The animations - which should have bought the game to life - are flat, making your squad look as rigid as the pewter figurines that inspired it.Īudio effects do nothing to aid the stilted “action”. To make matters worse, the loss of these physical elements are not made up for in the move to the digital format. While these stats are available in menus, it just isn't the same as combing through a rulebook. This makes it hard to plan future moves because you are never certain of what specific characters can do.

The other odd upshot of this is that, with the game taking care of each of your player's abilities, you lose track of why things are happening. The tactile nature of the board - with the inevitable arguments about distances, dice rolls, and the subtleties of the rules - lost in favor of convenience. This streamlining makes the game feel sterile. This makes Blood Bowl seem incredibly unfair, with you being repeatedly cut down and losing possession for seemingly no reason.

While in the original game each roll would be a tense moment, here it is automatically dealt with under the surface.

Player's success is dependent on a selection of dice throws. You can have them run, throw, catch, or tackle, with your go only ending when the timer runs out or you lose possession. A single turn may see you controlling any number of your 11 players. After setting your squad's formation, tapping on the desired player selects them, while another tap has them execute the desire action. Tap, tap, thwakīlood Bowl's interface is quite straightforward. Unfortunately, there is a downside to this, with the loss of its tangible nature making it far blander. Blood Bowl's need for counters, dice, and player charts, makes having it on a iPad a cleaner and faster experience that can be played anywhere.

Turning any tabletop game into an electronic experience comes with advantages and pitfalls. With the option to battle people both online and locally on a single tablet, it is only by playing with friends that you can unlock Blood Bowl's full - if limited - potential. Despite offering a single player season and exhibition matches, there is a clear focus on the multiplayer.

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