Blood Bowl 2

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 50 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 50
  3. Negative: 9 out of 50
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  1. Jreilly89
    Sep 23, 2015
    9
    Blood Bowl 2 is a solid game. An adaptation of the board game and sequel to the cult PC hit, it's a turn-based hybrid of fantasy and sports. Each team feels like they play differently, with the Elves running a more agile run and score or passing game, whereas the Dwarves typically run headlong into other players to keep the ball. It's a game that appeals to hardcore fans of the series andBlood Bowl 2 is a solid game. An adaptation of the board game and sequel to the cult PC hit, it's a turn-based hybrid of fantasy and sports. Each team feels like they play differently, with the Elves running a more agile run and score or passing game, whereas the Dwarves typically run headlong into other players to keep the ball. It's a game that appeals to hardcore fans of the series and newbies, but new players should definitely play the campaign as a lengthy tutorial before they jump in to the league. This game is far from a blockbuster, with some bugs and design flaws, but there is serious fun to be had here, where you can create your own team and league for online or offline play. My only gripe is the delay of DLC on certain platforms.… Expand
  2. Valten
    Sep 22, 2015
    7
    Beau graphisme, le gameplay est plutôt bien pensé et l'IA est intelligent. Les races ont chacune un style différent, le mode campagne est sympa. de plus un petit prix : du tout bon
  3. SoopaSte123
    Sep 23, 2015
    10
    A great hybrid of fantasy and sports, and you won't find a better turn based strategy game on PS4. With orcs, demon goats, ratmen, and more, there are a variety of different playstyles to be found form the different teams. If you're new to the series, the campaign makes for a great tutorial for new players, so you'll soon be play against other players (or AI) in leagues and tournaments.
  4. Whiston532
    Oct 12, 2015
    7
    A great mix of strategy and sport. The races are varied as are the strategies you can use for each of them. The balance between it's aspects makes it appealing to people who are fans of either.

    Graphics are nice. The characters are for the most part the typical WOW style human, Orc, light elve, dark elve, humanoid animals, etc. but are well designed and offer nice variety visuals wise.    A great mix of strategy and sport. The races are varied as are the strategies you can use for each of them. The balance between it's aspects makes it appealing to people who are fans of either.

    Graphics are nice. The characters are for the most part the typical WOW style human, Orc, light elve, dark elve, humanoid animals, etc. but are well designed and offer nice variety visuals wise. There are different classes that all have different skills and attributes. While any character can do any role (blocking, blitzing, passing, throwing, catching, etc) the attributes set a clear guideline in who is ment for what role the best.

    There are some downsides. If you've played the recent XCOM games youve atleast probably heard people complaining about how unfair and biased it seemed. This game is no better and infact is seemingly worse with the TURNOVER mechanic. Basically in this game every single action that's not moving (except for moving an extra couple squares past your regular range, which carries a risk of tripping) has a percentage chance of failing, and if you fail ANY of them your turn is over. For some decisions this can add to the strategizing and planning out a full turn. But it happens on EVERY possible move. The other team kicks the ball off to start the game and your guy goes to pick it up, at a seemingly always 67% chance of actually picking it up your turn can be ended in an instant. Plus moves like passing the ball can have up to 3 chances to fail. Your thrower can fumble the throw, your catcher can drop the pass, and a player on the other team can block the pass. The TURNOVER mechanic can be a neat addition at times. But it's over used and can take over a game single handedly and take the control away from the player in what should be a game where they can plan ahead without having to worry about every single move ending their turn.

    There are also technical issues. CPU ai can occasionally freeze up at the start of their turn for a bit. Not for long and it's rare. but I've played a few hours and I've seen it happen enough to know its not exactly rare. That and ai players will occasionally move to a space then ice skate a few spaces over to where I assume the ai actually wanted them to go. Not a huge issue because it all happens on their turn. But it's a weird bug that again happens a bit.

    A bit clearer of a tutorial might have been nice. The campaign starts off with a pretty hands off style one. Or maybe it isnt because mine got stuck on "press X to select a character" early on. But it's actually not a complicated game once you get things figured out. Plus campaign is generous in introducing mechanics at a decent pace.

