A demo for the Euphoria-powered, tackle-infused Backbreaker is now available on Xbox Live. The demo clocks in at 415MB and allows players to try out the training mode, an exhibition game and the "Tackle Alley" mode. Tackle Alley is an arcade-style game that has you running the ball up the field against a pre-placed set of defenders. Using Backbreaker's offensive options, it's your job to shake the defense and get the ball to the end zone.
Backbreaker also has another innovative feature: being one of the only football games that isn't Madden. Unfortunately, the team editor isn't available in the demo, so you'll have to wait for the retail release in order to create your totally fictional team that doesn't use any NFL names or trademarks.
Xbox.com: Add Backbreaker demo to your Xbox 360 download queue
Reader Comments (7)
Posted: May 21st 2010 1:37PM (Unverified) said
I read Joystiq all the time.
And I seriously just joined so I could first this post.
It's my first, "first" ever. =]
And I seriously just joined so I could first this post.
It's my first, "first" ever. =]
Posted: May 21st 2010 1:57PM kyte420 said
I played the demo I liked how they let you use the new control style and a more madden style played extemely real on pro but I was scoring on Arcade mode. Hey Tecmo maybe next year it can be called Tecmo Bowl or not whatever!
Posted: May 21st 2010 11:26PM trefactor said
I was on the fence about BB. I couldn't make up my mind because on the one hand, I'm tired of the stagnant progression of Madden, on the other hand I know full well going in that BB is a new IP from a small group of European developers who have very little football knowledge or experience.
The good
The Euphoria engine is perfect for Football.
Running the football is easier than passing.
The Bad
EVERYTHING else.
Now before everyone gets their flame throwers ready, let me explain. I say everything else is bad because the game is clunky.
*The players all move the same, no matter whether they are a QB, TE, or DE. They run the same, and the animations for such a physics based game are stiff. Every time a player got knocked to the ground, they had the same robotic, stiff "get up animation".
*The camera isn't as bad as I previously thought, but the camera is erratic at best. I'm sure this is for effect, but the only time the camera feels right is right before the snap of the ball and when running the football.
*Passing the ball is a horse of a different color! Anyone who loved the vision cone in Madden should feel right at home. I for one hated the vision cone because of the flicking of the right thumb stick. It would often register incorrectly, and I would wind up taking a sack trying to get the cone back to the open receiver. The same can be said about the passing in BackBreaker. Yes you can change the control layout, but you are still forced to "cycle" through receivers. This is another half good half bad implementation. I can see that flicking the stick resembles an actual QB going through his reads, but it's far to clunky and slow. Yes I took a bunch of sacks playing the game.
*I often found that I would get knocked to the ground through incidental contact with anyone on the field which would indicate the need for more precision control so I could avoid contact, but the camera and player movements simply don't allow that to happen. Even when I didn't get knocked to the ground I had to make myself get involve in the plays because in about 3 hours of playtime the computer only ran one play in my direction the rest of the plays seemed to intentionally go to the opposite side of the field from where I was playing no matter what position I played. Even if you switch to the closest defender, it is often too late to have an impact on the play.
While playing the outside linebacker on one play, I was in the perfect position to pick off a pass, but couldn't jump for the ball. After the play, I went to the controls screen to see what is jump, and found that jump and catch are missing from the controls. Your player either does these on their own or they don't. Once you have the ball jumping is mapped to the thumb stick in the form of hurdling.
*Kicking takes waaaay too long.
*EXTREMELY generic plays (and yeah man to man coverage is abysmal)
*Replays, Ugh! I'm gonna take a stab in the dark and say that 505 doesn't watch alot of football or even play a lot of football. Often the replay just follows the player you are controlling, and as stated before if you don't make your player get involved the replay is just irrelevant UNLESS its score or A POINT AFTER ATTEMPT. You cannot control the replay, switch cameras on the replay (which you can do during the player intro?!?).
Playing BB is much like playing Superstar mode in Madden which I never cared for with the exception that you can switch the player your controlling, and you call the plays. I can say that after playing the demo for a few hours that 505 did a good job. BackBreaker will please those who hate Madden but like football. If you were already going to purchase the game, nothing anyone can say will change your mind. I have however decided against buying BB. I wasn't excited while playing the game. While Madden has it's faults (repetitive commentary, cheating AI, sliding and morphing players), it has far more control, and player involvement where as in BackBreaker, your involvement in the play is determined by where the play is going. If the play isn't going to your side of the field, your just there, and that's the way it is in real football but there just isn't any excitement on the plays your not involved in.
