Backbreaker (video game)

Last updated

Backbreaker
Backbreaker boxart.jpg
Developer(s) NaturalMotion
Publisher(s) 505 Games
Engine Euphoria
Platform(s)
ReleasePlayStation 3, Xbox 360
  • NA: June 1, 2010
  • EU: June 25, 2010
iOS
  • NA: September 29, 2009
Android
  • NA: May 5, 2010
Genre(s) Sports
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Backbreaker is an American football video game, developed by NaturalMotion, and released on June 1, 2010 in North America and on June 25, 2010 in Europe. It uses the Euphoria game engine, that determines animations dynamically rather than depending on canned animations. Backbreaker does not use teams from the National Football League (NFL) because Electronic Arts has an exclusive license to produce NFL games in its Madden series. The game relies on an extensive logo editor and team builder that was called "one of its silver linings." NaturalMotion announced Backbreaker in August 2007, with a targeted release date of late 2008. The game ended up being delayed until mid-2010.

Contents

Backbreaker received mixed reviews. While it was praised for the Euphoria animation system, realistic physical gameplay, and the logo editor, it was criticized for its weak online play, poor passing game, and lack of depth in single-player modes. The Xbox 360 version of the game received an overall rating of 54% from review aggregator Metacritic, while the PlayStation 3 version received a 58%. The iOS and Android version was given a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars by Touch Arcade. A patch released on August 6, 2010, and alleviated many of the issues critics had with the game upon release and included upgrades such as improved AI, new play books and an enhanced replay feature. [1]

Gameplay

Backbreaker is a simulation-style American football game, which allows the player to take control of a team of football players and compete against the CPU or another player in a variety of game modes. [2] The game features 56 built-in teams plus seven unlockable teams, and also allows the player to create 32 additional ones for a total of 95 teams. [2] It lacks any licensing from the National Football League, due to the fact that they were not able to negotiate a licensing agreement with the NFL or NFLPA [3] Because of this, the developers emphasized the game's customization tools. [2]

Creating a logo in the team creator feature. Created teams in Backbreaker can be used online, in a custom league, or in "Road to Backbreaker" mode. The team's main, helmet, and endzone logos are all fully customizable. Backbreaker screenshot.png
Creating a logo in the team creator feature. Created teams in Backbreaker can be used online, in a custom league, or in "Road to Backbreaker" mode. The team's main, helmet, and endzone logos are all fully customizable.

Backbreaker relies on the Euphoria engine, a real time animation engine developed by NaturalMotion that has been used in games such as Grand Theft Auto IV , Star Wars: The Force Unleashed , and Red Dead Redemption . [4] This allows animations for tackles and blocking to be created on the spot instead of using a limited set of canned animations. [2] Due to this, developers pushed to advertise that "no two tackles are the same" in an attempt to draw players to what they called a more physically realistic football game than its competitors. [2] The physics system was rated well by the reviewers, who commented that the integration of realistic physics created a very lifelike interaction between the players on the field. [3] [5]

Along with the Euphoria engine, Backbreaker also features a create-a-team tool and logo creator similar to the editor found in Forza Motorsport 2 . [3] Players can create their own team or modify an existing team. [6] Players are allowed to take their custom teams online, but are restricted from using the names of existing NFL teams and players. [7]

Singleplayer

Backbreaker features several game modes, some that players can play quickly and others that may be played over a long period of time. In "Training Camp," new players can learn the game's controls and experienced players can practice certain skills and situations. [3] Different tutorials for offense, defense, and special teams are included in the Training Camp. This is helpful to players, as the controls in Backbreaker are different than most current football games. [3] In "Exhibition Mode," a player can play a single game with custom rules against either another local player or the CPU. Players can use any of the teams in the game, including ones that they have created. [3]

Another game mode included in Backbreaker is the mini-game "Tackle Alley." In this game, the player controls a running back who starts in their own endzone. The player then attempts to score a touchdown by running up the field and evading a wave of defenders to score points. [8] Special moves such as jukes and spins create a "combo chain," which multiply the player's score by an amount depending on the length of the combo chain. [8] After a player scores, they advance to the next wave of defenders and must repeat the process. If a player is tackled before reaching the endzone, they must start over the wave and lose a "life." [8] The game ends when all of the player's lives are depleted or the player passes all 100 of the waves, which become harder as the mode progresses. [8] According to NaturalMotion, only 0.88 percent of all Backbreaker players have managed to clear all 100 levels of "Tackle Alley." [8] Game producer Rob Donald states that the mini-game was meant to add an arcade feel to the game. "It was meant to be a complete diversion from the more realistic main game, a complete arcade challenge...Everything about it was meant to replicate the pressure and the frustration of playing a cabinet that you know is stacked against you," said Donald in an interview. [8]

