Backbreaker (video game)
Encyclopedia
Backbreaker is an American football
video game, developed by British
technology developer NaturalMotion
, and released on 1 June 2010 in North America and on 25 June 2010 in Europe. One of its highlights is the use of Euphoria
, a game animation 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.
Backbreaker received mixed reviews. While it was praised for the Euphoria animation system, realistic physical gameplay, and the logo editor, it was also criticized for its weak online play, poor passing game, and lack of depth in single-player modes. After the reviews, the passing game was adjusted by the greathouse patch. 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, 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.
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. The game features 56 built-in teams plus three unlockable teams, and also allows the player to create 32 additional ones for a total of 91 possible teams. 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 Because of this, the developers emphasized the game's customization tools.
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. This allows animations for tackles and blocking to be created on the spot instead of using a limited set of canned animations. 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. The physics system was rated well by the reviewers, who commented that the integration of realistic physics created a very life-like interaction between the players on the field.
Backbreaker is an American football
video game, developed by British
technology developer NaturalMotion
, and released on 1 June 2010 in North America and on 25 June 2010 in Europe. One of its highlights is the use of Euphoria
, a game animation 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.
Backbreaker received mixed reviews. While it was praised for the Euphoria animation system, realistic physical gameplay, and the logo editor, it was also criticized for its weak online play, poor passing game, and lack of depth in single-player modes. After the reviews, the passing game was adjusted by the greathouse patch. 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, 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.
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. The game features 56 built-in teams plus three unlockable teams, and also allows the player to create 32 additional ones for a total of 91 possible teams. 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 Because of this, the developers emphasized the game's customization tools.
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. This allows animations for tackles and blocking to be created on the spot instead of using a limited set of canned animations. 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. The physics system was rated well by the reviewers, who commented that the integration of realistic physics created a very life-like interaction between the players on the field.
Backbreaker is an American football
video game, developed by British
technology developer NaturalMotion
, and released on 1 June 2010 in North America and on 25 June 2010 in Europe. One of its highlights is the use of Euphoria
, a game animation 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.
Backbreaker received mixed reviews. While it was praised for the Euphoria animation system, realistic physical gameplay, and the logo editor, it was also criticized for its weak online play, poor passing game, and lack of depth in single-player modes. After the reviews, the passing game was adjusted by the greathouse patch. 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, 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.
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. The game features 56 built-in teams plus three unlockable teams, and also allows the player to create 32 additional ones for a total of 91 possible teams. 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 Because of this, the developers emphasized the game's customization tools.
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. This allows animations for tackles and blocking to be created on the spot instead of using a limited set of canned animations. 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. The physics system was rated well by the reviewers, who commented that the integration of realistic physics created a very life-like interaction between the players on the field.
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
. Players can create their own team or modify an existing team. Players are allowed to take their custom teams online, but are restricted from using the names of existing NFL teams and players.
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. 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. 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". 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. According to NaturalMotion, only 0.88 percent of all Backbreaker players have managed to clear all 100 levels of "Tackle Alley". 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.
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. Season mode features a scouting and drafting system, but lacks trades and free agent signings. Players can play for an unlimited number of seasons, building a team through scouting college players and drafting them onto their team. The other franchise mode included is titled "Road to Backbreaker". 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
. 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. 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. The player wins the mode after winning a playoff tournament in the 32-team league. Afterwards, they may continue if they wish.
. In Exhibition mode, a second player can join the game and can play either against or with the first player. Two players may also compete against one another in Tackle Alley for the most points. Games against other players are played in splitscreen
format as opposed to the usual single-camera view of other football game series. This is due to Backbreakers "on the field" camera angle, set close to the players, making it difficult for a single-camera two-player setup. 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.
Players are also able to play games against other players online through the PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE
hosting services. Online, players are able play Quick Games and Tackle Alley, but two players can not play on the same team. 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. Otherwise, a generic "Home Team" or "Away Team" logo is displayed in place of the helmet, midfield, and endzone logos. In addition, an online leaderboard system for ranking players is included.
officially announced Backbreaker on 22 August 2007 with the release of a short video trailer showcasing some of the aspects of the Euphoria engine. 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." The targeted release date for the game was late 2008, according to the aforementioned press release. 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. 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. Again, no release date was revealed.
