Backbreaker Football (Playstation 3)

Finally an alternative to the Madden football games we've all been forced to play since EA gained exclusivity of the NFL license.

If you were one of the few to pick up All-Pro 2K8 you'll know that, without the NFL logos, the game of American football seems to appear a bit different. While All-Pro 2K8 was a decent comeback for the team responsible for the finest football game to date (NFL2K5), 2K sports just couldn't compete with the Madden marketing juggernaught and, sadly, gamers never got to see an updated version of All-Pro.

Flash forward three years and out comes a new contender in "Backbreaker." Hopes were high, but expectations had to be set low, for this new football game coming from UK developer 505 Studios. You really need to see this game running in all of its glory to appreciate what 505 has done here. Like their marketing has boasted, "there are no canned routines and every tackle IS different." Linemen move realistically, players obey the rules of football and the animation engine never seems to quit giving of itself. Some hits are brutal, some are downright hilarious and some hits I've seen would kill a person if they happened on the field. Sure the crowd animations are limited and the characters look like sculpted-robot-men from the future but, at its core, Backbreaker is a very solid first outing and definitely has the components to build an even greater football experience their next time around.

As for now, at $49.99, you can't find a better reason to stop paying for Madden's inability to innovate every year and start playing football again.

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1st let me say Ive been playing Madden since 2000 and although I have bought one every year since, both PC and PS3 I always been left feeling cheated. I felt as if I were just paying for roster updates and the game play itself I felt always had cartoonish simulation especially online. Real gaming skill became secondary in terms of winning and losing. However, Backbreaker feels and plays more like real football with an "on the field" feel to it. Player control is amazing, espacally playing QB its as real as it gets...you look for passing lanes to throw though and the control gives you a more natural touch feel like in real football. This game isnt perfect but its a great start...Madden is a simulated pac-man pre-canned cartoon compared to Backbreaker. Give it a chance! Ill keep playing Madden for now but Backbreaker is the way of the future.

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Great game!! It way better then I expected. I've been glued to this game since I brought it home. The graphics and sound are amazing. This game is much better than Madden. This game is alot of fun once you get pass controller's layout. So Madden there a new contender to the throne.

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