Backbreaker also features two different franchise-style modes. The first, "Season Mode", allows a player to create a custom league of either 8, 16, or 32 teams and insert custom-made and/or default teams into it. [6] Season mode features a scouting and drafting system, but lacks trades and free agent signings. [6] Players can play for an unlimited number of seasons, building a team through scouting college players and drafting them onto their team. [2] The other franchise mode included is titled "Road to Backbreaker." [2] This mode allows the player to take a custom or default team into a league structured along the lines of the English Football League including promotion and relegation. [2] The player's team begins with a low rating in an 8-team league. By winning games, the player earns credits, which can be used to purchase the contracts of free agents. [3] By finishing high in the 8-team league, the player's team advances to a 16-team league and eventually a 32-team league. The player improves their team by periodically signing free agents, as the competition is tougher in each league. [2] The player wins the mode after winning a playoff tournament in the 32-team league. [3] Afterwards, they may continue if they wish.

Multiplayer

In-game screenshot of a player playing on defense. Backbreaker uses an "on the field" camera view much closer to the player than other football video games. Screen shot 2010-07-17 at 4.34.10 PM.png
In-game screenshot of a player playing on defense. Backbreaker uses an "on the field" camera view much closer to the player than other football video games.

Several game modes in Backbreaker can also be played as local or online multi-player over the Internet. In Exhibition mode, a second player can join the game and can play either against or with the first player. [2] Two players may also compete against one another in Tackle Alley for the most points. [6] Games against other players are played in splitscreen format as opposed to the usual single-camera view of other football game series. [3] This is due to Backbreaker's "on the field" camera angle, set close to the players, making it difficult for a single-camera two-player setup. [2] Although this setup differs from most modern football games, the developers believe it would add realism to the player's experience. "One of the benefits of having this down-on-the-field camera view is that it really makes playing as the quarterback like the passing mechanic feel really natural," said producer Rob Donald. [9]

Players are also able to play games against other players online through the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live hosting services. [6] Online, players are able play Quick Games and Tackle Alley, but two players can not play on the same team. [2] Players are allowed to use their custom created teams online; others are not able to see their created logos unless they are on each other's friends lists. [6] Otherwise, a generic "Home Team" or "Away Team" logo is displayed in place of the helmet, midfield, and endzone logos. [10] In addition, an online leaderboard system for ranking players is included. [2]

Development

NaturalMotion officially announced Backbreaker on August 22, 2007 with the release of a short video trailer showcasing some of the aspects of the Euphoria engine. [11] Along with this, a press release from NaturalMotion CEO Torsten Reil stated "By utilizing our motion synthesis engine, Euphoria, players will never make the same tackle twice, giving them an intensely unique experience every time they play the game." [11] The targeted release date for the game was late 2008, according to the aforementioned press release. [11] In mid-2008, still without any release date planned, another trailer was released for the game. This trailer revealed the Tackle Alley mini-game mode. [12] At the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Backbreaker was showcased to the media for the first time. Along with this, a third trailer was released showing actual gameplay footage from an Exhibition game. [12] Again, no release date was revealed. [2]

Backbreaker was developed by the British NaturalMotion Games, Ltd. and published by 505 Games. [13] The game's development heads were Todd Gibbs and Dave Proctor, the Senior Producer was Kevin Allington and the lead producers were Rob Donald and Matt Sherman. [13] Development began in Summer 2007, [11] and ended in June 2010. [6] A game demo was released on 21 May 2010 for Xbox LIVE gold players and 28 May 2010 for silver players. [14] When announcing the release date for the PlayStation 3 demo, the developers only commented that it would be released "soon". [14] However, communication errors with Sony's PlayStation Network caused the demo to be delayed until June 15, 2010, two weeks after the North American release. [15]

NaturalMotion also released a version of BackBreaker for iOS and Android mobile platforms. This version of the game, called Backbreaker Football: Tackle Alley, featured the Tackle Alley minigame found in the full game, without the Euphoria Engine and with toned-down graphics. [16] The iOS version was released on September 29, 2009, [16] while a version for the iPad named BackBreaker HD was released on February 4, 2010. [17] The Android version of the game was released on May 5, 2010. [18]