    I realize that my review is more negative then positive and my score is pretty average. But this really is a good game. It rewards players for having good strategies and for good planning. It's something that even not huge strategie game players like myself can pick up and play and have enough success in without having the door slammed in my face by a massive learning cure set up to satisfy more veteran players who have higher demands, yet it also feels like its a game that does reward people for being better at it. So people on any level can enjoy their own experience with it. But the inclusion of a luck mechanic can make it frustrating. The possibility of a move failing and having that be potentially costly instead of just letting you get away with it is a big part of making a decision have weight. But IMO BB2 takes this idea and goes a bit too far with it. Having the high risk moves like deep passes and "making a run for it" have downsides is a great touch. But things like having your guys pick up the ball with nobody within 10 spaces of you at the start of a game or getting in a "battle sequence" and getting the tie option turns the idea of going "ok. I'm going to grab the ball then plan my turn" into "oh god I hope I can actually do anything". It's a needless aspect that can turn cautious strategizing into relying purely on a number generator.

    It might seem petty. But if the turnover feature was tweaked slightly it would actually have a big impact on my view of the game. I've just had it come up way too much.

    I'll make this point separate. Apparently online for this game is horrible for players quitting. Not the games fault but it's a problem that's coming up.

    TLDR
    + Appealing balance of sports and strategy
    + Varying races that offer different strategies
    + Gameplay gives you freedom to play how you want. It doesn't feel like there's a way to play that the game feels like its trying to herd you towards playing.

    - The luck aspect of the game feels way too harsh at certain points, especially the parts that really shouldn't involve it.
    - Technically this isn't the strongest game.
    - The game does a poor job of disproving the "AI bias" belief that was also I'm XCOM. I know it's not true, but seeing the AI get away with constant low percentage plays can be frustrating    … Expand
  5. Felkroth
    Oct 8, 2015
    2
    As a big Blood Bowl (tabletop version) and strategy game fan (on PC and console) I was looking forward to this. I was very disappointed in what I got for my money.

    The gameplay itself isn't the problem, there's definitely a solid game underneath the heap of problems the game has. What really ruins the game is poor programming, extremely poor English localization, repeated one-liners    As a big Blood Bowl (tabletop version) and strategy game fan (on PC and console) I was looking forward to this. I was very disappointed in what I got for my money.

    The gameplay itself isn't the problem, there's definitely a solid game underneath the heap of problems the game has. What really ruins the game is poor programming, extremely poor English localization, repeated one-liners that start repeating themselves after first 30 minutes and lack of any kind of music.

    The biggest issue is the game breaking bugs that are so obvious that there's no way any QA tester could have missed them. Therefore the only reasonable assumption is that the game was rushed out or the developer just didn't care enough to fix the issues.
    One of the more annoying issues is how AI player often takes up to 4 minutes to consider their moves - something that should be almost instant in this day and age. This issue is present in almost every AI match and forces you to stare at your screen while AI mulls over its options and ends up making a bunch of stupid moves anyway.

    This can easily cause some matches against AI to take almost 2 hours.
    In addition, in one of my matches the AI got stuck in some sort of infinite loop of trying to perform a move that was not possible. I waited the 4 minute turn timer to end, hoping that'd end the match since I had been playing that for well over an hour. Much to my disgust, the AI was awarded infinite game time after the normal timer and the infinite loop persisted, leaving me no other option than to abandon the entire match.

    The whole issue also becomes somewhat comical when the crowd and commentators tell the "player" to hurry up and stop wasting time while the AI does absolutely nothing.

    Another somewhat less annoying issue is the localization (English). Things that you've come to expect in games such as "Ok" and "Confirm" buttons are often replaced with weirdly worded options like "Validate" to give an example.
    The subtitles (always on) also rarely match with what is actually being said by the voice actors. It's not small things either like a few words missing - the subtitles often have entirely different jokes on screen than what the voice actors are performing.

