Blood Bowl 3 Review (PC)

Rushing gives a player exactly two extra spaces of potential movement, which is often the difference between a touchdown and a good run down the field interrupted by a Skaven using a Blitz move. A player normally has to roll over two to make the check required for this move. It sounds like a risk that’s mostly going to pay off.

But these fantasy players fail to rush with alarming frequency. They trip on their first extra movement. They use up re-rolls and then trip on the second one. The ball goes flying randomly. Opponent coaches chuckle and think of how to exploit the situation.

Failure leads to turnovers. Turnovers generate excitement. Now let’s see if my Imperial runner can push himself to get the touchdown. He also has to execute two dodges along the way. I have two re-rolls to work with.

Blood Bowl 3 is developed by Cyanide Studio, with publishing handled by Nacon. I played it on Steam on the PC. It is also offered on the PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series X and S, the Nintendo Switch, and older platforms from Microsoft and Sony. This is a very faithful adaptation of the classic Games Workshop board game.

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The premise is that the races of classic Warhammer fantasy have all become enamored with a sport that combines the general rules of American football with a penchant for massive violence when the opportunity presents itself.

They compete in tournaments, some players become big stars and a whole ecosystem develops around tournaments. Players will create their own teams to lead toward victory. The launch faction roster features Humans, Imperial Nobility, Old World Alliance, classic Orcs, Black Orcs, Elven Union, Dark Elves, Dwarves, Skaven, Chaos Chosen, Chaos Renegades, and Nurgle.

When players create a team, they get a star rating that shows how hard it is to play them and some info about their preferred style. More detail would have helped, especially when it comes to initial player selection. Plenty of customization options are offered, allowing each team to feel unique.

Blood Bowl 3 offers a good tutorial, teaching players about the core elements, like blitzing, blocking, passing, dice rolls, and injuries. The single-player then offers a series of bespoke tournaments, centered around a capable team led by a superstar, allowing anyone to test skills and gain a deeper understanding of the mechanics.

Because this is a Warhammer fantasy alternate reality, scoring a touchdown is hard to do without violence. The level depends on team selection and player strategy. The Elven Union can reach its objective with grace, quick running, dodges, and good passing. But even they have to block a few opposition linesmen or blitz ball runners at times.

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Meanwhile, Orcs find it hard to pass but are well-equipped to put half of them out with injuries before halftime, then rack up points. All actions are linked to the roll of a six-faced die. Player tactics and choices can maximize the chance that their team will actually do what’s expected of them but there are no guarantees.

When a six is the result, everything is OK and a player can do no wrong. If the die lands on one, then it’s time to accept the inevitable or spend a re-roll and hope for the best. Failing any action leads to an immediate turnover, giving the other team an opportunity to gain the upper hand. The lesson here is to always execute lower-risk actions first and hope that the dice gods are benevolent.

Player traits, field conditions, and auxiliary team choices add extra options and complexity. Pick up re-rolls before anything else. Blood Bowl 3 matches are fast, fun, and surprising. Plans constantly get derailed, players do unexpected things, and dice rolls never go exactly how they should.

But the game has technical issues. Matches lockup on computer turns or the server connection fails and it’s impossible to complete them. The developers have already delivered one major patch but the community is still reporting problems.

These kinds of issues also affect the multiplayer tournaments that are at the heart of the franchise. Blood Bowl 3 gives fans a lot of tools to create competitions or engage in quick friendly matches. But their quality matters little if the game’s not stable.

The community’s stance on the game will also depend on how the Blood Pass concept works out. Every three months, the game will get a 50-tier battle pass, with the final reward being a new faction to use. Gamers can pay to get all the rewards and the new team immediately. They can also play through the Blood Pass, getting the faction when they reach level 50 and some of the other rewards.

Blood Bowl 3 is a good-looking game and aims to bring the weird Warhammer fantasy world to life using as much detail as possible. All the featured characters are good-looking little weirdos, even the ones that look reliably human, and there are plenty of customization options for teams. They might be only collections of stats and dice but they are treated like superstars.

The user interface takes a little time to fully figure out but works well, although players should constantly check to make sure they click on the right die when presented with a choice. The sounds of contact between players suggest the right amount of broken teeth and bones but the commentary track requires more banter. The soundtrack works hard to emphasize the over-the-top nature of the entire spectacle.

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The Good

The Bad

Conclusion