Backbreaker (video game)
| Backbreaker | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | NaturalMotion |
| Publisher(s) | 505 Games |
| Engine | Euphoria |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS, Android |
| Release |
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 iOS
|
| Genre(s) | Sports |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | 60.43% |
| Metacritic | 58% |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| Destructoid | 3.5/10 |
| GameSpot | 5.5/10 |
| IGN | 5/10 |
| PlayStation LifeStyle.net | 7/10 |
| Techland | 6/10 |
| Review score | |
|---|---|
| Publication | Score |
| TouchArcade |   |
Backbreaker is an American football video game, developed by NaturalMotion, and released on 1 June 2010 in North America and on 25 June 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.
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, 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.
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. 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 lifelike interaction between the players on the field.
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