    Then there's the music - or lack of it. Since you're waiting for the AI to do their thing forever (and generally even when playing against other players, the games tend to take a while).. some music would be nice. The game seems to have only one track of music which plays in the title screen/menu, but in the actual game you just hear the crowd cheering and commentators repeating the same old lines over and over again.

    The game also, sadly, feels the need to help the AI by cheating on RNG.
    Sure, one could argue that random numbers are random, but as a long time tabletop player I have honestly never seen such a "bad luck" in real life that would happen so one-sidedly and so consistently to only person on such a regular basis, in every match. Also, these 'bad rolls' never seem to happen in such abundance when playing against human opponents.
    The only conclusion is that the dice are slightly biased towards helping AI to cover for its poor decisions.
    Nothing you can't live with, but still somewhat disappointing that they felt the need to tweak the rules like that.

    Bottom line:
    There's definitely an enjoyable game behind all these issues, but at least on PS4 this game is sadly not worth the 50$ price tag, which could almost buy you a new AAA game.
    The game feels both dated and rushed and even 20-30$ price range would be a stretch.    … Expand
  6. Frib_on_Fire
    Sep 25, 2015
    6
    As a warhammer 40K player and avid football fan this game should be right up my alley. And for the first few matches of the campaign it was. The graphics are fine, the animations can be a bit clumsy but nothing too bad. The biggest bring down of this game is it's incredibly large reliance on luck in the beginning. While luck should have a major role in a table top game this goes a step toAs a warhammer 40K player and avid football fan this game should be right up my alley. And for the first few matches of the campaign it was. The graphics are fine, the animations can be a bit clumsy but nothing too bad. The biggest bring down of this game is it's incredibly large reliance on luck in the beginning. While luck should have a major role in a table top game this goes a step to far by making any bad luck you come across automatically end your entire turn no matter what players you still have left to move. It makes strategies nearly impossible when something that has an 83 percent chance of working fails and you can't use three of your players. Using bad luck as an immediate turn kill is infuriating and can completely drain your enthusiasm for the game. If you progress far enougb you can buy enough extras and skills to help solve this problem, but the slog to get to that point is long and constantly annoying.… Expand
  7. FriedConsole
    Nov 5, 2015
    6
    The single player campaign is nothing more than an extended five hour tutorial on how to play this very complicated game. It is one of the best tutorials for a game this intricate I have ever seen. Slowly adding components by playing a simulated season is pure genius and a lot of fun. The problem is that it reveals that the rules are too elaborate as the game was at the most fun midwayThe single player campaign is nothing more than an extended five hour tutorial on how to play this very complicated game. It is one of the best tutorials for a game this intricate I have ever seen. Slowly adding components by playing a simulated season is pure genius and a lot of fun. The problem is that it reveals that the rules are too elaborate as the game was at the most fun midway through the campaign before it started adding a lot unnecessary arduous components to the game.

    The presentation of riffing on the football/Warhammer hybrid is a lot of fun and I wish sports games had this kind of fun aesthetic that was more common in the 90’s. Everything looks and sounds OK but sometimes you have to keep moving around the camera to see what your opponent is doing during their turn. The interface and controls are passable and sometimes baffling but even after playing for hours you’ll accidentally end your turn prematurely but then realize it might be your best move.

    My biggest problem with the game is that there is too much luck and not enough strategy. There should be multiple tactics and counters in a good strategy game. Maybe I am at a low level of play, but it seems like slowly creeping down the field with blockers to clear a path to the endzone is the only strategy that works. Attempting passes is mostly a bad tactic with high risks. The game is limited to 16 turns which is great because too many strategy games take too long but it is too easy to get one point and then grind out the turns by just hiding behind a wall of defenders. Too many game just end in boring slogs of 0-0 ties. Lots of games are determined on dice rolls with success rate of 33%-66% that makes you feel like you’re watching The Coin Flip game.

    Replay is in mostly playing online, tournaments and seasons. There are no variation and changing the rule sets that I could find. If there was a way to get rid of a good set of the rules, I would turn off a lot things. I guess I like my games less cruel with players knocked out permanently and less worrying about every attribute of an opposing player.

