Video Game Review – Canadian Football 2017

Video Game Review – Canadian Football 2017

Published: Tuesday, Jul 25th 2017, 4:07pm

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always dreamed of playing a Canadian Football Rules football game on a console. So much so, that I used to make my own rules out of NCAA Football, while playing with friends. We would punt on 3^rd down, must back out of the “No Yards” space, and much more. Sometimes we even went so far as to take a couple of offside calls when it came time to kick a FG, so the distance was accurate for CFL rules. Thanks to Canuck Play, I no longer need to change the rules of an American Rules football game, to fit my love of Canadian Football. On Wednesday, July 26^th, Canadian Football 2017 launches on Xbox One and PC (via Steam).

Thanks to Canuck Play, I got a chance to download the game a few days early, to review the game ahead of launch. After a few hours of gameplay, here’s my review.

Game Play

If you go in to this expecting Madden 2017 level quality, you are going to be disappointed. This is a game designed by 2 people at an Indie Studio on a budget. They don’t have the money that EA Sports does, to put a title together. What they do have, is an owner who loves Canadian Football and made it his life’s goal to get a Canadian Rules football game to console.

If you go into this game, expecting to be able to play a game that has the waggle, no fair catches, rouges, and everything else you love about the CFL, with an understanding of the above budget constraints, you will enjoy this game.

There is something oddly satisfying about punting the ball, seeing it soar over a returners head and into the end zone, and seeing a single point added to the score board. Unfortunately, during my games, I didn’t get an opportunity to perform a kick out, but you can bet that will be high on my list of plays to make if the opportunity arises.

The waggle is fun, and easy to master. Pass catching leaves something to be desired, and the overall game controls take some getting used to, but overall, it’s a pretty simple, fun game to play.

Here are a view short clips and pictures of some game play that I took:

Videos:

Pictures:

Game Modes

For the 2017 version of this game, the only option is a single game mode. All games are played at a field that looks oddly familiar to Rider Nation (Mosaic Stadium), with 9 teams from the 9 cities that currently host CFL teams. Due to licensing issues, you can’t be the Saskatchewan Roughriders or Ottawa REDBLACKS. But instead, you can be the Saskatchewan Knights or the Ottawa Lumberjacks.

Value

In a time when most released console games are between $60 and $80, Canadian Football 2017 comes in at a price point that matches the game itself. For $15USD, you will get the opportunity to play Canadian rules football. If you buy the game on PC, you can edit the files included to allow for CFL logos/rosters. While Canuck Play likely doesn’t endorse doing so, I imagine it won’t be long after release that someone has the files done to allow this. Being able to play as the Saskatchewan Roughriders or Edmonton Eskimos may add some value to those that are on the fence. This option is not yet available for Xbox One, though if the market is there on this game, it may be included in future versions.

Download Options

This game is only available on Xbox One and PC. It can be found (on release day) in the Xbox One Store as a Direct Download option, and for PC on Steam. If you have any questions on how to download this game, don’t hesitate to send Canuck Play a message on Facebook (Canuck Play Inc.) or Twitter (@CanuckGS).

Verdict

In the end, this is not the best football game on the market, but it is a decent first iteration of a Canadian rules football game. If you go in to it with the expectation of value for your money, you will easily get $15USD worth of enjoyment out of this game. If, like me, you have always dreamed of playing a Canadian Rules football game on console, this is your chance.

I hope people put their money where their mouth is, because the only way this game gets better, is if people get out and buy the first copy. Show the CFL that the market is there, and perhaps we will see an official CFL title before too long.