Reception

Backbreaker received mixed reviews from critics. While Backbreaker was praised for its realistic physics, it was also criticized for weak online play, lack of single-player gameplay depth, and poor passing play. [2] [3] [5] Review aggregator Metacritic rated the game at 54% for the Xbox 360 version and 58% for the PlayStation 3 version, calling it "a fast-paced, gritty gameplay experience that's more Burnout than Madden." [20] Backbreaker also received an aggregate score of 57.31% on GameRankings, based upon 21 different media reviews. [19] The game's Euphoria animation system was well liked by reviewers. PlayStation LifeStyle's Joseph Peterson commented that "Realism is a major plus in Backbreaker. Running with the ball feels lifelike and better than any other football game on the market... The fact that the game really tries to make you feel what the player is feeling is probably the game's crowning achievement ... literally every tackle is completely different," [3] while Jay Acevedo of GameFocus added, "while the game does not scream perfection, it delivers the promise of a realistic and exhilarating experience," in his review. [6]

Although developers billed a realistic atmosphere, reviewers criticized that aspect of the game. "I understand the emphasis for this game is on the gameplay. However, a little more effort could have been made with the visuals and particularly in the audio department. Crowds will applaud your great plays and touchdowns, but the essence of a football game revolves around atmosphere. Here, it's completely lacking," said Acevedo in his review. [6] The game was also criticized for its lack of play-by-play and poor audio. [6] "There's no witty banter between a play-by-play announcer and color commentator (although some would argue that Madden's audio presentation's been seriously lacking the past few iterations), there's no stadium music aside from 'Boom' by P.O.D. being played during kickoffs (it gets old pretty fast), and the stadium crowds are basically an afterthought," added Doug Aamoth of Techland. [22] After the patch, the song only comes up for the first kick-off and the kick-off of the second half.

Backbreaker's close "on the field" camera was also panned by critics. "Because the camera places you right on the field, all of the hits carry even more weight than if you were zoomed farther back, but the positive aspects are overshadowed by an inability to see the entire field," said GameSpot's review of Backbreaker, while GameZone added that "Backbreaker uses a tight third-person view that brings the player closer to the action. The results are visually interesting, but the mechanics are mismanaged. While the game strives to be as simple and as straightforward as possible, the camera often gets in the way." [10] [24]

The game was nominated for Best New IP at the 2010 Develop Awards, [25] but lost to Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain . [26]

Backbreaker's mobile editions fared well, selling over 1.5 million copies of their application. [17] The iOS and Android versions also received positive reviews from critics. "Backbreaker is a fun mini game with cool graphics and animations," said Eli Hodapp in his review of the application. "There isn't anything overly technical about the gameplay, but it has a strangely compelling aspect to it, especially as you're high stepping to the end zone," he added. [23]

Related Research Articles

<i>FIFA International Soccer</i> 1993 video game

FIFA International Soccer is a 1993 association football video game developed by EA Canada's Extended Play Productions team and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis console in December 1993 and ported to numerous other systems in 1994. It is the first game in the FIFA series.

<i>FIFA 97</i> 1996 video game

FIFA 97 is a football simulation video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for PC on 24 June 1996 and versions for PlayStation, SNES, Mega Drive and Sega Saturn followed.

<i>FIFA: Road to World Cup 98</i> 1997 association football video game

FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 is a football simulation video game developed by EA Canada and released by Electronic Arts in 1997. It is the fifth game in the FIFA series and the second to be in 3D on the fifth generation of video game consoles. A number of different players were featured on the cover, including David Beckham in the UK, Roy Lassiter in the United States, Mexico and Brazil, David Ginola in France, Raúl in Spain and Portugal, Paolo Maldini in Italy, and Andreas Möller in Germany. FIFA 98 was the last FIFA game released for the Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).

<i>FIFA Soccer 64</i> 1997 video game

FIFA Soccer 64, known in Europe as FIFA 64 and in Japan as J. League Live 64, is an association football video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts for the Nintendo 64. The cover features Manchester United midfielder Jordi Cruyff. The game garnered mixed reviews from critics upon release. Although its simulation was generally praised as realistic, reviewers critiqued the jerky animation, choppy frame-rates, unresponsive controls, and underwhelming usage of the Nintendo 64's capabilities. The Japanese version has officially licensed players and teams from Japan's J. League.