    Overall the game will have it’s fans but it isn’t for someone that doesn’t want to spend a lot time learning and practicing the game. It may not payoff to spend that much time learning a game to only realize there aren’t much variations in strategy or customization to make things different. I would say know what you are buying before spending fifty dollars on this game.    … Expand
  8. rodrego
    Apr 27, 2016
    7
    I play a fair few sports games but this is my first venture into the Blood Bowl universe and I must say I'm enjoying the experience. The good bits are the mechanics and ability to create your own team along with the amusing commentary.

    The major point for me is that sometimes you just get the impression that the AI wants you to lose and there is nothing you can do about it! Its    I play a fair few sports games but this is my first venture into the Blood Bowl universe and I must say I'm enjoying the experience. The good bits are the mechanics and ability to create your own team along with the amusing commentary.

    The major point for me is that sometimes you just get the impression that the AI wants you to lose and there is nothing you can do about it! Its difficult to pull off the 'random' element of dice roll games but when the AI gets the best possible rolls 7 times in a row that's not right.

    All in all a good game and I'd say worth picking up when you've run out of games to play.    … Expand
  9. SaintTodd
    Oct 17, 2015
    9
    If Cyanide had chosen to try to make a great game, this could have been the XCom of 2015. Could have been a legitimate GotY candidate. But, they were too lazy to go the extra mile. It simply needs more of everything: animations, options, customization, commentary.....
    Regardless, ir looks great and the gameplay and team management is crazy addictive. Recommended.
  10. GreenMachineG
    Jan 20, 2016
    7
    Blood Bowl II is a great mix of Football/Rugby and XCOM, and is very enjoyable. The game has a cool intro with some really quirky characters and awesome dialogue! The game overall is a unique concept, with fun overall gameplay. There are a ton of different strategies you can use during play, but my major issue with the game is that I wish the dice rolls had less to do with what happened onBlood Bowl II is a great mix of Football/Rugby and XCOM, and is very enjoyable. The game has a cool intro with some really quirky characters and awesome dialogue! The game overall is a unique concept, with fun overall gameplay. There are a ton of different strategies you can use during play, but my major issue with the game is that I wish the dice rolls had less to do with what happened on the field, and I also wish there were more diverse abilities.

    7.8/10    … Expand
  11. Broyax
    Jan 16, 2017
    3
    Des progrès ont été accomplis dans la présentation générale et l'interface mais il reste encore beaucoup à faire : Cyanide reste par exemple tellement obsédé par le jeu de plateau qu'il fout encore des dés partout (en 3D les dés, attention ! et ils tournent !) et que seules les zones de tacles bénéficient de pourcentages. L'ensemble demeure peu pratique à l'utilisation même si laDes progrès ont été accomplis dans la présentation générale et l'interface mais il reste encore beaucoup à faire : Cyanide reste par exemple tellement obsédé par le jeu de plateau qu'il fout encore des dés partout (en 3D les dés, attention ! et ils tournent !) et que seules les zones de tacles bénéficient de pourcentages. L'ensemble demeure peu pratique à l'utilisation même si la lisibilité sur le terrain est (enfin) devenue correcte. En outre, impossible de positionner la caméra à sa guise, les réglages éventuels étant... préréglés.

    Le principe de jeu est toujours le même, très séduisant sur le papier mais toujours aussi mal adapté en jeu vidéo : le "turnover" imposé à la moindre gamelle est très pénalisant et le temps limité (4 mn maximum pour déplacer, donner des ordres, établir une tactique etc) est une hérésie des plus détestables dans un jeu au tour par tour. L'IA est parfois très lente : elle réfléchit longtemps... et on ne peut plus l'accélérer comme dans le premier.

    Graphiquement très moyen, Blood Boulet II se paye le triste luxe de ramer dans les courtes cinématiques des évènements de jeu avec en prime des déchirements de l'image : il faut le voir pour le croire. Comme si ça ne suffisait pas, les temps de chargement en disent long (52 s environ !) sur la "programmation" de Cyanide Studio.