Backbreaker was developed by the British NaturalMotion Games, Ltd. and published by 505 Games
. The game's development heads were Todd Gibbs and Dave Proctor, and the lead producers were Rob Donald and Matt Sherman. Development began in Summer 2007, and ended in June 2010. A game demo was released on 21 May 2010 for Xbox LIVE
gold players and 28 May 2010 for silver players. When announcing the release date for the PlayStation 3
demo, the developers only commented that it would be released "soon". However, communication errors with Sony's PlayStation Network caused the demo to be delayed significantly past its Xbox LIVE counterpart, until June 15, 2010, two weeks after the North American release.
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, sans the Euphoria Engine and with toned-down graphics. The iOS version was released on 29 September 2009, while a version for the iPad
named BackBreaker HD was released on 4 February 2010. The Android version of the game was released on 5 May 2010.
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,". Backbreaker also received an aggregate score of 57.31% on GameRankings, based upon 21 different media reviews. 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," 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.
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. The game was also criticized for its lack of play-by-play and poor audio. "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. After the patch, the song only comes up for the first kick-off and the kick-off of the second half.
Backbreakers 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."
The game was nominated for Best New IP at the 2010 Develop Awards, but lost to Quantic Dream
's Heavy Rain
.
Backbreakers mobile editions fared well, selling over 1.5 million copies of their application. 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.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
video game, developed by British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
technology developer NaturalMotion
NaturalMotion
NaturalMotion is a software company with offices in Oxford and San Francisco. Founded in November 2001 as a spin-off of Oxford University, the company specialises in creating animation technology for the game and film industries.-Technology:...
, and released on 1 June 2010 in North America and on 25 June 2010 in Europe. One of its highlights is the use of Euphoria
Euphoria (software)
Euphoria is a game animation engine 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"...
, a game animation engine that determines animations dynamically rather than depending on canned animations. Backbreaker does not use teams from the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) because Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
has an exclusive license to produce NFL games in its Madden series
Madden NFL
Madden NFL is an American football video game series developed by Electronic Arts Tiburon for EA Sports. The game series is named after Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden, a well-known former Super Bowl-winning coach of the Oakland Raiders and color commentator...
. 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.
Backbreaker received mixed reviews. While it was praised for the Euphoria animation system, realistic physical gameplay, and the logo editor, it was also criticized for its weak online play, poor passing game, and lack of depth in single-player modes. After the reviews, the passing game was adjusted by the greathouse patch. The Xbox 360 version of the game received an overall rating of 54% from review aggregator Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, 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, 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.
Gameplay
Backbreaker is a simulation-style American footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
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. The game features 56 built-in teams plus three unlockable teams, and also allows the player to create 32 additional ones for a total of 91 possible teams. It lacks any licensing from the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, due to the fact that they were not able to negotiate a licensing agreement with the NFL or NFLPA Because of this, the developers emphasized the game's customization tools.
Backbreaker relies on the Euphoria engine
Euphoria (software)
Euphoria is a game animation engine 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"...
, a real time animation engine developed by NaturalMotion that has been used in games such as Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a multimedia project developed by LucasArts along with Dark Horse Comics, Lego, Hasbro, and Del Rey Books...
, and Red Dead Redemption. This allows animations for tackles and blocking to be created on the spot instead of using a limited set of canned animations. 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. The physics system was rated well by the reviewers, who commented that the integration of realistic physics created a very life-like interaction between the players on the field.
Backbreaker is an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
video game, developed by British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
technology developer NaturalMotion
NaturalMotion
NaturalMotion is a software company with offices in Oxford and San Francisco. Founded in November 2001 as a spin-off of Oxford University, the company specialises in creating animation technology for the game and film industries.-Technology:...
, and released on 1 June 2010 in North America and on 25 June 2010 in Europe. One of its highlights is the use of Euphoria
Euphoria (software)
Euphoria is a game animation engine 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"...
, a game animation engine that determines animations dynamically rather than depending on canned animations. Backbreaker does not use teams from the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) because Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
has an exclusive license to produce NFL games in its Madden series
Madden NFL
Madden NFL is an American football video game series developed by Electronic Arts Tiburon for EA Sports. The game series is named after Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden, a well-known former Super Bowl-winning coach of the Oakland Raiders and color commentator...
. 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.
Backbreaker received mixed reviews. While it was praised for the Euphoria animation system, realistic physical gameplay, and the logo editor, it was also criticized for its weak online play, poor passing game, and lack of depth in single-player modes. After the reviews, the passing game was adjusted by the greathouse patch. The Xbox 360 version of the game received an overall rating of 54% from review aggregator Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, 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, 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.
