It's been quite a while since we gave any attention to Blood Bowl. Blessed with a mixed parentage, this gridiron-like game based in a fantasy universe comes from French developers Cyanide, the creators of Chaos League. Not only could Blood Bowl be said to be Cyanide's spiritual successor to their previous sports title, it is a kind of remake of the 1995 game of the same name, and is based on a successful miniatures game from Games Workshop. With that kind of heritage, we have to expect some interesting results, and these new screens look the business.


Wood Elves versus Chaos. Will slim and speedy prevail?
The Blood Bowl board game is set in a kind of spin-off of the Warhammer fantasy universe, and this new interpretation continues that tradition. While I've never been a big fan of American football - all the stopping to chat confuses me - the addition of elves facing off against enormous rhino creatures as gore splatters around the field certainly spices things up. Eight races are available to the player - Chaos, Dwarfs, Goblins, Humans, Lizardmen, Orcs, Skavens and Wood Elves.


I'm backing big and bulky, myself.
While a faithful reproduction of the fifth edition rules appears in the turn-based game, a more dexterous real-time mode also makes an appearance. For those of you that love painting and customising your miniatures, or for those who mysteriously just like putting hats on things, you'll be pleased to learn that your team's equipment will be upgradeable, and you'll be able to personalise your little guys with different looks. This should help you stand out when you take your team online to take part in tournaments.


It seems everyone's getting slaughtered.
We've been expecting this one to make an appearance since the middle of last year, but currently it's scheduled to turn up in the second quarter. I wonder whether we'll see this one down under amongst all the NFL games that line the bargain bins, or whether the powers that be will erroneously assume the fantasy twist makes Aussies less likely to invest? If we do see it, Blood Bowl will appear on DS, PC, PSP and Xbox 360 later this year. Check out a recent collection of trailers on our mirror for the full experience!