    Jouer à Boulet Bowl II, c'est se retrouver dans l'aléatoire le plus arbitraire, devoir gérer une interface encore très perfectible et des règles toujours aussi bancales depuis le premier volet... il y a 6 ans !    … Expand
  12. steerpike1
    May 18, 2017
    2
    This game would be amazing, but there are several MASSIVE problems on the ps4. The first game I played somehow required an online connection, even though I was playing solo and so did not save my win. My replay was plagued with control issues such as odd control glitches when selecting my dice of choice, and clarity issues which led me to passing to the opposing team. All of that wasThis game would be amazing, but there are several MASSIVE problems on the ps4. The first game I played somehow required an online connection, even though I was playing solo and so did not save my win. My replay was plagued with control issues such as odd control glitches when selecting my dice of choice, and clarity issues which led me to passing to the opposing team. All of that was really troublesome, but I finally played my THIRD game against my same first opponents (samw game three times) when the game crashes, meaning I played the same game three times tonight, and because it requires internet connectivity to just enjoy a solo offline game, my experience was ruined. There is no need for this, as I just want to enjoy the game I purchased offline without this nonsense, and even though being a Games Workshop fan for over twenty years, I mostly just want my money back. I own mordhemin, the original blood bowl (which was VASTLY superior control wise) and a plethora of Games Workshop games, and this is the first time I genuinely feel ripped off. There is no reason to force online play down our throats, and I have no interest in requiring a server connection to save my offline game. I don't care to play as the Reikland Reavers, and just want my game to work like the first one did. I make a team, play against AI..my console saves my progress and I can have some fun. Don't make the mistake Sim city did, this online server nonsense is truly frustrating, and has totally destroyed my enjoyment of this game. So frustrated.… Expand
  13. Earlund
    Feb 15, 2018
    1
    Incredibly random. If you like rolling dices continuously throughout your game, this game is just for you. If you want just a tiny bit of control, this game is not for you.
  14. MissDaisy
    Nov 9, 2019
    5
    It simply depends too much on luck. You could be the best strategian of the universe with a Harvard degree and an Einsteinian brain, you still lose if someone has more luck with the dice.
    And the gameplay? The CPU sucks. Often, one of your players has the ball but the CPU sends five men to some other player for a "tackle". Easy TD.
    Or the fact that you have to wait for the CPU to move.    It simply depends too much on luck. You could be the best strategian of the universe with a Harvard degree and an Einsteinian brain, you still lose if someone has more luck with the dice.
    And the gameplay? The CPU sucks. Often, one of your players has the ball but the CPU sends five men to some other player for a "tackle". Easy TD.
    Or the fact that you have to wait for the CPU to move. Sometimes it lets the clock run down to zero before it moves all of its men. Means you have to wait four minutes for the computer. You can't even go away because you might miss your turn if the CPU is unexpectedly quick.
    This could be a good game. They just would have to work on some flaws and reduce the dice component.    … Expand
  15. BallzyDan
    Nov 23, 2020
    2
    I picked this up on sale because I used to like football. This is far from similar to football. I couldnt figure out how to play the game, the orcs just keep knocking over all my guys, not fun! Also unskippable cut scenes and no story
  16. Jollyolfun
    Mar 16, 2022
    1
    got this at gamestop as a kid because i wasn't allowed to buy a rated r game.

Awards & Rankings

95
#95 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 18
  3. Negative: 2 out of 18
  1. PSNStores
    Dec 7, 2015
    40
    If you’re a hardcore D&D or Risk fan, you may not trip over the dice rolling and the success checks. If not, you may find yourself bobbling and dropping Blood Bowl 2 before too long.
    Read full review
  2. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Nov 16, 2015
    60
    A novel twist on traditional sports games, then, but one that's equal parts New York Giant and Jacksonville Jagu-arse. [Dec 2015, p.91]
  3. GameCritics
    Nov 13, 2015
    90
    Blood Bowl 2 captures everything that makes the board game great and makes it available to those not willing to shell out a hundred dollars on miniatures. The passion the developers have for their game is clear to see, and the result proves that their love was not misplaced—it's easy to see that Blood Bowl 2 is one of the greatest board game translations ever.
    Read full review
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