<i>NBA 2K6</i> 2005 video game

NBA 2K6 is a 2005 basketball simulation video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It is the seventh installment in the NBA 2K franchise and the successor to ESPN NBA 2K5. It was released in 2005 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Xbox 360. Shaquille O'Neal of the Miami Heat is the cover athlete of the game. NBA 2K6 is the predecessor to NBA 2K7 in the NBA 2K series and is the first NBA 2K title to be released by 2K Sports. This is the first game in the series to be released for the Xbox 360.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Procedural animation</span> Type of computer animation

A procedural animation is a type of computer animation used to automatically generate animation in real-time to allow for a more diverse series of actions than would otherwise be tedious using predefined animations.

<i>NBA 2K7</i> 2006 basketball video game

NBA 2K7 is a 2006 basketball simulation video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It is the eighth installment in the NBA 2K franchise and the successor to NBA 2K6. It was released in 2006 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Xbox 360, and as a launch title for PlayStation 3. Shaquille O'Neal of the Miami Heat is the cover athlete of the game. NBA 2K7 is the predecessor to NBA 2K8 in the NBA 2K series. This was the last installment in the series to be released for the Xbox.

<i>NHL 97</i> 1996 video game

NHL 97 is an ice hockey video game by EA Sports. It was released in 1996 and was the successor to NHL 96. It is the sixth installment of the NHL series and the first to be released on both PlayStation and Saturn. A Panasonic M2 version was in development and slated to be one of the launch titles for it, but never happened due to the cancellation of the system.

<i>Madden NFL 97</i> 1996 American football video game

Madden NFL 97 is a football video game released in 1996. It was the first multiplatform Madden game released for the 32-bit consoles, being released on both the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. 16-bit versions were also made for the established Super NES and Genesis platforms, as well as a portable version for the Game Boy.

<i>Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball</i> 1995 baseball video game

Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball is a multiplatform baseball simulation game that was licensed by the Major League Baseball Players Association, featuring the likeness, motion captured movements, and "Big Hurt" branding of player Frank Thomas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NaturalMotion</span> British video game developer

NaturalMotion Limited is a British video game development company with development offices in London, Brighton and Birmingham. Founded in November 2001 as a spin-out company from Oxford University, NaturalMotion specialises in creating animation technology for the game and film industries. In January 2014, NaturalMotion was acquired by Zynga for US$527 million.

Euphoria is a game animation middleware created by NaturalMotion based on Dynamic Motion Synthesis, NaturalMotion's proprietary technology for animating 3D characters on-the-fly "based on a full simulation of the 3D character, including body, muscles and motor nervous system". Instead of using predefined animations, the characters' actions and reactions are synthesized in real-time; they are different every time, even when replaying the same scene. While it is common for current video games to use limp "ragdolls" for animations generated on the fly, Euphoria employed a more complex method to animate the entirety of physically bound objects within the game environment. The engine was to be used in an Indiana Jones game that was later cancelled. According to its web site, Euphoria ran on the Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, iOS and Android platforms and was compatible with all commercial physics engines.

<i>MLB 08: The Show</i> 2008 video game

MLB 08: The Show is a baseball simulation video game developed by San Diego Studio published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable systems. It is the longest-running officially licensed Major League Baseball game series on the PlayStation systems. MLB 08: The Show is the third edition of the MLB: The Show series of video games. The game was announced for all three PlayStation consoles on December 11, 2007, and released on March 4, 2008 in North America. Ryan Howard, all-star first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies, is featured as the game's cover athlete.

<i>Madden NFL 10</i> 2009 video game

Madden NFL 10 is an American football video game based on the National Football League that was published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. The 21st installment of the Madden NFL series, it is the first game to feature two players on the cover: Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals, who played against each other the previous season in Super Bowl XLIII. It was released in August 2009 for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360 and BlackBerry, and for the iOS on September 9 through the App Store.

<i>NBA 2K9</i> 2008 basketball video game

NBA 2K9 is a 2008 basketball simulation video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It is the tenth installment in the NBA 2K franchise and the successor to NBA 2K8. It was released in 2008 for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows. Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics is the cover athlete of the game. NBA 2K9 is the predecessor to NBA 2K10 in the NBA 2K series.

<i>FIFA Soccer 96</i> 1995 video game

FIFA Soccer 96 is a football simulation video game developed by Extended Play Productions and released by Electronic Arts in 1995. It was released for the Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Saturn, Sega 32X, Game Gear, PlayStation, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and MS-DOS compatible operating systems.

