A brutal team sport unfolding in a parallel fantasy world based on Warhammer and American football, Blood Bowl invites gamers to form a team of players from such races as: Orcs, Elves, Humans, Dwarfs and many other fantasy creatures, and launch themselves into battle in the bloodiest of arenas. This strategy sports game combines a fine balance of tactics and bonecrunching action! The basic principle couldn’t be any simpler: two teams, one ball. The team that gets the ball into the opponents’ Endzone scores a Touchdown. The team with the most Touchdowns at the end of the game is the winner… that is if you survive! Because in Blood Bowl - anything goes! Fists fly through the air throwing blocks at opposing players, while feet (or hooves!) stomp on those unlucky enough to end up on the floor. If an opponent bothers you a little too much, wait for the referee to look away, then tear off his arm and trample that pesky foe while he’s down! Its use of humor, magic, weapons and other unconventional methods makes Blood Bowl stand head and shoulder (along with broken arms, legs and skulls) above other sports simulations.
The game offers two game modes. The first, which is fully real time, offers a spectacular gameplay. Intense battles between blocking linemen and daring displays of agility of players leaping and dodging through opponents tackle zones, while powerful spells and dirty trick special plays are unleashed across the pitch; all this creates a highly charged atmosphere. Of course, since it is sometimes difficult to keep an eye on the entire field at once, the game’s interface offers different tactical and strategic setups, while the AI is responsible for managing the players on the field.
The second game mode, an actual turn-based game, is a treat for players of the original board game because it is an exact replica of Games Workshop's tabletop masterpiece. The original rules have been faithfully reproduced, and it contains all of the devices, strategies, play and rhythm of the original game.
Coaching Blood Bowl teams is not limited to the field, as they are heavily influenced by events off the pitch too! As the head coach you must maintain the reputation and popularity of your players, recruit cheerleaders and encourage spectators to pour onto the field to trample the opposing team when the opportunity arises. You can also bribe the referee, get opposing players banned for using illegal substances, or even recruit a Wizard to cast spells from the sidelines and many more behind the scenes actions.
Whatever your choice is, real time or turn-by-turn, the game is faithful to the official rules of Blood Bowl. Your players will have the same characteristics and skills as in the board game. Some players will specialize in throwing the ball, some in catching and dodging or simply in blocking opponents. With the full list of (nearly a hundred!) skills we can promise almost innumerable tactics and combinations of strategies.
With eight different races drawn from the Warhammer World, gamers have a huge variety of playing styles to choose from. Traditional Humans and Orcs are available of course, but also Skaven, Dwarfs, Wood Elves, Goblins, Lizardmen or even Chaos! Players can also recruit one of the “Big Guys”, bigger and more brutal versions of the Blood Bowl players. Among them are the Minotaur, the Troll the Ogre and the Kroxigor. The player may as well unlock certain Blood Bowl All Stars, prestigious players from the past. All of these "Star Players” often make the difference in a tight match.
The single-player experience allows the player to manage a team throughout an entire season of Blood Bowl, through the Old World of Warhammer. The team will evolve over the course of victories, experience gained and awards won. With its immense depth, the game can almost be considered as a management game, from managing the popularity and sponsorship of players to the purchase and sale of players, as well as their aging, retirement and even death.
In multiplayer, the player will be able to throw down a challenge to other Blood Bowl players and participate in large tournaments on the Internet in order to climb the official ranks (ladder).
There will also be "home" competitions where the player can play friendlies, without affecting his official ranking.
