Are you ready for some cards with your football?
Madden has dominated the virtual gridiron for decades at this point much to my chagrin. I loved the 2K football series and felt it was superiority in virtually every way, alas since it has gone the way of the ‘Dodo’ I only really play football games when I have to review them. What has truly been missing from the pigskin video games is a more arcade option like NFL Blitz or NFL Street, well I am happy to say that Wild Card Football is here and scratches that arcade football itch to almost perfection.
Wild Card Football is a new American football game from Saber Interactive and Playground sports who also worked their arcade magic with the NBA Playground series. Gameplay is done thru 7 on 7 with teams comprised of some of the best players in the league today and yesteryear. Since the game is partnered with the NFLPA instead of the league proper it allows for the use of the players but not the teams. Which enables players to customize quite a bit in game when they create their teams. There are various uniforms, logos, stadiums and of course players that can be unlocked.
MSRP: $39.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $39.99
When unlocking these extra goodies players will receive what is basically loot boxes that are earned in game and cannot be purchased with real money. These boxes come in various rarities from Common to Legendary with each being more likely to offer up the best loot. But its not just the cosmetics that players will find in these boxes, no players will also collect the titular Wildcards from these boxes and as I am about to explain, these little babies are gamechangers. (pun intended)
For the most part Wild Card Football plays just like every other football game, players will lineup on defense or offense, choosing plays in order to score touchdowns or field goals. All the usual rules apply such as pass interference and the like, this isn’t like Blitz where late hits and injuries are king but a more family friendly, easy to approach version of the game. The wild card mechanic can literally change how each drive unfolds, much like CCG like Hearthstone or Legends of Runeterra at the start of each down players are given 10 mana (it’s not called that but it’s basically mana). This can be spent to play cards before each snap with each card having a mana cost to play. These cards can do simple things like improve the strength stat of your team, making it more difficult for them to be brought down by a tackle, another card can allow your running backs and wide outs to move like a rocket complete with smoke kicking up behind them.
Some of the rarer cards do some spectacular stuff like cause tar pits to appear on the field making it difficult for the offense, or summon some alien flying saucers to beam up some defensemen. Both sides of the field get the opportunity to use cards and it’s possible to cancel the effects of opponents’ cards, nothing sweeter than someone uses the rocket card to buff their speed when I play a negate card to cancel all buffs. Wild Card Football has nailed the sweet spot of playing a game of football and adding another layer of strategy with the cards; I always felt like I was thinking and planning during each game.
My only real complaints about Wild Card Football are really in the content that is provided. The game is coming out at a budget friendly price which is nice, but with only an exhibition, season and a multiplayer only Dream Team mode there isn’t a lot here to keep folks busy. The season mode is nowhere near as deep as the simulation style games but was enjoyable all the same, I wasn’t able to try out the Dream Team mode as the game isn’t live just yet so there were no multiplayer opponents to play against but this mode will allow players to build the team of their dreams with all sorts of players and take them up against live opponents online.
Wild Card Football has pleasantly surprised me I must say, I was already intrigued with its blend of strategic card games and the game of football. But to finally play it and see that the card game doesn’t detract from the football game but instead enhances it and makes it something totally new and fun to play. The on-field action is quite solid as well, not as accurate as Madden and not the rules free slam fest that is NFL Blitz. But the play calling is tight, and easy to understand with a handful of runs, passes, trick and defense plays to choose from. Anyone who is burnt out with the simulation style football games should check out Wild Card as it’s a blast to play.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
