Backbreaker Review

[ForUntoOblivionSoar∞]

It seems to me the reviewer just didn't learn how to play the game. "Surprisingly steep learning curve" says it all.

[TombSong]

Re: Backbreaker Review

It seems to me the reviewer just didn't learn how to play the game. "Surprisingly steep learning curve" says it all.

This is the review summed up in a nutshell. The poor guy does not know how to play the game. NONE of the reviewers on ANY of the gaming sites knows how to play the game.

When you talk to a guy who has built cars and one who has read about building cars you can immediately tell whose words carry more weight. ALL of the reviews reek of people who picked up the game and proceeded to try and play madden. You need at least a good week with this game just to become average with it. I think this is the problem most have with the game, its not pick up and play. However THAT ain't a game flaw, thats a human flaw. We all have to adjust to the speed and style of the game.

If going down that road of learning how to play the game is not for you, they yeah, I can perfectly understand you not liking it. However to have driven a Ferrari and say I dont like it because it goes to fast is not the cars fault. It was built to go fast. BB was not built to play like Madden. What they made works and works well within the scope of what they set out to accomplish. It needs some cleaning up , balance and polish, but what do you know, so do the other games.

Its amazing to me how year after year, the reviewers can put up with broken game play and broken promises from other games and rate them 8,9 but can hold utter disdain for a game that has brought something unique to the football gaming world.

This is a VERY playable 3rd person football game. It has "THE" best team creator on the planet. 2 ways to build up your team through 2 types of seasons. (Have you seen the detailed game analysis they give you after each game in RTBB ?) The running game is a thing of beauty(quit running full speed into the LOS and you will see that) A challenging passing system that once its learned is a LOT of fun. I know it ain't fun for you guys that think having 10 seconds in the pocket and being able to see all your WR's is the cornerstone of football.

This was a good first release and the game has a lot of upside to it if they patch it and give it the added features other games have.

[Bellsprout]

Re: Backbreaker Review

This is a VERY playable 3rd person football game. It has "THE" best team creator on the planet. 2 ways to build up your team through 2 types of seasons. (Have you seen the detailed game analysis they give you after each game in RTBB ?) The running game is a thing of beauty(quit running full speed into the LOS and you will see that) A challenging passing system that once its learned is a LOT of fun. I know it ain't fun for you guys that think having 10 seconds in the pocket and being able to see all your WR's is the cornerstone of football.

You realize that's all opinion, right? Just like a review is all opinion.

[veritas1]

Re: Backbreaker Review

You realize that's all opinion, right? Just like a review is all opinion.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. BUT as a reviewer you have to be open and fair and represents the wider audience. You may not personally like some aspects but you have look at it from another to see if others might. This reviewer took his own personal expectations of the game into the review and got upset when they weren't met. Which is obvious when you look at the average user review.

[DirtyJerz32]

Re: Backbreaker Review

It's amazing how people are all over the reviewer. I just don't understand how some of you guys are so upset and saying he has no idea what he's talking about. It's his opinion! You have yours! If you have a problem with it write your own blog review and move on. I just don't get it...

[coogrfan]

Re: Backbreaker Review

This is the review summed up in a nutshell. The poor guy does not know how to play the game. NONE of the reviewers on ANY of the gaming sites knows how to play the game.

Did it occur to you that maybe, just maybe, there simply isn't enough there to make them want to learn the game?

[TombSong]

Re: Backbreaker Review

Did it occur to you that maybe, just maybe, there simply isn't enough there to make them want to learn the game?

That's fine, SAY that. Don't besmirch the game however because you don't know how to play it. I have said myself the game is lacking in presentation, depth of playbooks, and the AI needs work. However, the game as designed plays a pretty good game of football once you learn how to play it.

I KNOW why I am throwing INT'S in BB. Its because I am throwing into double coverage or hurrying my throws and trying to force them to a covered man. In Madden I throw to a wide open man, only to see the defender WARP and intercept the ball or a LB super leap and snag it out the air.

Its a beautiful thing to play as safety and charge the LOS when you see a HB about to break free and your momentum nails him and causes him to go backward....or see him run you over. I can add on to a tackle in this game and effect how the play finishes. I can mount a pass rush with a 4 man line and not have to worry about the qb having FOREVER in the pocket for the zones to break down.

I actually HAVE to field the punts and kickoffs. That adds a dimension to special teams thats NOT in any other game. I dont have to watch the same canned animations playout over and over again and determine the failure or success of what I do.

