PS3 Review - Backbreaker

The controls are completely different than other football titles on the market. It will definitely take some time to adjust to them, mainly the passing. Rather than pushing a button to pass to a receiver, the right analog stick is used to deliver a pass. After a while, you do get used to the controls, however, the problem is that sometimes they feel a bit over-sensitive. This can lead to overthrown passes in clutch situations. But then again some of those passes also stem from the quarterback’s feet not being set, throwing off his back foot, etc. again, adding to the realism.

If you are turned off by the thought of playing with mainly the analog stick there is something you should take into consideration. When Tony Hawk first came to the market it used face buttons for years, and was the king of skateboarding games, that is until Skate came along. The new controls offered by the new title revolutionized the genre. This in turn forced Tony Hawk to go back to the drawing boards and essentially reinvent themselves. Madden football games have pretty much been sticking to their bread and butter for years. Backbreaker is the football version of Skate, it’s here to shake things up.

The camera and viewing options draw similarities to Madden’s Superstar mode. It has a much closer vantage point when taking the snap from the quarterback position. While this doesn’t allow for you to see the entire field, it does offer a more realistic feeling as if you are the quarterback yourself. To see which receiver is open you have to scan the field and make sure you know exactly where the defensive players are located, because one wrong placed pass will easily result in an interception. Also for those that are fans of dropping back 15 yards and throwing the ball deep to a receiver that will automatically catch it. It doesn’t work that way in Backbreaker, this will once again result in a terrible throw. The runningback position is set up the same way with the camera directly above your player. Running around in the backfield trying to make too many cuts will get you nothing but negative yards. One must adapt to have a more realistic approach to the game, make one cut and hit the hole with the runningback. This will result in positive yardage as long as your linemen do some form of blocking.

The game works well for what it is trying to accomplish, and that is to really make you feel as though you are right there on the field, standing in the players cleats. Those that are trying to get this as a replacement for Madden will be sorely disappointed. While they are both the same sport in the football genre, they are two completely different titles. However, for football fanatics looking to try something that takes a totally different approach than Madden, they should definitely give Backbreaker a chance.