NFL Blitz Review

NFL Blitz is the newest release in the classic franchise of arcade-style American football games. What was first an arcade game first released in 1997, eventually ported to home consoles and spawned several sequels. This year’s title (confusingly named the same as the classic version) brings the game to HD consoles for the first time, complete with familiar gameplay and some new elements to make the game feel fresh and modern in its design. It may lack some of the craziness of the original or the intensity of an actual Madden NFL release, but this is none the less a rather enjoyable title for football fans looking for a more casual experience.

Blitz does, of course, remain a football game at the core and thus limits its potential audience due to the inherent complexities of the sport. If you’ve at least heard the words “touchdown” and “third down” before though, the learning curve is gentle so being able to pick-up and play is entirely possible after a few practice games. The title may not be as accessible as something like NBA Jam, but again, this is due to the sport itself and not the game’s design.

Much like the classic Blitz, the gameplay on the field should be familiar to fans. Rules follow the real sport, with four quarters at two minutes each – though sadly these times aren’t adjustable and some games may feel like they drag on, as the time only counts down during a live play. The mechanics of the sport, like running and passing the ball, touchdowns, line downs, etc are all present. On offense, there are 18 offensive plays to run that are efficiently diverse and your players follow them well. Defensive options are also fairly flexible, so aside from the lack of official rules, NFL Blitz makes for a rather solid basic football experience.

But of course, the selling point of the series is its arcade twist on the sport. Blitz rules are in effect on the field of play – this means 30 yards for the first down, no referees or penalties, 7 players on the field, and the previously mentioned clock only running during play. As you can imagine, this means players are able to tackle each other freely, interfere with receivers, and perform various takedown animations. One notable change from the classic formula is that there are no late hits, and nothing can happen after the whistle, which takes some excitement out of the experience. Overall though, this is football without rules, meant to be enjoyed at any time and with any opponent.

Much like the gameplay, controls are very accessible as well – players can only tackle on defense, while on offense you can spin and strong-arm your opponents while running the ball. Stop the offense from gaining any yards or successfully complete a number of passes, and your players will literally catch fire. In addition to being a neat effect, it increases your ability to boost (run faster) which can be a key factor for winning.

For a downloadable title, Blitz offers quite a number of modes. Play Now and Online offerings are self explanatory. The Blitz Gauntlet is a single player career mode of sorts – select your team, and play through a ladder-style tournament. After defeating “boss” teams, which are quirky enemies such as clowns or zombies, you unlock them as playable characters. It’s required to play through the ladder tournament a few times in order to face all teams and defeat all bosses, giving the experience a very respectable length.

Perhaps a greater offering is the Elite League – the popular Ultimate Team mode from other EA Sports titles, brought over to Blitz. You start off with a weak team and must play against others online in order to earn more Blitz Bucks (the game’s currency), then buy or unlock better players in order to improve your lineup. It’s engaging, but not as deep as other sports titles. All of the Bucks you earn playing online can be redeemed at the Store for cheats, or new cheerleader pictures. The only thing that’s disappointing is that Bucks are earned only for online games, so any offline players won’t be able to purchase or unlock anything.

The game’s online modes are expansive. Both local and online coop are available (2 vs 2), against strangers or with friends. Playing competitively can be done either via basic matchmaking, or as part of Battles system, competing for a spot on the local leaderboards by creating a custom team to use for you and even a friend. If you do well, your team could move up to national standings, and so forth. All of the online offerings function very well, with the only negative factor being a lack of players – particularly in 2 vs 2 as well as some regional competition (i.e. Canada).

Presentation has always been a strength of EA Sports titles, and NFL Blitz doesn’t disappoint. Sure, the crown looks very low resolution and many of the cutscenes repeat themselves, but this is none the less a good looking downloadable title. All of the teams are licensed, and many of the player likenesses are indeed very well done. Animations are quite well done and detailed, with everything from running to hitting. The soundtrack is catchy but it’s mostly drowned out by the on-field sound effects and commentary. The latter, while quite basic in its context, can be fairly entertaining with a number of jokes thrown in and solid voice work. Perhaps one oddity about the game is the replays – that is, they look sweet, but there is a severe lack of them. There’s no telling what constitutes a replay-worthy passage of play, and they feel way too rare given the crazy action that takes place on the field during most games.

NFL Blitz isn’t as accessible as NBA Jam, or as over-the-top as Backbreaker, though it desperately wanted to be both. This is perhaps a limitation of the sport itself, so the game shouldn’t be criticized too heavily for it. Having said that, what Blitz can be is a very fun diversion to the hardcore Madden fans that are looking for a quick game with an absurdly amusing style. Solid mechanics, a wealth of gameplay modes and enjoyable presentation add up to a very nice package for the asking price. If you’re a fan of the sport and are looking for something different, or just wish to relive the glory days of the classic title, NFL Blitz fits the bill.