Over the top for no reason other than to be over the top, Blitz: The League is this years sole console alternative to the Madden franchise. It's a familiar game, obviously a basic tweaked NFL Blitz engine. The things that cause the controversy, including fights, endzone celebrations, language, and sending escorts to the opponents hotel rooms, are pointless.
Blitz is fun though, and it always has been. This time around, the gameplay is a little tighter, and rather oddly, has a similar feel to the Playstation classic NFL Gameday '98. The playbook is small, and you'll find yourself sticking to a short set of plays for each game.
The League doesn't hold back like NFL Blitz was forced to, and as such, it has no boundaries. There are no objections to injecting painkillers into a player to get him onto the field faster, and purposely trying to cause injuries is rewarded. You can also bet on your own team to earn cash faster, whether for better training, drugs, or equipment.
While on the field play is slightly annoying, off the field antics nearly ruin the game. It's bad enough there is no standard season mode, playoffs, or a franchise (a weak story mode using a created team is all you can do aside from exhibitions). The game's attempts to earn an M rating are just stupid. The offensive/defensive coordinator letting the players on the field know he'll be gone for a second to "take a sh*t" isn't funny. It's a desperate attempt to earn the rating it was going for, and after you've heard the same line for fifth time in one game, you'll be heading to the options menu to turn him off (and you'll come away without making progress towards that goal).
All the antics that have caused some controversy with real pros and even ESPN are worse. There's no control over them. They just happen to be bland cinematics. The bar brawl used in the marketing materials is nothing more than a short segment that has all quality of the full-motion video games of old. Even the endzone celebrations (including recreations of actual NFL ones like the "cell phone in the goalpost") are repetitive and random.
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