After a week on the demo circuits, 505 Games’ attempt at tackling the Goliath that is the Madden franchise is now available in stores for the Xbox 360 and PS3. Alongside the release, 505 Games dropped a new trailer detailing all the game modes included in Backbreaker:

Training Camp: Though the game mechanics are a little less complex than Madden, playing Backbreaker is a unique experience. Training camp helps ease the transition and explains the finer points of running, passing, and defense.

Exhibition: You know the drill. Choose from one of the 60 default teams or customize your own and play in either single-player or split-screen mode.

Season: Season mode is the more traditional League game type, offering players the chance to choose from an 8, 16, or 32-team league in a format similar to Madden’s Franchise Mode.

Road to Backbreaker: 505 Games has switched up the expected League format by bringing in an interesting element to American football that has been used for years in European soccer: relegation. Players begin with their team in the lowest league which consists of 8 teams. As they move up the ranks to being the best team in the league, they are given the opportunity at the end of the season to move to a higher division through a game against that division’s worst team. This process continues until your team is at the top of the pile in Backbreaker’s premiere 32-team league. This game mode should add an element of urgency to every season, especially those which put you up against a rising team trying to take you down a notch.

Tackle Alley: Not mentioned in the trailer, this mode is essentially a mini-game. In Tackle Alley, it’s one player versus a whole team as you cut, juke, and stiffarm your way to the end-zone. You can also play with a friend, with one player on offense and the other manning the squad of defenders.

Besides the gameplay modes, Backbreaker’s latest trailer also focuses on creating custom teams. Using a similar customization engine to the Forza Motorsport franchise, team logos are only limited by a player’s imagination. According to the developers, every logo from the 60 teams included with the game was created from the engine and posts on the official Backbreaker forums are already showing some impressive results.

I’m looking forward to seeing what the Backbreaker community comes up with from the customization engine and also what lies ahead for a non-NFL licensed football game. 2k Sports was unable to survive the shift with All-Pro Football 2K8, but Backbreaker offers enough additional elements that it may actually have a shot to coexist with Madden.

-NB