Mutant Football League 2

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Do you prefer your American football with a little more… fantasy action? Well, you’re in luck, because Mutant Football League 2 is out now! Can developer Digital Dreams Entertainment score a touchdown with this hard-hitting sequel? Or should these marauding monsters be given a penalty? Let’s take a look, as we review the PlayStation 5 version! The game is also available on Xbox Series X|S and PC, and is priced at £24.99.

Huddle Up, It’s Time To Get Violent!

Two players flee from a lavaworm erupting from the ground. — RUUUUUN!

Mutant Football League 2 isn’t a game that tries to capture the sport as realistically as possible. This is an 8-on-8 arcade experience, full of brutal, yet humorous, action. Each of the 35 available teams are parodies of real-life teams, such as the Cracksumskull Jugulars or the Killadelphia Evils. No prizes for guessing which teams they’re spoofing, but there are some amusing names nonetheless! Even some player names poke fun at real pros, although don’t expect to see any likenesses amongst all these zombies, orcs, and other mutants!

The available game modes are mostly what you’d expect in a sports title. There’s quick play and online options, as well as practice and training. Mayhem Bowl lets you experience all the fanfare of the Galaxy’s biggest game, much akin to the Super Bowl. Season sees you create a team or pick from one of the pre-existing ones to play through a 17-game season.

Dynasty Deathmatch

Perhaps the biggest draw, however, is Dynasty Supreme. This mode sees you running a team in an attempt to make it to the Mayhem Bowl. Again, you’re able to create your own team in this mode, which comes with a plethora of customisation options. From designing your arena to the colours of your kit, it isn’t super in-depth, but still a welcome addition. Once you’re ready to go, you’re given a set of objectives to aim to complete within three seasons, then it’s time to draft your team!

From there you’ll compete against other teams, but you’ll also need to manage your budget and roster. Every week you can attempt a player trade or sign a free agent. Players come in the form of cards, à la Ultimate Team. But, before you dismay at the mere thought of microtransactions, fear not, as there’s none of that nonsense here!

Two teams await selection in the menu screen. — I applaud the team pun names!

Players earn XP as they compete, letting you increase stats such as throwing range and toughness. They also have their own individual goals to upgrade them to All-Pro, objectives such as a set number of kills or points scored in a single game. Finally, there’s SkillRoids. These enhance certain abilities to make players equipped with them into unstoppable juggernauts. SkillRoids include boosts such as becoming unblockable, instantly taking a defender out of play, and so on.

There’s a good amount of options to play around with here. And, whilst it’s an enjoyable mode, it is let down somewhat by the no-frills, visually basic menus you’ll be trawling through. Still, this is the mode I came back to most, and despite not much changing between each season, it was still fun to play through.

Gameplay

An overhead view of the attacking teams routes as the play begins. — Go long!

But what about the actual gameplay? Well, if you’ve played an American football game before, then you’ll know what to expect. This is an arcade game through and through, so don’t expect any Madden NFL levels of simulation or even physics. Nothing requires a complex input of buttons to pull off, which makes it great to just pick up and play. Players are agile, making it simple to spin and juke your way around the opposition, or tackle them to the ground. That said, gameplay doesn’t always feel fluid, in particular when you opt to throw the ball. Hitboxes, both here, and when playing defensively, feel slightly off, causing frustration when you swear you’d just made the perfect play.

With this being the Mutant Football League, the rules are somewhat lax when it comes to… well, pretty much everything. “Dirty Tricks” can be employed, like bribing the ref or unloading a shotgun into opposing players, and several other fun interactions. Sure, it can make things imbalanced, but greasing up the ball and seeing consistent fumbles for a few minutes always got a smile out of me. Then there are the various traps and hazards littered throughout each arena. Or, just keep it simple and beat someone to death. Yes, death is a factor in matches. Once a player is bumped off, they’re out of play for the rest of the game. It’s silly, yet fun, and absolute chaos!

Graphics & Audio

The quaterback prepares to throw the ball to a teammate. — Moments before the violence begins…

Considering this is a 2025 release on the PlayStation 5, I was a little underwhelmed by the graphics on display. Many textures look simplistic and fuzzy, with both arenas and player models suffering from being a bit low-quality. Animations do look rough on occasions and since they’re scripted, you won’t see any unique, gnarly-looking takedowns.

Despite this, it’s hard to fault just how stylish the game is. The fantasy elements really shine thanks to the vivid colour schemes and outlandish-looking team members. The stadiums themselves are perhaps the most interesting, packed full of weird and wonderful fans and brimming with personality. Each one is a battlefield littered with hazards such as spinning blades and fire erupting from the ground.

Commentary during matches can be genuinely laugh-out-loud funny. The unfortunate issue is that there just isn’t enough of it! You’ll very quickly hear the same lines spoken by the announcers over and over again. It’s a shame there weren’t more lines written, as what’s here is really quite good. Besides the commentary, you’ve got some generic music that plays in the menus. Whilst none of these will stick in your head and have you humming along, it’s a serviceable soundtrack.

Longevity

The players team huddle together, with three options for their next play appearing at the top of the screen. — “Up The Gut” is genuinely the worst name for a play I’ve ever heard.

As with any sports game, the longevity boils down to how long it keeps you entertained. You can replay any of the modes endlessly, and it never took me too long to find an online game to jump into. With both quick, one-game matches, or longer, multi-season modes on offer, there’s a great range of options whether you’re wanting to just play a quick match, or get deep into the stats of a team and dominate a season.

Final Thoughts

Mutant Football League 2 is largely a fun time. Some underwhelming presentation and graphical issues aside, this is a fun, easy to pick up arcade football title that plays fast and loose with the rules of the sport. Even if you have only a fleeting interest in American football, chances are you’ll still get a kick out of all the explosive, anarchic mayhem on the pitch.

So, with all that said and done, Mutant Football League 2 gets a Thumb Culture Silver Award!