Mutant Football League

Devs, if you are listening... I hope you endeavour to make us a Mutant Hockey League game, hopefully in the not too distant future... at least before I am dead!
oh... and MFL is great fun!!!

This is a spectacular sports game, comedy game, and strategy game. There’s a lot more going on here than meets the eye; so much so, that I think referring to Mutant Football League as only an arcade-style football game is an underselling of its quality. I will absolutely be picking up the sequel when it fully launches. And even though it’s well on the way, I wouldn’t shy away from recommending this to any American football fan.
I picked up Mutant Football League a few times to just play a game or two without fully getting it. The most recent time I tried it though, I got addicted and blitzed through two whole seasons of the Dynasty mode in just a few days.
MFL has all the staples of the arcade-style football game. Reduced player count, funny voiceovers, excessive violence, and simplified controls. The reduced player count let’s the game flow well, and keeps scoring high. Funny voiceovers are plentiful, and although some will be repeated very often, it’s nice there’s some unique ones for the “Mayhem Bowl” among other rare occurrences. There’s a wide collection of tackle animations that don't stale. And simplified controls enhance decision-making as a key factor, as opposed to button complexity. It feels great, and takes virtually no time to learn the basics. All of these things are implemented well, and if that was all this game had to offer, it would still be recommendable, but there’s other things going on and they add substantial enjoyment to the game.
It might take a while, but eventually you’ll learn that each character type (deadheads, bruiserbots, aliens, etc.) has its own strengths, and that some of their strengths might be more valuable at certain position types. This isn’t really relevant in play mode, but it is in dynasty.
The stadiums are also really cool! Each stadium has unique hazards, and learning how to play around them will not only greatly enhance your fun, but also can add strategic depth to the gameplay. Tactically running over a mine to kill more opponent players than you? Picking a play which forces a receiver to run his route just on the other side of a lava pit? These are enjoyable and depth enhancing features!
Another fun thing is the dirty trick system. Initially, the plays seem like low-strategy free TD’s. But there’s other stuff going on here. Did you turn the ball over in your own half? Great, time to run a low risk QB-attack. Are your opponent’s linebashers and safeties their biggest threat? Hot potato, cya! The ref has been bribed? What’s the appropriate response, killing him or re-bribing him yourself? These decisions do matter and learning that is an extremely satisfying part of the game.
The limitation is that each team has their own dirty tricks, and there’s no way to mix and match, even when some would synergize with your team maybe better than others. Although some combinations are pretty thematically appropriate.
This customization more generally is the game’s biggest missing piece. Creating a stadium (even if just the field only) would pump this game to a completely new level! Having a player creator/editor or a team creator/editor would be unbelievable! These two features are on my wishlist for the sequel, and based on the store page description, sounds like they will be part of it!
Other minor shortcomings are: not being able to directional-switch player pre-snap, no button to control player facing direction, limited player/GM decisions in dynasty mode, and a difficulty curve that I think isn’t quite right, as well as a cpu-intelligence based on ‘conventional’ American football decision making, as opposed to today’s more analytics-oriented one (i.e. cpu 4th down decisions don’t seem well informed).
But unexpected positives, besides those already listed are: a good suite of settings for gameplay (no dirty tricks, karnage options, quarter lengths, etc.) the ability to have cpu-vs-cpu games (fun for betting with friends), a pretty killer soundtrack, and just so many puns and great write-ups on teams.
Really pleased with this, and I think that arcade sports fans have much to love, but more traditional sports fans can find some real compelling gameplay here, and will definitely enjoy this against the cpu, or also with friends.
8/10

This is such a fun game and the commentary is hilarious. I would much rather play this than Madden any day! It has good graphic and the game play is fun and addictive. The names of the teams and players are a riot and it just makes you want to keep playing. Hands down one of the best football games out right now IMO. If you like playing football games and want to step out side the norm...check it out!

Great game, this reboot of the 90's cult classic is what I needed. If you haven't played the 90's version but a fan of nfl blitz then I highly recommend grabbing this.

Help this game is addicting.

Mutant Football League is a successor to an old brutal Football game on the Sega Genesis Mutant League Football. Essentially it's kind of like NFL Blitz and Bloodbowl combined, but with it's own emphasis on zaniness, over the top crosses the line twice humor, with a surprising amount of depth and strategy.

The team parody names and commentary amuse me quite a bit, not to mention the play on words with a lot of stuff going on, even if it leans into that aforementioned humor style.

If you want over the top insane, brutal football, you can't go wrong with this game. I'm currently trying Dynasty mode and it's nuts how far behind you start before you start leveling up your guys.

Best part? I can make the Cardinals a dynasty, unfortunately no Kurt Warner parody QB, but hey the ones here are hilarious as is.

Think of it as an NFL Blitz game. Checks all those boxes, and adds a little more chaos.

I love this game. It is the perfect parody of the NFL. Humor, entertainment, and violence rolled into one.