Blood Bowl 3

If you’ve never played a game like this before, Blood Bowl 3 is sure to serve as a perfect introduction to the world of BB, a sacred sport in an epic fantasy world. This title is sure to serve as a lesson on the best way to resolve your differences with rivals… through an extremely bloody game of football.

Gameplay explained

Blood Bowl 3's design and attitude are evocative of classic footbrawlers like NFL Blitz in a fantasy setting, but it's actually a strategic RPG. It was inspired by a tabletop role-playing game set in the Warhammer world. Players construct teams out of many races, and each team has unique strengths and weaknesses that enable you decide which to utilize based on your playstyle. Each team member has their own set of numbers and talents based on their function, but it is up to you to make the greatest use of them.

Tactics and Strategies

Blood Bowl 3 employs a grid-based structure, with the aim of course being to reach the end zone. Each round is timed, so you must think quickly to decide out how you want to go.

When it comes to team construction, you have the choice of using default creations or building teams from the ground up. Unfortunately, you cannot select any race to be a member of a custom team. It must be based on the pre-built teams, so the personalization truly comes into play depending on recruiting the proper people, which I regretfully did not get the opportunity to learn more about. There are also possibilities to employ workers to assist you during games, as well as the chance to create your own uniform, cheerleaders, and coaches.

What’s new with Blood Bowl 3?

Blood Bowl 3 developer Cyanide Studio has stated that there will be 12 playable teams at launch for returning Blood Bowl gamers. It will also contain two new teams, the Black Orcs and the Imperial Nobility, which will also be available in the game’s beta. A story-based campaign is also planned for the future, as well as a slew of multiplayer options that have yet to be revealed.

Those who are familiar with the rules and nuances of the original tabletop game or the previous two video games will most likely feel at ease in Blood Bowl 3. It currently runs flawlessly on Unreal Engine 4, and there appears to be a plethora of features.

Verdict

Just don't expect to see a typical football game. This is a strategy game, and all strategy games have a level of depth that influences the learning curve. Blood Bowl 3 simply happens to be a steep one, so be prepared to put in a lot of effort to figure out what's going on underneath the hood.

Pros

• Unique and fun take on football
• Awesome strategy choices
• Cool options for playable teams

Cons

• Hard to get into if you haven’t played the tabletop games