Blood Bowl 2

The game may not immediately show its appeal but once you get into the meat of the experience you may find yourself enamoured by this brutal fantasy sport and gaining a newfound appreciation of turn-based strategy games.

73%Game Brain Score

graphics, gameplay

stability, grinding

78% User Score Based on 4,669 reviews

Critic Score 68%Based on 26 reviews

Platforms

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About

Blood Bowl 2 smashes Warhammer and American football together, in an explosive cocktail of turn-based strategy, humour and brutality, adapted from Games Workshop's famous boardgame. The Legendary Edition contains all the official races from the Blood Bowl board game, including the sly Goblins, as well as a brand new race, the Kislev Circus and their ferocious Tame Bears! Experience new game modes …

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,695 reviews

graphics170 positive mentions

stability48 negative mentions

Best version of Blood Bowl to date, with great graphics and gameplay.
Fun and engaging multiplayer experience, especially in leagues with friends.
Faithful adaptation of the tabletop game, capturing its humor and chaos.

RNG can be frustrating, often leading to unexpected and unfair outcomes.
AI is poorly designed, making single-player experience less enjoyable.
Long match durations and slow animations can make gameplay feel tedious.

graphics
469 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
59%
4%
The graphics in Blood Bowl 2 have received significant praise for their improvement over the original game, with many reviewers noting the vibrant art style, detailed animations, and overall visual appeal. However, some players have pointed out issues with performance on lower-end systems, occasional graphical bugs, and a lack of extensive customization options. While the visuals are generally considered a strong point, opinions vary on whether they compensate for other gameplay shortcomings.
- “The graphics are beautiful, the game comes chock full of lore just for the Blood Bowl universe, and Bob and Jim, the announcers, are fun to listen to.”
- “The graphics are gorgeous, and the backgrounds and stadiums are well done with little 'attention to detail' touches in every arena.”
- “The graphics are a massive improvement; it is absolutely gorgeous in comparison to the graphics of the rather aging Blood Bowl 1.”
- “Buggy, clunky, poor graphics and asset optimisation make this game perform poorly.”
- “The graphics are the same or even worse as the old game, the font and size is almost unreadable, the game doesn't remember the camera setting after each cutscene, and it's hard to see which character is which one.”
- “The graphics options are practically non-existent as well, simply choosing from low to very high with no advanced options at all.”
gameplay
419 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
65%
8%
The gameplay of this title is a mix of strategic turn-based mechanics and RNG elements, heavily influenced by its tabletop origins. While many players appreciate the depth and tactical nature of the game, frustrations arise from the punishing dice mechanics and the turnover system, which can feel unfair and disrupt the flow of play. Overall, the game offers a fun core experience, but its reliance on chance and some clunky UI elements can detract from the enjoyment, especially for newcomers.
- “Core gameplay is really fun.”
- “Good gameplay, easy to learn system, fun setting, great humor.”
- “The gameplay is deep and complex but also RNG reliant with a large amount of the gameplay centering around risk mitigation and opportunity capitalization.”
- “The UI/UX is not especially intuitive and the gameplay is unforgiving.”
- “The turnover mechanic is introduced about 1/3rd into the campaign, but it's the most important (and annoying) mechanic in the game.”
- “The gameplay is frustrating and gratifying in almost equal measures.”
humor
154 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its dark, absurd, and slapstick elements, often eliciting laughter through witty commentary and unexpected mishaps during gameplay. Players enjoy the comedic interactions between characters, particularly the announcers, and find humor in the chaotic nature of dice rolls and player failures, which can lead to both frustration and hilarity. However, some reviewers note that the humor can become repetitive over time, and the reliance on luck may detract from the overall enjoyment for those seeking a more skill-based experience.
- “A really good strategy game to flex the gray matter, simple, funny, love it.”
- “The ogre cheerleaders are hilarious.”
- “The commentary is funny and good for a few laughs, but it does get redundant after a while.”
- “After playing just an hour, I got a refund because the dice rolls were so off it's just not funny.”
- “Tons of little things from the interface to the feedback to the camera that really start adding up (especially the announcers, holy crap did they become unfunny in this version).”
story
83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
63%
6%
The game's story is a mix of humor and engaging elements, primarily delivered through a campaign mode that serves as a tutorial while introducing players to the game's mechanics. While some players appreciate the entertaining commentary and quirky match events, others find the campaign's narrative lacking depth and coherence, particularly criticizing the forced use of a single team and the repetitive nature of missions. Overall, the story is seen as a fun addition, but it may not satisfy those seeking a more robust narrative experience.
- “The campaign story is well scripted and enjoyable while teaching the player the aspects of the game.”