Gameplay
Backbreaker is a simulation-style American footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
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. The game features 56 built-in teams plus three unlockable teams, and also allows the player to create 32 additional ones for a total of 91 possible teams. It lacks any licensing from the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, due to the fact that they were not able to negotiate a licensing agreement with the NFL or NFLPA Because of this, the developers emphasized the game's customization tools.
Backbreaker relies on the Euphoria engine
Euphoria (software)
Euphoria is a game animation engine 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"...
, a real time animation engine developed by NaturalMotion that has been used in games such as Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a multimedia project developed by LucasArts along with Dark Horse Comics, Lego, Hasbro, and Del Rey Books...
, and Red Dead Redemption. This allows animations for tackles and blocking to be created on the spot instead of using a limited set of canned animations. 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. The physics system was rated well by the reviewers, who commented that the integration of realistic physics created a very life-like interaction between the players on the field.
Backbreaker is an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
video game, developed by British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
technology developer NaturalMotion
NaturalMotion
NaturalMotion is a software company with offices in Oxford and San Francisco. Founded in November 2001 as a spin-off of Oxford University, the company specialises in creating animation technology for the game and film industries.-Technology:...
, and released on 1 June 2010 in North America and on 25 June 2010 in Europe. One of its highlights is the use of Euphoria
Euphoria (software)
Euphoria is a game animation engine 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"...
, a game animation engine that determines animations dynamically rather than depending on canned animations. Backbreaker does not use teams from the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) because Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
has an exclusive license to produce NFL games in its Madden series
Madden NFL
Madden NFL is an American football video game series developed by Electronic Arts Tiburon for EA Sports. The game series is named after Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden, a well-known former Super Bowl-winning coach of the Oakland Raiders and color commentator...
. 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.
Backbreaker received mixed reviews. While it was praised for the Euphoria animation system, realistic physical gameplay, and the logo editor, it was also criticized for its weak online play, poor passing game, and lack of depth in single-player modes. After the reviews, the passing game was adjusted by the greathouse patch. The Xbox 360 version of the game received an overall rating of 54% from review aggregator Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, 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, 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.
Gameplay
Backbreaker is a simulation-style American footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
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. The game features 56 built-in teams plus three unlockable teams, and also allows the player to create 32 additional ones for a total of 91 possible teams. It lacks any licensing from the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, due to the fact that they were not able to negotiate a licensing agreement with the NFL or NFLPA Because of this, the developers emphasized the game's customization tools.
Backbreaker relies on the Euphoria engine
Euphoria (software)
Euphoria is a game animation engine 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"...
, a real time animation engine developed by NaturalMotion that has been used in games such as Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a multimedia project developed by LucasArts along with Dark Horse Comics, Lego, Hasbro, and Del Rey Books...
, and Red Dead Redemption. This allows animations for tackles and blocking to be created on the spot instead of using a limited set of canned animations. 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. The physics system was rated well by the reviewers, who commented that the integration of realistic physics created a very life-like interaction between the players on the field.
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
Forza Motorsport 2
Forza Motorsport 2 is a racing video game developed by Turn 10 Studios for the Xbox 360 console. It is the second title in the Forza Motorsport series, and is the sequel to the original Forza Motorsport and is followed by Forza Motorsport 3 .The box art features a tuned Nissan 350Z...
. Players can create their own team or modify an existing team. Players are allowed to take their custom teams online, but are restricted from using the names of existing NFL teams and players.
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. 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 then most current football games. 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.Another game mode included in Backbreaker is the mini-game "Tackle Alley". In this game, the player controls a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
who starts in their own endzone. The player then attempts to score a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
by running up the field and evading a wave of defenders to score points. 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. 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". 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. According to NaturalMotion, only 0.88 percent of all Backbreaker players have managed to clear all 100 levels of "Tackle Alley". 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.
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. Season mode features a scouting and drafting system, but lacks trades and free agent signings. Players can play for an unlimited number of seasons, building a team through scouting college players and drafting them onto their team. The other franchise mode included is titled "Road to Backbreaker". This mode allows the player to take a custom or default team into a league structured along the lines of the English football league
English Football League
English football league is not specific; it may refer to:* The Football League - the highest four divisions of English football until 1992 and the three divisions below the Premier League since 1992;...
including promotion and relegation
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
. 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. 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. The player wins the mode after winning a playoff tournament in the 32-team league. Afterwards, they may continue if they wish.
