Blood Bowl (Xbox 360)

Blood Bowl is the latest attempt to bring Games Workshop's brutal American Football game to our screens, and whilst the challenge and depth of the proceedings might put off people more used to the real-time action of Madden, it's rewarding enough to keep you coming back for more.

There are two modes to select from - Real-Time and Turn-Based - but the latter is so sloppily executed that you'll rarely turn to it. The real fun to be had is in the highly strategic Turn-Based mode, which requires a surprisingly amount of cunning and forward thinking to master. Not simply a matter of battering your way to the line, careful thought is required both before and during the game.

Not to say that it's not exciting. Almost everything is micro-managed - not quite at the point of tedium, though that's fairly subjective - so even an attempt to dodge past a player becomes a tense moment where anything could happen, and scoring touchdowns is a case of chaining together both lucky dice rolls and clever tactics. This is complemented by some fantastic animations and superb sound design - it's a fantastic representation of the Warhammer universe on show.

And with 8 playable races along with loads of different arenas to play in, the variety and customisation on display is superb. Leagues and Tournaments can be customised to the Nth degree, and your team is what you make of it, with the entire roster subject to your wrath.

There are however, some concessions. It seems most of Cyanide's energy has been put into perfecting those turn-based mechanics, and so the sloppy execution isn't limited to just the Real-Time gameplay mode. The menus are laid out in a rather unfriendly manner, and whilst they can be navigated efficiently once you get used to them, it's still an entirely unnecessary hurdle between your good self and enjoying the game. The fact that gameplay is also punctuated by hideously long loading times is another point of annoyance.

The difficulty can be a source of some frustration too. The tutorial is all but useless in informing you of the game mechanics, and there is nothing by way of help with regard to tactics - everything falls to you, and if one crack appears, human and AI opponents alike will relentless exploit it. This does, however, make the thrill of winning that much sweeter, and running in a 7-1 victory after a streak of losses is immensely satisfying.

So it's not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination. But if you're a fan of Blood Bowl itself, or even just of strategy games in general, than this may more than appeal to you. Even if you're not, the slick gameplay on offer here may well be enough to change your mind. A few hitches hold it back from mass appeal, but this is still a very entertaining slice of gaming.



Released on Xbox 360, PC, Nintendo DS, Playstation 3 on 27th November 2009 by THQ.

Written by Ross Sweeney.