- “The story being a bunch of orcs found an ancient ruin that turned out to be an NFL stadium and then a dwarf tried to make sense of the strange language contained in the books inside (NFL rulebooks) and proclaimed himself to be an acolyte of a new god named 'Nuffle' (NFL) whose madness swept the world.”
- “The added commentary of Jim and Bob will bring you some laughs until it starts getting repetitive, with this said, they do take a big part in the single player campaign mode which starts as a tutorial for the first couple of matches and then throws you right into a story mode.”
- “As far as the story goes, it's a little disappointing, lacking a lot of character nuance and depth.”
- “The entire single player campaign essentially serves as a thorough tutorial to introduce the player to the rules, whilst carrying a fairly barebones story with some occasional amusing game modifiers to keep things interesting.”
- “The campaign mode is a huge step backwards from the original; I preferred where I could pick my own team and lead them through a campaign rather than a single story mode.”
stability
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and stability issues, including frequent crashes, unregistered matches, and graphical glitches. Players report a clunky interface and inconsistent performance, particularly during critical moments like cutscenes and AI turns. While some enjoy the gameplay, the overall consensus is that the game feels unfinished and suffers from significant technical problems that detract from the experience.
- “Amazing tactical board game style and great community; no glitches, all around good.”
- “The game isn't as buggy as the previous one, and the campaign had some fun personality added to it.”
- “Runs great.”
- “Very buggy, a lot of games in single player are not registered and you lose all your XP from that game.”
- “The netcode is a buggy mess and you can't even play offline to begin with.”
- “Game crashes/freezes very often, on campaign and on league.”
replayability
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
43%
10%
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with features like custom leagues, diverse teams, and a tactical gameplay style that encourages repeated play. While some players note a drop in replay value after initial sessions, many highlight the game's depth and variety as key factors that keep it engaging over time. The ability to create tournaments and the balance of skill and luck further enhance its replay potential, making it a worthwhile experience for both solo and multiplayer sessions.
- “The eternal league and ability to make custom mixed teams gives you a lot of replay value.”
- “It is a smart, tactical game with unlimited replay value.”
- “In a gaming world flooded with what I call junk games that you'll play for a weekend or a week at most and then never touch again because they're so casual and shallow, you can spend years playing this game; it is incredibly rich and offers tons of replay value.”
- “Not sure how much replay value this game has.”
- “After the first game, the replayability drops sharply.”
- “League play and character development ensure long replayability; commentaries can get tedious after some replay.”
grinding
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be slow, tedious, and repetitive, often detracting from the initial enjoyment. Many reviews highlight that the need for extensive guides and the lack of strategic depth contribute to a frustrating experience, making gameplay feel like a chore rather than fun. While some appreciate the potential for long-term engagement, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grind can lead to dissatisfaction and boredom.
- “It is really tedious and makes an otherwise seemingly interesting game a chore to play, especially when you have to be careful about what options to pick.”
- “Gets incredibly tedious and repetitive after only a few hours.”
- “Overall, BB2 reminds me of the frustration and disappointment I had back when I played LOL, or other grindy free-to-play games where after investing a large amount of time in the game to achieve long-term goals, I am overall dissatisfied with the game's apparent design towards denying players anything but short-term pity laughs.”
atmosphere
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
43%
13%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive sound effects, engaging graphics, and humorous commentary, which collectively enhance the overall experience. While some players find certain elements, like voice acting and animations, to be excessive, the game's dark-humor and whimsical setting resonate well with fans of the Warhammer universe. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a strong point, contributing significantly to the enjoyment and authenticity of the gameplay.
- “The sound effects and music add to the immersive atmosphere of the game.”
- “I love the atmosphere and sound effects - it really brings the board game to life in a fun way.”
- “I love the game's graphics, atmosphere, and everything you can tell the creators put into the game to make it authentic.”
- “The wacky atmosphere of BB1 was sketched, but I felt that the rhythm was somehow off and that many voice acting and animations were mostly annoying, cluttering the game with an excess of superfluous stimuli.”
- “Please give this game to a developer who can create atmosphere and gameplay; this title really deserves better.”
- “The biggest thing that stands out with this game though, is that it has the atmosphere of 'you suck until you don't' that's typically reserved for fighting games.”
optimization
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
48%
