14 DAY TRIAL // My Imperial quarterback has a 76% chance to pick up the ball. He fumbles, which leads to a turnover. Fortunately, he is well-screen by an ogre and a few other teammates. Next turn I first push a few orcs out of the way. He fumbles again. Is it time to get a running back to pick up the ball or should I focus on defensive moves until his luck turns?
Blood Bowl 3 is developed by Cyanide Studio and published by Nacon. The version I played was a closed beta on Steam and the full launch is set to come later in the year. This third entry in the series delivers a Warhammer-themed take on American football, with plenty of violence and tactical choices.
Gamers can create their dream team, choosing from 12 races that run the gamut from Imperial humans to Chaos demons, including fan-favorites like Skaven and Dwarves. Spent money on players as well as on coaches, an apothecary, or cheerleaders. Customize their appearance or the stadium and then challenge an opponent.
The goal is to reach the enemy’s endzone for a touchdown, which sounds simple. Careful player positioning, good blocking, adept pushing, a foul or ten, good handoffs, impressive throwing, wizards, cannibalism, poison, all represent valid ways to deal with the other team and advance.
Blood Bowl 3 is still based on random dice rolls, with special abilities and player skills featured to mitigate some of the randomness. Players need to know their teams before planning on the best route to the endzone, although the execution will always be chaotic.
Blood Bowl 3 elegantly walks the line between clean delivery of information and American football TV broadcast. The action shots and the touchdown dances are cute at first, although I will probably be skipping them when I get to the full game. Details about players, abilities, and more are always offered for those who need it. The voice acting delivers nothing special, but I like the soundtrack.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, the beta does not offer access to the campaign or to eight of the featured races. I had fun playing a few matches with the Orcs and the Imperials and I am eagerly awaiting to see what the full version of Blood Bowl 3 delivers later in the year.
Preview code provided by the publisher.
