Backbreaker Demo Available, Post Your Impressions Here

[bkrich83]

Re: Backbreaker Demo Available, Post Your Impressions Here

DEMO IMPRESSIONS OF WHAT I HAVE NOT SEEN:


18) No ROBO QB that is almost impossible to sack

Yeah but in the extreme other direction. In my experience the QB is super easy to sack and can't compete a pass.

[allBthere]

Re: Backbreaker Demo Available, Post Your Impressions Here

After more play time

CPU offense seems anemic. I love playing as a safety, but my CPU front 4 seems to rack up sacks left and right. CPU run game doesn't seem to be much more effective.

I am going to hold off on this, it's hard to really get a great feel with such short quarters, so maybe a lot of that is due to screwy play calling due to short quarter times.

One thing I do like is dropping back to pass, and stepping up in the pocket and delivering the ball. Feels so natural to work the pocket. I do like that.

Still hate the camera angle. It really does the game a disservice imo. Still not sold on the player models, but I notice them less and less with every game, so that's sort of falling off the negative list.

I agree, although usually INDY puts up a good offence, and I've had good games w/ me the cougars (crap D) against the other crap team.

You're right though, too many games the cpu O is totally dominated (many times I am too). I think most games are D slugfests or decided by special teams.

I really like the game a great deal though when things are working. So without sliders (don't know if they exist) I'm willing to go and edit all the teams to my liking. It's mainly the ineptitude of the offensive line as I said earlier. I'd also include some TE's there too to help with outside run blocking. Probably some QB's and/or WR's too.

And yeah the demo is a tease with 2min's it's way to hard to really get a well-rounded gameplan going

[TracerBullet]

Re: Backbreaker Demo Available, Post Your Impressions Here

QB just got tackled before being able to fully turn around for the toss.

[bcruise]

Re: Backbreaker Demo Available, Post Your Impressions Here

Yeah but in the extreme other direction. In my experience the QB is super easy to sack and can't compete a pass.

Just curious since I don't have the demo yet (PS3) - Are the sacks happening because the pressure is getting there too fast or because the QB is holding the ball too long? Anyone broken out the stopwatch to see how long it takes a 4-man rush to reach the QB?

[gocubs526]

Re: Backbreaker Demo Available, Post Your Impressions Here

DEMO IMPRESSIONS OF WHAT I HAVE NOT SEEN:

19) Players ratings that do not matter

Backbreaker only has like 4 ratings.

[bkrich83]

Re: Backbreaker Demo Available, Post Your Impressions Here

Just curious since I don't have the demo yet (PS3) - Are the sacks happening because the pressure is getting there too fast or because the QB is holding the ball too long? Anyone broken out the stopwatch to see how long it takes a 4-man rush to reach the QB?

I think the pressure may be getting there to quick. CPU QB doesn't seem to have the ability to check down, or go to an outlet option.

[bvb24]

Re: Backbreaker Demo Available, Post Your Impressions Here

It's official then, nanos aren't present in backbreaker. FYI Amazon.com is selling backbreaker for 44.99 and free shipping.

Thanks for the info. I'm still hoping to get it for $40. Maybe through gamefly.

[LoostheMoos]

Re: Backbreaker Demo Available, Post Your Impressions Here

OK....dollar value time...personal opinion only, NOT an actual price guide...lol!

Tackle Alley - $20 (admittedly high for something that is a $0.99 app on I-Phone...but I don't have an I-phone and can't play it on my 100" projector screen either! :o )
Personally I am going to play this a TON...its addictive and fun and shows off the tackles and moves and pursuit angles better than the full game...not worth full retail, but a strong $20 worth of entertainment IMO and I know that I will get as much fun out it as any DLC for other games that I have bought in the past...

In a lot of ways, Tackle Alley takes me back in time to what video games used to be like - simple, repetitive and driven by an effort to beat the high score. I can't help it...its the former arcade geek in me, but something about Tackle Alley takes me back to playing Donkey Kong Jr. in the Bowling Alley circa 1983...yes, I am THAT old!

Training Drills - $1
These do a decent job of getting the player movements into context and also can help you master motion and handle the camera with more ease than if you skip them and go straight into gameplay. They do what they are designed for very well, and in my estimation that does have some value (and YES, I know that things like this used to be found in user's manuals, but I actually prefer the tutorial method personally...)

Exhibition Play - $5
Riddled with bad AI decisions and poor logic in many cases, this won't have much gameplay in HUM - vs. - CPU games for very long. Now this COULD gain or lose value based on how well the Road to BB and Season Modes play out. I do not have high hopes for this, but it could still prove to be worthwhile...