13%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant performance issues, including lag and stuttering, even on high-end systems. While some users report smooth gameplay and improved performance compared to its predecessor, others criticize the game's poor optimization for PC, suggesting it is better suited for consoles. Technical glitches and excessive hardware demands further detract from the experience, although recent patches have shown some promise in addressing these concerns.
- “The gameplay is pretty similar to the first one, but with better performance and playability.”
- “The game looks wonderful, runs smoothly, and has a far cleaner and easier to interpret UI than Chaos Edition.”
- “Blood Bowl 2 has fixed most of the interface and optimization issues that plagued its predecessor.”
- “I'd be glad to modify my review if at least this game's performance issues (offline and online) were addressed in future updates.”
- “General performance is laggy and sluggish.”
- “Demand on hardware seems excessive for the end result, suggesting little to no optimization.”
monetization
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
38%
44%
The monetization in Blood Bowl 3 has been widely criticized as a cash grab, with many reviewers expressing disappointment over the presence of microtransactions, particularly for cosmetic items and features that were previously included in earlier games. While some players appreciate that the microtransactions are not predatory and that all content can be accessed through a more expensive edition, the overall sentiment leans towards frustration with the game's pricing strategy and the perceived lack of value compared to its predecessor.
- “All teams, no microtransactions, better readability, better single player experience with stronger AI, a good campaign, and the eternal league system.”
- “Still has the old ruleset, but access to all the official teams, non-predatory microtransactions, actually working multiplayer, and the ability to create custom teams.”
- “They've also implemented microtransactions, and the other teams should be coming as DLC; but so far the microtransactions seem to be cosmetic only.”
- “Blood Bowl 3 is a lazy, cynical cash grab.”
- “Bb3 is a broken, lazy cash grab that makes BB2 look like a masterpiece.”
- “Had I known there would also be microtransactions for simple player shirts and other features removed from previous games, I would never have bought it.”
emotional
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a mix of heartwarming and heartbreaking moments, as players experience the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, particularly when their favorite characters face dire outcomes. The game's tongue-in-cheek presentation allows players to navigate these emotional highs and lows, though frustrations with randomness and repetitive single-player content can detract from the overall experience. While the tactical gameplay can evoke strong emotional investments in team dynamics, the reliance on DLC and perceived unfairness in random number generation may leave some players feeling cheated and emotionally drained.
- “If you want a great tactical game with crazy rides in between, BB can give an amazing emotional roller-coaster.”
- “The randomness of the game causes a lot of emotional outcomes to happen.”
- “Half the fun, in my opinion, is assembling a team, naming them, and forming emotional investments in their careers.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The music in the game enhances the immersive experience, with some players praising its catchy soundtrack that lingers in their minds. However, there are criticisms regarding the sparse use of music throughout the game, suggesting it may stem from budget or time constraints. Overall, while the sound effects and music contribute positively, there is a call for a more consistent and engaging soundtrack.
- “The sound effects and music add to the immersive atmosphere of the game.”
- “Then I turn the game on and I am met with humor (done so well my girlfriend likes it), a resounding soundtrack that I find myself humming during the day, and decisions of strategy and dice that have me cheering and cursing over the course of an evening.”
- “I like the sounds as well, though after a time having music on in the background feels like the right thing to do.”
- “Finally, the lack of music throughout most of the game seems odd and makes me think it was less by choice, and more to do with budget/time constraints.”
- “(needs a decent soundtrack).”
- “Volume is the same with 3 options on 3 fixed sliders: fx music comments all going from 0 - 10.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game features in-depth character development that allows players to evolve beyond their default skills, fostering both individual and team growth throughout gameplay. The engaging art and humorous character design enhance the experience, while league play and character progression contribute to its long replayability, despite some repetitive commentary. Overall, it successfully combines character development with competitive elements, appealing to a wide range of players.
- “The game has very in-depth character development with a chance for players to grow outside their default skill set, and there is a team for everyone, even the players looking for a challenge!”
- “Character development and team development are present all throughout the game, season, and career.”
- “This is everything I searched for in a board game and video game: character development, competitions, and of course the rage when nothing goes as planned.”
- “Character development and team development are lacking throughout the game, season, and career.”
- “The game has very limited character development, making it difficult for players to grow outside their default skill set.”
- “League play and character development do not ensure long replayability, as the commentary can become tedious after a few rounds.”