Clunky and delayed controls, erratic camera and the procedure for cycling through receivers is enough for me to pass on BackBreaker. maybe they can adjust some of those things in BackBreaker 2 and give players more camera options and customization of controls but for now it is what it is, and what it isn't is a replacement for Madden. I'll gladly spend the extra $20 to get my football fix. You may disagree, and call me a brain washed Madden Fanboy or what have you, but I did go into the BackBreaker demo expecting to be blown away and simply wasn't. Is the game worth $40 yeah if you like it it's worth even $60, but I didn't enjoy it. I can honestly say that I have deleted the demo from my hard drive and never need to play the game again. That is until BackBreaker 2 comes around next year... hmm that sounds very similar to the Madden Nation mantra... maybe next year.
The good
The Euphoria engine is perfect for Football.
Running the football is easier than passing.
The Bad
EVERYTHING else.
Now before everyone gets their flame throwers ready, let me explain. I say everything else is bad because the game is clunky.
*The players all move the same, no matter whether they are a QB, TE, or DE. They run the same, and the animations for such a physics based game are stiff. Every time a player got knocked to the ground, they had the same robotic, stiff "get up animation".
*The camera isn't as bad as I previously thought, but the camera is erratic at best. I'm sure this is for effect, but the only time the camera feels right is right before the snap of the ball and when running the football.
*Passing the ball is a horse of a different color! Anyone who loved the vision cone in Madden should feel right at home. I for one hated the vision cone because of the flicking of the right thumb stick. It would often register incorrectly, and I would wind up taking a sack trying to get the cone back to the open receiver. The same can be said about the passing in BackBreaker. Yes you can change the control layout, but you are still forced to "cycle" through receivers. This is another half good half bad implementation. I can see that flicking the stick resembles an actual QB going through his reads, but it's far to clunky and slow. Yes I took a bunch of sacks playing the game.
*I often found that I would get knocked to the ground through incidental contact with anyone on the field which would indicate the need for more precision control so I could avoid contact, but the camera and player movements simply don't allow that to happen. Even when I didn't get knocked to the ground I had to make myself get involve in the plays because in about 3 hours of playtime the computer only ran one play in my direction the rest of the plays seemed to intentionally go to the opposite side of the field from where I was playing no matter what position I played. Even if you switch to the closest defender, it is often too late to have an impact on the play.
While playing the outside linebacker on one play, I was in the perfect position to pick off a pass, but couldn't jump for the ball. After the play, I went to the controls screen to see what is jump, and found that jump and catch are missing from the controls. Your player either does these on their own or they don't. Once you have the ball jumping is mapped to the thumb stick in the form of hurdling.
*Kicking takes waaaay too long.
*EXTREMELY generic plays (and yeah man to man coverage is abysmal)
*Replays, Ugh! I'm gonna take a stab in the dark and say that 505 doesn't watch alot of football or even play a lot of football. Often the replay just follows the player you are controlling, and as stated before if you don't make your player get involved the replay is just irrelevant UNLESS its score or A POINT AFTER ATTEMPT. You cannot control the replay, switch cameras on the replay (which you can do during the player intro?!?).
Playing BB is much like playing Superstar mode in Madden which I never cared for with the exception that you can switch the player your controlling, and you call the plays. I can say that after playing the demo for a few hours that 505 did a good job. BackBreaker will please those who hate Madden but like football. If you were already going to purchase the game, nothing anyone can say will change your mind. I have however decided against buying BB. I wasn't excited while playing the game. While Madden has it's faults (repetitive commentary, cheating AI, sliding and morphing players), it has far more control, and player involvement where as in BackBreaker, your involvement in the play is determined by where the play is going. If the play isn't going to your side of the field, your just there, and that's the way it is in real football but there just isn't any excitement on the plays your not involved in.
Clunky and delayed controls, erratic camera and the procedure for cycling through receivers is enough for me to pass on BackBreaker. maybe they can adjust some of those things in BackBreaker 2 and give players more camera options and customization of controls but for now it is what it is, and what it isn't is a replacement for Madden. I'll gladly spend the extra $20 to get my football fix. You may disagree, and call me a brain washed Madden Fanboy or what have you, but I did go into the BackBreaker demo expecting to be blown away and simply wasn't. Is the game worth $40 yeah if you like it it's worth even $60, but I didn't enjoy it. I can honestly say that I have deleted the demo from my hard drive and never need to play the game again. That is until BackBreaker 2 comes around next year... hmm that sounds very similar to the Madden Nation mantra... maybe next year.
Posted: May 22nd 2010 1:06PM (Unverified) said
Thank you for writing an entire book on a game you care nothing about.
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