Backbreaker Demo Available, Post Your Impressions Here

[spankdatazz22]

Quote: Originally Posted by swaldo

Well one thing is clear, if hard-core football gamers don't like the camera then what do you think casual & younger players will think?

Personally I think the casuals will be more accepting of the control scheme than those hardcore that are staunchly against it. Some of the hardcore fans seem far too concerned w/the game being Madden-like, in terms of expecting the AI to be at a certain point, worried about stats, the ability to recreate the NFL, the camera options, etc. Most casual fans will likely accept the game for what it is I would think

[LoostheMoos]

I did not see this discussed eariler, so I apologize if it was and I missed it...

Has anyone else been able to block XP's and FG's with alarming ease? I manually took the deep man on the FG-Block, brought him into the A-gap and was able to block 3 kicks in 2 games, twice I was actually able to tackle the holder...I am hoping it was a fluke more than a glitch...

[TheWatcher]

The average gamer is bound to be frustrated by the camera. I like the camera, some others don't mind it, but I just see no way this is going to go over well with the masses.

If anyone remembers, there have been public outcries for multiple and adjustable cams in other football games that didn't have the type of view BB has. People complained about the view in those games... so what do you think they will do with BB? I just have a strong feeling that AI issues had a lot to do with it if not the main reason, but I'll be more inclined to conclude on whether that's true or not, based on the full game. If the full game doesn't have adjustable replay angles, I think I'll have my answer as to what they were thinking.

The foundation is really solid, but the uphill battle for acceptance is going to be even tougher than I originally thought.

[fldash]

Quote: Originally Posted by spankdatazz22

Personally I think the casuals will be more accepting of the control scheme than those hardcore that are staunchly against it. Some of the hardcore fans seem far too concerned w/the game being Madden-like, in terms of expecting the AI to be at a certain point, worried about stats, the ability to recreate the NFL, the camera options, etc. Most casual fans will likely accept the game for what it is I would think

Yea, I think casuals are much more forgiving than the hardcore, I didn't get his point at all.

[Jimixiii]

Yes I finally got my own pick! As I've stated before, I've never really played anything other than DL on defense in football games but I was the LB playing man on the TE & got a nice pick. This is the best prospective on D & best feel for playing D I've ever witness. I don't feel completely lost or always on the scramble with the way the game is setup for once while covering the offense. Loving it!

[Afrikan]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jimixiii

Yes I finally got my own pick! As I've stated before, I've never really played anything other than DL on defense in football games but I was the LB playing man on the TE & got a nice pick. This is the best prospective on D & best feel for playing D I've ever witness. I don't feel completely lost or always on the scramble with the way the game is setup for once while covering the offense. Loving it!

yes, I can't WAIT to play final game....2mins per qtr really hinders the gameplay experience, imo......the fact that it is fun with little time we have, man.....the full game should be much funner.

[spankdatazz22]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheWatcher

The average gamer is bound to be frustrated by the camera. I like the camera, some others don't mind it, but I just see no way this is going to go over well with the masses.

Well, we'll see. Like I said in another thread, when the Blitz developers were here trying to garner support for their game, people here wanted to change it into something it wasn't intended to be. "It needs to have 11vs11 or it's gonna fail miserably". "Needs full customization". Etc. The first one was successful mainly because the people that brought the game weren't looking for a traditional game. The BB devs have said repeatedly they were trying to do something new; the traditional route is a path pretty well worn. Again I'd love to have additional options. But as the devs themselves have stated (dev diary #1 & #3) - changing the view changes what they were shooting to accomplish. This is their first attempt at a football game w/o the benefit of user feedback - overall I think they did a great job, considering. I say at least allow them the opportunity to adjust instead of immediately burying the game

[Sport73]

I wanted to take my time with the demo before rushing to judgment, but I can sum up my thoughts in 3 words:

Move Over Madden.

I've played at least 100 games in the demo of BackBreaker, and while there are certainly the flaws, rough edges and gaps of a first-generation product, it already plays a better game of Football than Madden. For comparison, I played the Madden 10 demo again, and it's just night and day. Madden feels like it has for over a decade, just a step up from the vibrating table form of football where everything is floaty and loosely in your control. Everyone's in the right spot in Madden, so it 'looks' like football, but there's a layer of abstraction that ensures it never feels like football.

BackBreaker feels like football. If using a physics engine was just a gimmick, call me a sucker, because it makes a world of difference. The hits in Madden are laughable compared to the complex variety of animations and player interactions in backbreaker. Guys fighting on the line look and feel like guys fighting on the line, every step feels like a step, and you can see how each foot being placed down equals motion, not the ice-skating of so many games - we're talking 1:1 between what you see and the physical movement in the game.

The passing game, while difficult, is a breath of fresh air. It takes a while to become decent, but once you do it's just a ton of fun. If you practice the progressions pre-snap it make it easier to know what you have to do after the hike. Focusing in as a player makes his cut and hitting him with the pass at just the right time is fun, and the low-level camera makes you feel like you're in the eyes of the quarterback. You have very little time to make a decision, because you will get blind-side sacked if you delay. There's also a clear talent difference between the good offensive lines and QB's in the game, and the bad ones.

The running game is light years beyond Madden. The controls are easy to pull off, and the 'in the RB role' view is great for finding the seams. But the best part is that this is where the physics really shines; glancing hits are shaken off, jukes can leave guys in the dust, and the eventual take-down is unique and appropriate to the circumstance. A perfect example is that in Madden, you might get stuffed on the 1st down as soon as the RB meets the defender, regardless of whether his forward motion or the specific way in which offensive/defensive players collided would have kept him moving forward. In BB, you'll pick up the extra yard if the hit is off to your side, but you'll get pushed back if you were moving more laterally than forward at impact. The diversity and realism of hits is just sweet, and an utter embarrassment to Madden.

Downsides? The player models are not diverse, and the 'on-the-field' presentation, while great, just doesn't have the polish of Madden. Online offerings seem pretty limited (just exhibitions, no leagues), and the play books are not as diverse as they could be.

Mostly, it will just take a lot of adjustment for you to get used to the view, controls, feel, and 'method' of this game, but if you take the time to figure it out (be sure to play on Pro and not arcade by pushing right on that menu item) you will be rewarded by a solid foundation, fun to play game that is also a glimpse into the future of football sims.

Maybe I'm over-selling it, but I'm very impressed and have decided to get this and likely skip Madden this year.