Wild Card Football review

Testing Positive for Magic the Gathering Influences

During the late 1990s, franchises like Madden, NFL Gameday, and NFL Quarterback Club were in an impassioned rivalry to become the reigning football simulation. While this struggle for realism was unfolding, Midway Games unveiled NFL Blitz in 1997. The title mirrored the wonderfully over-the-top approach that had been so successful for them when NBA Jam was released four years earlier.

Like Jam, Blitz was everything the heavyweight simulations weren’t. This pared down version of pigskin didn’t require a comprehensive understanding of the sport. Beyond a simplified control scheme, the game also used an abridged playbook. With late hits and tackling that resembled a professional wrestling match, spectacle was elevated over any sense of realism.

Make Your Own Eagles, Reptiles, or Monitor Heads

Undoubtedly, there’s a bit of that approach in Saber Interactive’s Wild Card Football. Instead of the usual twelve player teams, Wild Card hosts seven-on seven matchups. This favors offensive opportunities like end zone streaks after a catch, and plenty of space to keep the running game dynamic.

Similarly, the game’s animations depict the kind of on-field antics that would habitually earn a penalty or ejection in professional games. But it’s all wonderfully cartoonish, with players bouncing back after a tackle that hit like a tank shell. Occasionally, the game veers far from reality, with inclusions like giant pinball bumpers or UFOs adding some complications on your way to the endzone. And yes, there’s an inventory of delightfully madcap unlockables that can outfit your team with accessories like feathers, beaks, and claws. Few things are worse that getting beaten by seven chicken-men.

But Wild Card also injects a bit more sophistication than Blitz ever did. If you are looking for a fast-paced match, the game’s suggested plays offer some decent recommendations on every down. But if you crave more granularity, Wild Card accommodates with a rather robust and even customizable playbook. Just don’t expect the game’s athletes to perform like seasoned professionals. Sporadically, players veer from their assigned routes to move toward opponents, but it’s never jarring enough to ruin the game. Underneath all the chicken suits and clotheslining, there’s a rather faithful interpretation of football going on underneath with just a few rookie missteps.

When Titans Take the Field

Largely, any minor AI blemishes are counterbalanced by the game’s collectable card mechanic. On every down you’ll be able to activate different Wild Cards that can have a momentous effect on the play. Drawing from a deck of 150 different cards, the game provides everything from simple stat advantages to turning a running back into an angry giant capable of swatting away defensemen. A mix of realism and fantasy in sport hasn’t been this enchantingly dissonant since Culture Brain’s 1990 release of Baseball Simulator 1.000

And while offensive-focused cards are gratifying to use, playing a pair of Wild Cards to lower the speed and strength during a third-and inches situation can prove just as rewarding. Beyond some cards that have a one-play delay, Wild Card Football prohibits overuse by linking card activation to enemy meter that gradually regenerates after each down. Overall, Wild Cards are powerful, injecting additional strategy into the game with teams able to double-down or catch their opponents off-guard. But their presence can slow things down a bit, given the extra layer of play-calling.  Smartly, you can opt to turn the system off if you want to keep the gridiron action frenzied.

Beyond a meaty single-player campaign, quick exposition games, and online, cross-platform matches (with both single game and long-term leagues), Wild Card’s other noteworthy component is the Dream Squad. Think Madden’s Ultimate Team mode, but without the predatory pay-for-new-packs model. Instead, you’ll earn new cards through play, earned new players, logos, uniforms, and even new Wild Cards. And while you won’t have to open your wallet unless you must own the game’s cosmetic DLC, the Dream Squad mode is grindy, as you trade in repeats for tickets that can purchase better player cards. Inflation has hit Wild Card’s world pretty hard, so you’ll have to put in hours to buy some of the best ones.

“Heating Up!”

Save for a few overlapping lines of dialog from the game’s athletes, Wild Card Football is consistently a solid performer.  Without any tinkering, the title outputs a solid sixty frames-per-second on Steam Deck. But if you need more than 90 minutes of battery life, you’ll probably want to bring down some of the settings. While the aesthetics lean toward the cartoonish, the stout, bobble-headed players and imaginatively located venues provide visual distinction. The sound design is impressive, with Saber Interactive channeling the deep bass of Blitz. The only aural imperfection is how quiet Chris Berman is most of the time. A significant portion of Midway’s success with NBA Jam and NFL Blitz was rooted in Tim Kitzrow’s excited catch phrases. Wild Card needs more of that.

The game’s other missing constituent won’t be as easy to acquire. Electronic Arts still maintains a stranglehold on NFL licensing. As such, that means there are no official teams or logos in the game. To help compensate, Saber built each of the teams around the NFL Player Association data. So, you’ll get seven-player squads led by Mahomes, Colin Kaepernick, and Hurts. Adeptly, the developer attempts to keep the spotlight on the personalities, showing the game’s athletes without helmets outside of play.

Conclusion

Layered on top of play selection, the inclusion of a stat and ability-endowing cards makes Wild Card Football a noteworthy effort. Naturally, the mixture might not be for everyone. So, if you’re merely looking for a spiritual successor to NBA Blitz or NFL Street, playing without wild cards can grow tedious before too long. But for those who appreciate deck management as much as on-field action, Wild Card Football‘s rookie season undoubtedly shows potential.

Wild Card Football was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.