<i>Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D</i> 2011 video game

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D is an association football video game released as a launch title for the Nintendo 3DS, developed and published by Konami. It is a re-release of Pro Evolution Soccer 2011, but in 3D and instead of the camera being in broadcast view, the camera is behind the currently selected player.

<i>3D Baseball</i> 1996 video game

3D Baseball is a sports game developed and published by Crystal Dynamics and distributed by Mindscape. It was released in December 1996 for PlayStation and Sega Saturn. It features CNN sportscaster Van Earl Wright as the announcer.

<i>Pro Evolution Soccer 2014</i> 2013 association football video game

Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 is an association football video game developed and published by Konami for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and Xbox 360 in 2013. The cover art for the game was the first in the series not to feature a football player since Pro Evolution Soccer 3 was released in 2003, although a later version was released with football players on the cover. PES 2014 was the last game to be released on the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable in Europe. It was succeeded by Pro Evolution Soccer 2015.

<i>Goal Storm</i> 1995 video game

Goal Storm, known as World Soccer: Winning Eleven in Japan, is a football sports video game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and published by Konami. It was released in late 1995 in North America and in early 1996 elsewhere for the PlayStation. It is the first installment of the Winning Eleven franchise, later known as Pro Evolution Soccer internationally. Gameplay-wise, the player controls one of thirty six national teams over two different game modes, which both simulate association football matches and/or tournaments.

References

  1. "Greathouse Patch out now!". Kotaku. 6 August 2010. Archived from the original on 15 August 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "Backbreaker Review". IGN. 2 June 2010. Archived from the original on 6 June 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Peterson, Joseph (1 June 2010). "PS3 Review – Backbreaker". PlayStation Lifestyle. Archived from the original on 8 June 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  4. "NaturalMotion Euphoria". NaturalMotion. Archived from the original on 11 July 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  5. 1 2 Good, Owen (2 June 2010). "Backbreaker Review: The Challenger Crashes". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 19 June 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Acevedo, Jay (7 June 2010). "Backbreaker". GameFocus. Archived from the original on 9 June 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  7. Accinelli, Anthony. "Developer Interview "Backbreaker Football" Rob Donald of Natural Motion". Strengthgamer. Archived from the original on 8 June 2010. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Good, Owen (11 July 2010). "Only a Few Have Left Tackle Alley 'Alive'". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 15 July 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  9. Yoon, Andrew (26 March 2010). "Video dev diary explains Backbreaker's unique camera". Joystiq. Archived from the original on 28 May 2010. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
  10. 1 2 3 "Backbreaker Review". GameSpot. 1 June 2010. Archived from the original on 16 August 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Magrino, Tom (24 August 2010). "Backbreaker kicks off in '08". GameSpot . Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  12. 1 2 "Tackle Alley Trailer". GameTrailers. 17 April 2008. Archived from the original on 1 March 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  13. 1 2 "Backbreaker: Credits". Allgame. Archived from the original on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  14. 1 2 Good, Owen (20 May 2010). "Backbreaker Demo Hits Xbox Live Tomorrow". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 24 May 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  15. "Backbreaker Hits the Gridiron on PSN: Demo Now Available". IGN. 15 June 2010. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  16. 1 2 Hodapp, Eli (22 September 2009). "'Backbreaker Football: Tackle Alley' Preview with Gameplay Video". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on 1 August 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  17. 1 2 Jordan, Jon (4 February 2010). "NaturalMotion deploys Backbreaker HD for iPad". PocketGamer. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  18. "Backbreaker Football". AppBrain. 14 June 2010. Archived from the original on 21 June 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  19. 1 2 "GameRankings: Backbreaker". GameRankings. Archived from the original on 18 June 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
  20. 1 2 "Backbreaker". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 9 June 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
  21. Sarkar, Samit (11 June 2010). "Review: Backbreaker". Destructoid . Archived from the original on 8 August 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  22. 1 2 Aamoth, Doug (10 June 2010). "Backbreaker Review: It's No Madden, But Maybe That's Okay". Techland. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
  23. 1 2 Hodapp, Eli (22 September 2009). "'Backbreaker Football: Tackle Alley' Review". Touch Arcade. Archived from the original on 1 August 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  24. Bedigian, Louis (4 June 2010). "Backbreaker Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 6 June 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  25. French, Michael (3 June 2010). "Develop Awards: the finalists are revealed". Develop Online. Archived from the original on 17 July 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  26. Ivan, Tom (15 July 2010). "Quantic Dream And Rocksteady Scoop Develop Awards". Next-Gen. Archived from the original on 18 July 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2010.