Mutant Football League 2 Review
I Went To A Horror Movie And A Football Game Broke Out
HIGH Stylish presentation. Great use of on-field traps and weapons.
LOW Repetitive commentary. Jokes that punch down.
WTF New meaning to a “shotgun” play
Many consider American Football a brutal sport due to the injuries athletes often incur, but Mutant Football 2 figures it’s not brutal enough and ups the ante by adding death traps, weapons, and the ability to drop elbows on a prone player.
On its surface, Mutant Football League 2 is an arcade-heavy version of something similar to Axis Football or the Madden series. On the field, one calls plays and takes direct control of individual players to pass the ball, spin, juke, tackle, and so on. However, it begins to differentiate itself from other ‘realistic’ titles immediately as teams are comprised of mutants, skeletons, and zombies and the field is littered with spikes, pits, sandworms, and other hazards that can injure or kill friend and foe alike.
While standard scoring rules apply (6 points for a touchdown, 3 for a field goal, etc.) games can be won if a team can kill enough of the opposing players to prevent them from fielding a full team, allowing the potential for less-skilled teams to snatch victory from the (sometimes literal) jaws of defeat by focusing on violence and chaos rather than football strategy. To that end, teams may employ “Dirty Tricks” plays ranging from throwing a razor-sharp ball through defenders, switching a ball out for a bomb to wipe opponents out, or a shotgun formation — literally — where the quarterback can exact revenge for all those late hits and roughing-the-passer calls.
Mutant Football League 2 plays differently from standard football in a few other ways, as well. Trying to use standard tactics such as a three-step drop for the quarterback is a good way to get him injured or killed. Even on easier settings, AI defenders are able to pressure and sack with relative ease if the quarterback isn’t retreating. Additionally, tackling a superstar player with a standard defender is basically futile. As such, preventing the other team from scoring feels more like an exercise in managing dirty tricks (each team is only granted a few per half) to cause turnovers rather than merely trying to stop the offense from gaining yards. Once I understood how MFL2 wanted me to play, it became much easier and the wins started racking up.
In terms of presentation, the player models and fields look great and the animations are generally fluid, although there isn’t a ton of variety in how players move. Unfortunately, just like the Philadelphia Eagles season last year, Mutant Football League 2 disappoints more often than it thrills.
Immediately after fielding my very first kickoff return, I saw the entire defense shift as a coordinated unit to follow my receiver’s every move. Granted, MLF2 is more arcade than simulation, but this level of obvious input reading is a letdown.
Then come the bugs and glitches. I’m not expecting a flawless experience, but I do expect that when I kick the ball through the uprights that it registers as successful. Being cheated out of obvious points is bad, but the most egregious experience was when I was finally able to play an online match (speaking of which, live players are few and far between) During our game, I was set to receive a kickoff when the ball sailed past me into the end zone and sat there, meaning it should have been a touchback. However, the ball continued to sit in the end zone apparently waiting for me. When I tried to pick it up, nothing happened and the other team was awarded a touchdown. When I asked my opponent what he saw, he said the ball bounced off my player and rolled, so he followed, scooped up the ball, and scored. Neither of us saw what the other experienced.
Then, there’s the commentary. First, it’s repetitive. I heard the same “What’s the kicker?” joke dozens of times, and no joke in the script is funny enough to hear multiple times during the same game. In fact, many are downright offensive – a comment about DEI hires, a crack at Melissa Etheridge, and a comment about immigration were notable. Even if one believes “they’re just jokes,” they are tremendously out of place here, and frankly, punching down is appalling.
It’s really a shame, as these persistent issues bring the overall experience down significantly. I’d like to praise the Mutant Football League 2 for the innovative season and franchise modes, but the negatives far outweigh any enjoyment I got out of smashing skeletons and bribing referees to overturn opponent touchdowns and big plays.
In a mechanical sense, there are aspects to enjoy in Mutant Football League 2. However, it’s hard to recommend thanks to its offensive humor, irritating bugs and glitches, and near-nonexistent multiplayer experience.
Rating: 3.5 out of 10
Disclosures: This game is developed and published by Digital Dreams Entertainment. It is currently available on XBX/S, PS5, and PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the XBX. Approximately 14 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed. 1 hour of play was spent in multiplayer modes
Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated M and contains Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Violence. The official description reads: This is a sports-action game in which players engage in arcade-style games of football with monsters and mutants. In addition to calling plays and assigning skills, players can use a variety of attacks to kill their opponent’s team members. Characters can stomp on opponents after tackling them, and use weapons to bludgeon or shoot opponents. Gameplay contains frequent splashes of blood, as well as decapitations/dismemberments with certain weapons. In-game commentary contains frequent instances of mature humor, sometimes suggestive/sexual in nature. The words “f**k,” “sh*t,” appear frequently.
Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game only offers subtitles when players or the referee are speaking, as their dialogue is “monster gibberish” otherwise. All dialogue by the announcer team is voice only, there are no subtitles. The subtitles cannot be altered and/or resized. This game is not fully accessible.
Remappable Controls: No, this game’s controls are not remappable.
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