Problems are routine almost immediately in this disaster of a football game.
Concept:
I'm not sure how well this review is going to be liked/recommended, but if I'm going to review a game, I'm going to tell the truth rather than attempt to get thumbs up. Even though the average user rating on "Backbreaker" is a 7.1, I refuse to give this game above a score of 3.5. There is so much wrong with it that it's not even funny. The game is basically 505 Games' attempt to compete with the other huge football franchises (of course referring to the "NCAA" and "Madden" games). They failed miserably. The game was made more as an arcade-feeling type of simulator. Rather than the ultra realistic experience from the "Madden" games, "Backbreaker" puts you in control of one specific player and has you play through some very awkward animations. Don't get me wrong, the game looks great. The visuals are fantastic for what the company was going for. The cartoony/animated look fits perfectly with each and every play. Unfortunately, that's the only thing that really works. The game's controls are so horrible, that it almost makes you laugh. 95% of what you do relies completely on using the right analog stick. Now some games have done this in the past with great success. But when a football sim requires it to pass, juke, spin, kick, look, etc., it's gone way too far. Your attempt to do one thing results in the complete opposite. One thing that still doesn't make even the slightest bit of sense to me is passing the ball. If you choose a pass play on offense, you have to use the left analog stick before the play to choose the receiver to throw it to. If he's not open in the middle of the play, then you have to move the right analog stick until it locks onto someone else and THEN throw the ball. But by that point, it's most likely too late. And since the only difference in the two is HOW you move the right analog, chances are quite good that the game will be totally unresponsive. These kinds of things happen on almost every play of every possession, both offensively and defensively. The teams are unimaginably lopsided in talent, as well. Some teams will have a rating of 83 overall, while others have a rating of 32 overall. It's that absurd. The wide variety of team options you are given is nice, but what's the point if half of them are 50 points below an average rated team? In a game that requires very little talent, and simple controls that don't usually work, the concept of "being a horrid team as a challenge" is unlikely to work. And even if it does, it wouldn't be because of your playing. "Backbreaker" also lacks any real forms of other game modes. It has the basics you would expect: career, exhibition, and training camp. However, the training camp is just straight up drills to learn the game. Once you complete it, there's no reason to go back. There is no option of a regular practice, so trying to improve in the game will only happen through large periods of time spent on the horrific exhibitions. This is beyond unacceptable. In a game that is supposed to be redefining how football games play, not having any free options of practice is hilariously pathetic. There is one pretty addictive mini-game that the game offers, however. It's called Tackle Alley. In this, you are placed at the far endzone of the field with the football, and have to maneuver your way through 5-6 specifically placed defenders to score a touchdown. Jukes and spin moves earn you points, as well as touchdowns and consistency in doing so. The levels get much harder as you progress, and the game becomes much more addictive and nail-biting. You are only giving a certain number of missed opportunities before it's "game over" for you, so it's really quite scary (though you can earn "lives" by scoring touchdowns). It's a lot like "The World's Hardest Game" in a way, just with football, and a lot more fun. But still, one small mini-game of just 100 rounds is not nearly enough to warrant a purchase of this game. As much as I don't like this year's version of "Madden", you will likely be much more satisfied with it than this game.
Graphics and Sound:
The graphics in "Backbreaker" are great, as I previously mentioned. The cartoony animations are very well done, and the action moves surprisingly smoothly with little to no frame-rate drops. But there's nothing special besides that. Creating teams is kind of cool, since the logo customization is very accurate, but that's really it. There's nothing else. In terms of audio, you're going to want to basically mute your TV. The in-game feuding of players is harshly redundant, and the commentary is 10x worse. The only commentary that is there is through pressbox analysis. For example, "Jones on the carry for 5 yards." The music is almost non-existent in the game, except for on kick-offs, when you are constantly greeted with the annoyance of "Click Click Boom" by POD for about 5 seconds. It's unacceptable in modern gaming. Let's leave it at that.
Gameplay:
Read the concept section of this review. I covered it all there. The game just fails on so many levels, and only runs well in terms of graphical smoothness.
Overall Opinion:
I expected very little from "Backbreaker" and was greeted with worse than I had anticipated. The controls are unresponsive, the sounds are annoying, the game lacks basically any new game modes except Tackle Alley, and it's simply not going to keep you entertained for long...if it does at all. Unless you find it for $5 or less, don't even bother. It's not worth it.
The Good:
Smooth gameplay; Unique visuals; Tackle Alley is fun
The Bad:
Everything else