Early Backbreaker Impressions (Pastapadre)

[Steve_OS]

Pastapadre has posted his early impressions of Backbreaker.

"All games have been played on Pro-Hard (the highest difficulty). Needless to say I’m not sure anyone will lose to the CPU even on the toughest setting. I don’t consider myself good at this game yet, I’d maybe say I’m decent, but if I played the CPU 100 times I’m confident I would beat them 100 times. The ineptness on offense even from the best offensive squads is startling.

Being able to stretch out the quarters did seem to help as the CPU does not make mistakes at quite the same rate. The way the CPU threw INTs in the demo would have meant 10+ INTs in a game with five minute quarters. So far I’m seeing an average of about five INTs by the CPU per game with five minute quarters. The INTs were my biggest concern going in but along with that has been the inability of the CPU to move the ball on offense and put points on the board.

The first full game I played was with a mediocre Seattle defense up against one of the best teams in the game New England. You can look at the stats below. Given it was my first time through I wouldn’t expect to be able to beat a good team on the hardest difficulty but I did so with ease. New England has one of the better offenses and threw seven picks. They got one big pass play when an AI controlled DB played a throw poorly and they took it the distance."

[mgoblue678]

Re: Early Backbreaker Impressions (Pastapadre)

Well, that doesn't sound good at all. So much for holding out hope that the CPU might provide at least a decent challenge at times.

I wonder how many games he has played though.

The running stats for the Cpu are especially telling. 45 yards in two games from the two best offenses in the game is very alarming. At least the Philadelphia team put up a decent amount of yards, but it doesn't matter if the CPU makes dumb mistakes to kill drives.

I just wonder how the devs thought the CPU was good enough when testing it if that is the case.

My excitement for the game has been completely killed.

[canes21]

Re: Early Backbreaker Impressions (Pastapadre)

I must have a different copy of the game because in my demo the CPU can move the ball effectively a lot of the times and will stop me a lot on offense. Either I am just terrible or something. I just lost to Pittsburgh with Oakland 21-0 in the demo.

[roadman]

Re: Early Backbreaker Impressions (Pastapadre)

7 int's?

That's in the Favre neighborhood. Wow!!!!!!!!!

[mgoblue678]

Re: Early Backbreaker Impressions (Pastapadre)

Not to mention the whole limiting the player to certain quarter lengths. Great, so now I would stuck playing 5 minutes quarters which are too short for me or 10 minute quarters which are too long for me. What are they thinking with this decision?

I don't understand their reasoning with some of the decisions they made. How can a game with customization as one of the things they are pushing, not only take away the user's ability to edit player ratings and then on top of that pigeon hole you into certain quarter lengths.

The quarter thing may be the final straw for me, on top of everything else, now I would be stuck playing limited quarter lengths that I don't even like.

[allBthere]

Re: Early Backbreaker Impressions (Pastapadre)

I bet he's loving the ability to bash the obvious mistakes that are in the game. I can't stand this guy...his EA fanboyism is sick-a-tating.

I won't even click the link to give him the hit on his site because it's not worth it. I've been there in the past an seen how ridiculous he is...lol.

Lucky for NM and 505 that he's a little underling with a tiny flock.

edit; as if he'd never lose a game either...anyone who played the demo enough I'm sure lost - as I did on occasion and I consider myself a seasoned gamer.

[roadman]

Re: Early Backbreaker Impressions (Pastapadre)

Not to mention the whole limiting the player to certain quarter lengths. Great, so now I would stuck playing 5 minutes quarters which are too short for me or 10 minute quarters which are too long for me. What are they thinking with this decision?

I don't understand their reasoning with some of the decisions they made.

I don't either.

I fell in love with the game right away with the demo, but I started to notice how weak the offensive A.I. is and the clock management. I'm strictly an offline franchise person and the more I hear about, the more this game isn't for me, I'm afraid.

It's like peeling an onion, you don't know what you are getting until you start peeling off the layers.

Sounds like a great two player and online game. I wish people well with it.

He definitely is pro-EA, but he is correct about the games shortcomings. I don't think he brought up the camera once.

