Developer: Cyanide
Publisher: Bigben Interactive
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Blood Bowl: Death Zone – Review
What’s one of the biggest frustrations in sports games? If you guessed “not being able to punch my opponent”, then you are correct! Only a handful of games include a decent amount of violence on the field and these titles are rather old. Think back over that soccer game on the NES where if you kicked the opponents enough, they wouldn’t move anymore, which resulted in a battlefield after a while. Blood Bowl: Death Zone combines the love for aggression on the playing field with an RTS feel.
Story
There isn’t a story to be found in Death Zone as the game is aimed towards players who only have limited time or just want to briefly play a match or two. You can get a small sense of progression in the League mode but as this is with pre-matched teams, there really isn’t anything to it. With the game being made like an arcade title, the absence of a story doesn’t hurt the game one bit.
Graphics
That the game is a budget title might be spotted immediately by looking at the less refined graphics. Overall, the game looks simple, especially in the details, and a bit older, as the Blood Bowl games already have a few years on them. Another annoying thing is the drop in frame rate when making a goal. Overall animations are semi-fluent and the wide range of different characters does make for a colorful experience.
Sound
There isn’t really much to say about the sound in this game. There is a soft track playing in the background and there is a lot of noise coming from the crowd but most of it comes from the playing field. Thanks to the fighting and special moves that characters can use, there will be fireworks (literally).
Gameplay
Blood Bowl: Death Zone is a sports game that uses RTS mechanics. At first, the game seems to have a very strange mix of mechanics but due to it being well developed, everything works very well. The rules are simple, grab the squig (a little creature that is used as a ball) and drop it in the goal on the other side of the field. Those who are familiar with American football will already know the basics, other people can follow the very good tutorial that teaches the ropes of every mechanic in this game. What makes Blood Bowl: Death Zone so fun is the combination of aggressive sports with a fantasy environment in which you have a wide range of special moves up your sleeve to make sure you win the match. The game is well suited for people that don’t have that much time or are looking for a game to play in-between as matches only last five minutes.
Given that matches are that short, you might wonder about the longevity of this game. Well, at the budget price of Death Zone, you shouldn’t be expecting a title that will last you as long as a JRPG. Priced as a cheap Indie title, you will surely get your kicks from some random quick matches and if you want a sort of story mode, you can hit up leagues to win some trophies or test out your skill in an online match. How are these matches played you might be wondering? Well, each setup is a 4v4 match on a small field and the aim is to pocket the squig in the goal and score. The ball moves around and, in that way, it can help win or lose a match. You control the characters in an RTS like way by selecting them and sending commands. This works most of the time but sometimes characters won’t react at all when commanding them and this can be really frustrating when the opponent is making a run with the ball.
During the matches, you are able to get a little extra help to take out the opposition. Each character wears armor and when this is broken by fighting, the character gets injured. Sometimes you will have to decide whether to kick players out of the match or to keep them alive but badly hurt since they will respawn with full health. The available skills can either help you score better, stop the enemies in their tracks or damage them greatly. These all have a cooldown and the opponent will also love to throw their moves at you, meaning you shouldn’t save them up but use them as a tactical advantage.
Conclusion
Blood Bowl: Death Zone is a fun small title that can be really enjoyed in-between games since matches only last five minutes. The aggressive gameplay with RTS mechanics ensures that even non-sports fans will be liking American football albeit while kicking down all your enemies and using an AI-controlled ball. Sound is ok and the graphics are mediocre but it’s what can be expected for the budget price. Don’t expect long sessions or a lot of content, but rather a title to play and enjoy while on a break or as a pause from a larger title.
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