Blood Bowl 2 is, surprisingly, the sequel to Blood Bowl. It shocked me to find out this news. Who would’ve thought that the number 2 could be used as a continuation to a game series? I thought everything had a ridiculous subtitle these days. Not only is it a sequel to a video game, but it’s also based on the board game by Games Workshop. If that name rings a bell then think Warhammer.
Warhammer fans will love seeing some of their favourite races from the strategy game series lock-up in a slightly different battle to usual. Fans of the Blood Bowl board game will obviously not be shocked in the slightest, and just hoping it can recreate a fun digital experience of the popular offshoot.
Luckily the experience that Blood Bowl 2 delivers is on the high end of the fun scale. As someone that had never played the board game or previous entries in the series, it was a bit overwhelming at first. There’s a lot to learn in the game and it would be very easy to just have boring tutorials that you spend more time reading than playing.
This is not the way Blood Bowl 2 wants to teach you though. Although you can jump in the deep end and just start playing matches, the best way to acclimatise to the game is by playing the campaign. It’s a campaign littered with twists and turns, and some great commentary by the commentary team. Rather than calling the whole thing like a normal sports game, the team has a personality and is genuinely funny.
They’ll provide you with hints as you push through the campaign whilst also adding some narrative to what’s going on. You’re the Reikland Reavers; a once great team who are now struggling to even put a team together, yet alone win a game. You’ll be talked through the basics of the game, from putting a team together to how turnovers work. The great thing is it’s not all thrown at you in one match.
Each match introduces a new element until eventually you know everything. Throw in some set pieces that will only happen in the campaign and it’s a great thing to play through. The only issue is there doesn’t seem to be branching paths, which means a loss is game over. This can be very annoying, especially considering how long matches can take to play out.
A match consists of 16 turns in total, with 8 each half. After a half has been played, much like in most sports, the field resets. If you’ve had players injured or killed they will stay out of the game. If a player has been knocked out there’s a good chance they’ll return. One turn of the game can take a varying amount of time and it’s better to think before rushing in.
It can be tempting to just grab the ball and run towards the touchdown area, but the game very much has to be considered as a board game. If the probability that your player will pick up the ball is only 20%, it’s probably better waiting until you’re in a better position to pick it up, and limit your dice rolls. If you chance it and fail then if you’ve got a re-roll card, there’s a small chance you’ll pick it up on your second go, but it will then mean you’re out of re-rolls for that turn.
Blood Bowl 2 is a game where you have to think through your strategy each time and hope that it pays off. Sometimes you’ll pay the price for bringing that deep defender forward in the hope of blitzing the attack; sometimes it’ll be the perfect move. You’ll soon figure out the tactics that work for you and those that don’t. Your main focus will be not to end up getting a turnover by messing up an action, thus you should keep your big risk moves until last and make sure you have cover if all goes sour.
There are so many layers to Blood Bowl 2, that it’s much better to see it in action. I have placed my early moments with the game at the bottom of the page for you to view. This still doesn’t really do it justice in terms of what’s on offer as a complete package. It’s when you go online you realise the potential of the game. It’s all about customising the best team possible, that play a style you like. Humans are great all-rounder’s whereas Orcs are great for a fight. You’ll soon figure out what your style of play is, whether it be running the ball up the pitch or knocking the opposition off of it.
If you’re the type that likes to watch matches in action then Blood Bowl 2 has that set up as well. I watched a few games playing out and really enjoyed what was on offer and found the streaming quality to be really good. Whether or not the game will truly take off as an eSport title remains to be seen. It has been sensible enough though to offer enough options to make it easy to view people playing it competitively without forcing it down your throat.
It’s hard to really pinpoint who will enjoy Blood Bowl 2 the most. Strategy, board game and American Football fans will all get something from it. Still, it’s worth trying your hand at it even if you’re not a fan of those genres. The main issue with the game is the steep learning curve and the length of the matches. If you’re someone with limited time this probably isn’t the game for you. If you do have the time for such a big commitment though, then you’re in for a treat.