[RaginCajun]

Re: Early Backbreaker Impressions (Pastapadre)

I thought the devs confirmed that the full version had full replay functionality? Guess we were lied too??

[SIM RULES]

Re: Early Backbreaker Impressions (Pastapadre)

I must have a different copy of the game because in my demo the CPU can move the ball effectively a lot of the times and will stop me a lot on offense. Either I am just terrible or something. I just lost to Pittsburgh with Oakland 21-0 in the demo.

I was just thinking the same thing. I guess I must be terrible also. Sometimes, I get crushed by the computer in the demo.

[mgoblue678]

Re: Early Backbreaker Impressions (Pastapadre)

I just wonder when you claim to have a game built on customization how can you not allowing editing of player ratings, have no create a player and not allow the user to pick their own quarter length? Don't claim "great customization" if that is the case. A fantastic logo editing and uniform editor by themselves do not equal "great customization."

The devs dropped the ball on what could have been an incredible game IMO.

[TreyIM2]

Yea, yea. I hear about Pasta's EA fanboyism all the time but some people just need to come off it. Many people complained of similar things in the demo and now that Pasta has the full game, it seems that it's virtually no different. I don't think it's fanboyism, at all. Sounds like what's in the demo is in the game which is disheartening because I was trying to give this game a smidge of hope and I have yet to try the demo since Sony is taking it's sweet time releasing the thing on PSN.

I wonder what people will say if the reviews, across the board, don't sound to great about this game? Will there EA fanboyism claims them? How about reversing that thought in regards to those who just want this game to be the greatest thing since sliced bread since there are so many EA and/or Madden haters out there? People need to learn to be more objective....and I "be needin'" to get my hands on SOME TYPE OF BACKBREAKER GAME PLAY so I can get my own "objectivism" on.

[SIM RULES]

Re: Early Backbreaker Impressions (Pastapadre)

I bet he's loving the ability to bash the obvious mistakes that are in the game. I can't stand this guy...his EA fanboyism is sick-a-tating.

I won't even click the link to give him the hit on his site because it's not worth it. I've been there in the past an seen how ridiculous he is...lol.

Lucky for NM and 505 that he's a little underling with a tiny flock.

edit; as if he'd never lose a game either...anyone who played the demo enough I'm sure lost - as I did on occasion and I consider myself a seasoned gamer.

I was suspecting something was fishy, when he said he could win every game he played. I would hate to play him online...lol

[ironman136]

Kind of expected the high int numbers. Defensive AI is a bit too good/ and offensive AI is pretty bad. Lack of quarter length options is pretty lame, but I still think that this game will have a good long lasting appeal. Hopefully they patch this stuff

[BigZell20]

Re: Early Backbreaker Impressions (Pastapadre)

Yea, yea. I hear about Pasta's EA fanboyism all the time but some people just need to come off it. Many people complained of similar things in the demo and now that Pasta has the full game, it seems that it's virtually no different. I don't think it's fanboyism, at all. Sounds like what's in the demo is in the game which is disheartening because I was trying to give this game a smidge of hope and I have yet to try the demo since Sony is taking it's sweet time releasing the thing on PSN.

I wonder what people will say if the reviews, across the board, don't sound to great about this game? Will there EA fanboyism claims them? How about reversing that thought in regards to those who just want this game to be the greatest thing since sliced bread since there are so many EA and/or Madden haters out there? People need to learn to be more objective....and I "be needin'" to get my hands on SOME TYPE OF BACKBREAKER GAME PLAY so I can get my own "objectivism" on.

I pretty much agree with this...I am one of those people who hate Madden and want this game to be great, but to just blindly ignore flaws because of that is lame.

I havent played the demo yet (ps3 ) but pasta padre doesnt really say anything that hasnt already been said by others who have...so I highly doubt he is just making this stuff up.

[fldash]

Re: Early Backbreaker Impressions (Pastapadre)

He doesn't say anything we don't already know, but he doesn't try to sugar coat anything either. Saying things like 'you'll never lose to the CPU' is not only ignorant, it's being extremely short-sighted. He mentioned nothing about form, nor about how the game plays in Season and RTBB modes. Although the chance is slim, it is possible teams play harder in those modes.