The latest and “bloody” game of American football has arrived on the PC with developers Cyanide Studios once again coming back to the sporting world of Orcs and Elves set in the violent universe of Blood Bowl. If Blood Bowl sounds a little familiar, you are probably an older gamer because this was originally a board game created by Game Workshop. Ironically, after so many years, it still has a loyal following and although it didn’t reach the heights of the main Warhammer game, it was an interesting diversion to the traditional Dungeon’s & Dragons game. Turn based strategy sport games just got bloodier and...

...sexier!

In terms of gameplay, Blood Bowl Legendary Edition is not your traditional sports game but you’ve probably guessed that already. As opposed to the console sport games, this title is a turn based strategy. The biggest change to this edition as opposed to previous games is that the developers have included a variety of new races into the mix such as High Elves and the Undead. Elves can also "glamour" their foes which does allow you to control them. The secret is 11 new playable races! Then you have the streamlined online play that actually makes it more fun to play it online as opposed to single-player. The only issues with online is trying to find another player and with offline, the AI is a little less than challenging.

If you haven’t played the board game or the previous  PC game, I thoroughly recommend that you follow every step of the tutorial because as opposed to American Football, there are quite a few tweaks and changes to be found. From kicks to tackles and dodging, the learning curve of this title, especially if you are unfamiliar with American Football or rugby to an extent is quite high. Things become even more challenging with the inclusion of Blood Bowl rules.

The Ogres!

Once you have completed the tutorial, the story mode is probably the best place to start which allows you to put your skills into action…slowly. In this mode, you play a mercenary trainer or "coach" for your selected race, (the High Elves are so cool) as you play a variety of games. Another fun mode is the campaign mode which offers you a plethora of levels or games to play but offers some unlockable content as you gain new powers and players.

However the star of the title is playing the game online as you engage in a variety of matches and leagues. There is a new commissioner tool that has been added into the game. This gives the owner of a particular league, some power in terms of resetting matches or replays. This is how Blood Bowl should be played. Just be warned that dying sucks...  especially when one of your stars decided to take a dirt nap from getting killed by an opponent or opponent. Or those pesky vampires that get blood lust and wish to feed on not only their opponents but also the fans!

The Undead

The graphics mirror the board game perfectly and all the characters look like their real-world miniature painted figures. The animation is good as are the stadium backgrounds and special effects. It’s funny seeing these mythical creatures compete in a sport game similar to American Football with its all regalia. The stadiums look pretty cool as well and there around 10 new areas for you to compete in. The soundtrack with its rock inspired mythic focus suits the game well as do the sound effects and some of those THUDS are loud. Overall, it’s a good looking game on the PC, especially on high detail.

So do I recommend this game? If you’re a fan of Blood Bowl, than you’ve come to the right place but just be warned that online play is a must. Sports fans would probably be annoyed due to the limited control of the players but once again this game is a strategy not an arcade sports title. Hopefully Cyanide will release a few patches to fix some of the AI issues and at times, some clipping problems with the graphics. It just seems that developers are focusing more online these days as opposed to single-player which is a shame but if Blood Bowl is your cup of tea, check this out.

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