I can play college, High school, NFL, XFL, Whatever league I want to create in this game.

So yeah, you and the reviewers can not like it for whatever reason but dont scream on the game because of lack of "user skill" Learn to play the game first.

[spankdatazz22]

Re: Backbreaker Review

It's amazing how people are all over the reviewer. I just don't understand how some of you guys are so upset and saying he has no idea what he's talking about. It's his opinion! You have yours! If you have a problem with it write your own blog review and move on. I just don't get it...

Because it's OS's "official" review. It's going to be more noticeable/carry more weight than Joe Nobody's review or opinion. For a site that's supposedly all about sports gaming and doesn't appear compromised in the same way sites like IGN, TeamXBox, etc., it's a poorly written review imo. But given how the football games have been reviewed this gen on most sites including this one, this isn't that much of a surprise. As others have noted in the thread, the GameInformer review is actually more in depth and they gave it the same score. So it's not people just being "angry". I guess it's asking too much but I would've expected a site dedicated to sports gaming to take a broader approach in reviewing the game given the circumstances (exclusivity).

It's arguable this game has the single most important videogame football innovation that's occurred this generation in realtime physics. I personally can't think of a single significant innovation that Tiburon has brought to the table this generation myself, when pretty much every other sports game has done something of note. And this is on their first attempt at a football game. It should count for something if we want to see videogame football move forward, and not just to the point where we're overjoyed at the football games getting near/at a level they were 5yrs ago.

[Gibbz]

Even though the game has released and has turned out to be garbage the Backbreaker supporters are still angry if anyone calls it less than stellar.

A shocking turn of events.

[spankdatazz22]

Re: Backbreaker Review

Even though the game has released and has turned out to be garbage the Backbreaker supporters are still angry if anyone calls it less than stellar.

A shocking turn of events.

That's silly statement, no one's saying the game is "stellar". But reviewing it [seemingly] from the perspective it needs to play like something else isn't the correct approach. And especially when that "something else" wasn't getting knocked nearly as hard for the same issues at the same stage in it's development. Either way, the BB devs weren't trying to make another Madden or NCAA; they can't make an NFL/NCAA game. That shouldn't be held against the game imo.

[TombSong]

Re: Backbreaker Review

Even though the game has released and has turned out to be garbage the Backbreaker supporters are still angry if anyone calls it less than stellar.

A shocking turn of events.

I was a critic of the game before it was released, and during the first few days of the demo. After I learned how to play the thing, my opinion of it changed. No one is saying the game is the end all be all. Its however better than these reviews. How can you judge a games worth based on your inability to play it well ?

I will fault the Devs of the game for not including a better tutorial and a practice mode. The game needs it badly because it does have a big learning curve.

[boooey]

Re: Backbreaker Review

So who actually wrote this review? Was it Chris? or someone else form OS?

Whoever it was should at least post here where they were coming from when writing that review.

If nothing else, it will stop all the speculation and wild accusations of the motivation behind this review.

I would really like to know what they think of all the negative feedback from their review, and if their stance may have changed as a result of some of the comments being posted about the time spent actually playing the game.

[mestevo]

Re: Backbreaker Review

Why would their stance on a game change because people disagreed with them? Only in the world of the Backbreaker fan does cornering a reviewer about their negative review result in the revelation for all that the game is actually better than the dozens of reviewers and posters in the impression thread have indicated.

[boooey]

Re: Backbreaker Review

Some people here are saying that the reviewer did not play the game long enough to get past the initial learning curve.

The reviewer may then take this into account , and go back and re-review the game based on these comments.

Either way, I'd like to see a reply from Chris or whoever wrote the review.
I'd like to hear their response to all the negative feedback.

[debauchlord]

Re: Backbreaker Review

Some people here are saying that the reviewer did not play the game long enough to get past the initial learning curve.

The reviewer may then take this into account , and go back and re-review the game based on these comments.

Either way, I'd like to see a reply from Chris or whoever wrote the review.
I'd like to hear their response to all the negative feedback.

This will never happen. Only in the universe of internet obsessions would any of that make sense. Negative feedback? I want the "concept" of this game to succeed. I hate Backbreaker in its current incarnation. I do not want this particular game to be an alternative. I'd rather have it fail and some company with any greater concept on how to craft a viable game to do so. Basically, I'd rather stand alone in the corner at the dance than choose between two ugly chicks.