming factors of the graphics engine are the numerous cut scenes and smooth animations. Watching players dodge or squeeze out of a big hit makes me long to see EA incorporate such frivolity within the Madden franchise. The frame rate takes some major hits when re-entering the play call menu and often leads to a decrease in the amount of play calling time. Midway should be ashamed for attempting to pass of last year's PS2 graphics engine of Blitz onto the high powered Xbox 360.
Audio:
While occasionally on the cheesy side, the character dialogue is often the most entertaining aspect during a football game. The trash-talking, cursing players will add a poignant barb at the end of each play or perhaps during the actual tackle. The F-word flows out like a steady stream of water, so parents need to be very careful before picking up Blitz for a young 360 owner. Up in the box, the in-game commentary is usually spot-on and keeps up with the fast paced game. The commentary mainly sticks to play calling rather than competing with the players on the field for witty comments. The soundtrack is easily forgettable; mostly comprised of alternative rock and hip-hop. Thankfully, it doesn't become too overpowering during the actual football games; mostly based within the menu structure.
Conclusion:
By looking past the horrific graphics and poor storyline, one will see an entertaining, complex football game hidden in the mix. The campaign mode is a delightful change of pace from the stat-laden muck within the Madden series. Additionally, the achievements add considerable hours to your overall playtime. That being said, players who love simulation-style football may be turned away by the arcade nature of the game. Give Blitz a rent before purchasing and see how well it fits your play style. Also, the Xbox & PS2 versions of Blitz are down to the $20 area, so I'd wait until the 360 version falls in price considerably before investing in a purchase.