Multiplayer
Several game modes in Backbreaker can also be played as local or online multi-player over the InternetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. In Exhibition mode, a second player can join the game and can play either against or with the first player. Two players may also compete against one another in Tackle Alley for the most points. Games against other players are played in splitscreen
Split screen (computer graphics)
Split screen is a display technique in computer graphics that consists of dividing graphics and/or text into non-movable adjacent parts, typically two or four rectangular areas. This is done in order to allow the simultaneous presentation of related graphical and textual information on a computer...
format as opposed to the usual single-camera view of other football game series. This is due to Backbreakers "on the field" camera angle, set close to the players, making it difficult for a single-camera two-player setup. 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.
Players are also able to play games against other players online through the PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
hosting services. Online, players are able play Quick Games and Tackle Alley, but two players can not play on the same team. 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. Otherwise, a generic "Home Team" or "Away Team" logo is displayed in place of the helmet, midfield, and endzone logos. In addition, an online leaderboard system for ranking players is included.
Development
NaturalMotionNaturalMotion
NaturalMotion is a software company with offices in Oxford and San Francisco. Founded in November 2001 as a spin-off of Oxford University, the company specialises in creating animation technology for the game and film industries.-Technology:...
officially announced Backbreaker on 22 August 2007 with the release of a short video trailer showcasing some of the aspects of the Euphoria engine. 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." The targeted release date for the game was late 2008, according to the aforementioned press release. 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. 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. Again, no release date was revealed.
Backbreaker was developed by the British NaturalMotion Games, Ltd. and published by 505 Games
505 Games
505 Games, formerly known as 505 Game Street, is an Italian video game publishing division of Italian company Digital Bros. group founded in 2006...
. The game's development heads were Todd Gibbs and Dave Proctor, and the lead producers were Rob Donald and Matt Sherman. Development began in Summer 2007, and ended in June 2010. A game demo was released on 21 May 2010 for Xbox LIVE
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
gold players and 28 May 2010 for silver players. When announcing the release date for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
demo, the developers only commented that it would be released "soon". However, communication errors with Sony's PlayStation Network caused the demo to be delayed significantly past its Xbox LIVE counterpart, until June 15, 2010, two weeks after the North American release.
NaturalMotion also released a version of BackBreaker for iOS
IOS
iOS is an operating system for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and Apple TV.IOS may also refer to:-Companies and organisations:* Illinois Ornithological Society, American state-based bird club...
and Android mobile platforms. This version of the game, called Backbreaker Football: Tackle Alley, featured the Tackle Alley minigame found in the full game, sans the Euphoria Engine and with toned-down graphics. The iOS version was released on 29 September 2009, while a version for the iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
named BackBreaker HD was released on 4 February 2010. The Android version of the game was released on 5 May 2010.
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. Review aggregator MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
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,". Backbreaker also received an aggregate score of 57.31% on GameRankings, based upon 21 different media reviews. The game's Euphoria
Euphoria
Euphoria is an emotional and mental state defined as a sense of great elation and well being.Euphoria may also refer to:* Euphoria , a genus of scarab beetles* Euphoria, a genus name previously used for the longan and other trees...
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," 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.
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. The game was also criticized for its lack of play-by-play and poor audio. "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
Boom (P.O.D. song)
"Boom" is the third single off P.O.D.'s second major label studio album Satellite. While it did not chart as well as the album's previous singles, the song has appeared significantly in film and television...
” by P.O.D.
P.O.D.
Payable on Death is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992. The band's line-up consists of vocalist Sonny Sandoval, drummer Wuv Bernardo, guitarist Marcos Curiel, and bassist Traa Daniels. Their Christian faith is an important part of their music.They have released seven studio albums and...
being played during kickoffs (it gets old pretty fast), and the stadium crowds are basically an afterthought," added Doug Aamoth of Techland. After the patch, the song only comes up for the first kick-off and the kick-off of the second half.
Backbreakers 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
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
's review of Backbreaker, while GameZone
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
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."
The game was nominated for Best New IP at the 2010 Develop Awards, but lost to Quantic Dream
Quantic Dream
Quantic Dream is a French video game developer based in Paris, France, founded in 1997. The company also supplies motion capture services to the film and video game industries.-History:...
's Heavy Rain
Heavy Rain
Heavy Rain is an interactive drama psychological thriller video game created by Quantic Dream exclusively for the PlayStation 3. The game is written and directed by Quantic Dream's founder and CEO David Cage....
.
Backbreakers mobile editions fared well, selling over 1.5 million copies of their application. 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.