Online Play - $0 - $20+
This is the great unknown right now...if the game gets overrun with Madden-esque exploits and cheesy play tactics (ie. things done specifically because they work in the game and have nothing to do with football logic - like running 5WR screens all day long to exploit poor AI as an example).

So that is about $26 - 46 right there...let's just call it $36 and split the difference...

That leaves about $14 worth of "value" to personally justify the purchase...I get a kick out of replays (to this day I will still throw in a copy of 2K5 or 2K8 and pause the game to watch replays...I'm just geeky like that :o), so that's probably $4 worth right there...and the last $10 is easily worth it to send a message to EA that they need to step up their game in the future and stop coasting on an outdated engine that does nothing to respect physics!

In the final analysis....I can afford to send Natural Motion my money and plan to do so, but I can also see it as a justified expense too!

$20 - Tackle Alley
$1 - Training Drills
$5 - Exhibition Play (COULD go higher OR lower with Road to BB, etc.)
$10 - Online Play (COULD go higher OR lower based on utility)
$4 - Replays (geeky yes, but honest....lol)
Message Money for EA to get their act in gear...PRICELESS!!!

[bkrich83]

Re: Backbreaker Demo Available, Post Your Impressions Here

I agree, although usually INDY puts up a good offence, and I've had good games w/ me the cougars (crap D) against the other crap team.

You're right though, too many games the cpu O is totally dominated (many times I am too). I think most games are D slugfests or decided by special teams.

I really like the game a great deal though when things are working. So without sliders (don't know if they exist) I'm willing to go and edit all the teams to my liking. It's mainly the ineptitude of the offensive line as I said earlier. I'd also include some TE's there too to help with outside run blocking. Probably some QB's and/or WR's too.

And yeah the demo is a tease with 2min's it's way to hard to really get a well-rounded gameplan going

My understanding is the demo playbooks re pretty generic and vanilla compared to the in game playbooks. Maybe that's a cause as well?

[jmood88]

Re: Backbreaker Demo Available, Post Your Impressions Here

Just curious since I don't have the demo yet (PS3) - Are the sacks happening because the pressure is getting there too fast or because the QB is holding the ball too long? Anyone broken out the stopwatch to see how long it takes a 4-man rush to reach the QB?

I don't have a stop watch but I've seen both happen, the quarterback will hold onto the ball for no reason or blockers will just run past a guy rushing and let the quarterback get sacked.

[NoDakHusker]

Re: Backbreaker Demo Available, Post Your Impressions Here

I think the pressure may be getting there to quick. CPU QB doesn't seem to have the ability to check down, or go to an outlet option.

This, and what's more interesting is I've noticed sacks happen more when I'm playing back in coverage than when I play up front. Maybe it's a coincidence but it sure seems like that's the case.

[sanders]

Re: Backbreaker Demo Available, Post Your Impressions Here

Running the ball is good and hard to pull off moves in time so when you do it feels like a real accomplishment.

I never enjoyed playing defense as much as I have in the demo.

The passing game is really frustrating though. If based on the play I want to go to the third receiver it takes too long to get to him. I can sit there and push the right thumb stick say 3 times really quick it doesn't work. Theres a delay like a 1 or 2 Mississippi between each switch which means your sacked everytime so you pretty much are forced to only the primary receiver. I also found it difficult to get the right receiver by switching once they are downfield.

Returning kicks should be tweaked as well. Once I had a punt return that was a short kick and I ran up for it but my guy didn't go to make the grab - it hit off his forearm and the other side recovered.

I think the big detractor is going to be the passing game. Playing defense and running the ball might be fun enough to keep me playing though.

[SIM RULES]

Re: Backbreaker Demo Available, Post Your Impressions Here

It's official then, nanos aren't present in backbreaker. FYI Amazon.com is selling backbreaker for 44.99 and free shipping.

I have not been able to do any, nor have my friends so far. I'm just reporting what I have not seen so far. I am certain that their will be exploits found sooner or later once the game is released.

[Xs n Os Cheerios]

Re: Backbreaker Demo Available, Post Your Impressions Here

It's official then, nanos aren't present in backbreaker. FYI Amazon.com is selling backbreaker for 44.99 and free shipping.

Im sorry, but it is pretty easy to blitz the A and the B gap even more so then Madden

[NoDakHusker]

Re: Backbreaker Demo Available, Post Your Impressions Here

So I just witnessed another solid drive by the CPU...2 games today and both of them featured long drives by the CPU, this time by the Cougars and against me, the Spartans.
I also saw for the first time, the CPU scrambled with the QB and picked up 7 yards.
Am I playing the same demo I did yesterday??? lol.
Weird.