When Midway sought to revive its long dormant Blitz franchise a few years back, some people were skeptical. When they decided to make a sequel for the current generation of consoles, it didn't get a lot of buzz, especially since Blitz: The League was a middle-of-the-road game. However, anyone thinking that Blitz: the League II is more of the same is only partially right. Perhaps it's a bit coincidental to describe it this way, but Blitz II is the first Blitz game, except on steroids.

The beef of the game is its Franchise mode, which contains the game's story. The story starts off with a big opening cutscene featuring a game between the New York Nightmare and Los Angeles Riot and centers around the first game's antagonist, Nightmare linebacker Quentin Sands. However, that ends briefly as we are quickly introduced to the second game's character, a young college football star who is about to make his mark as the league's first two-way player in quite some time. According to the Blitz series timeline, this practice was banned during the 1960s by owners who were concerned about the health of their players from the brutality of the game. Considering the number of players who have dropped dead on the field during the series' entire timeline, I can't say I blame them for it.

However, there's a ton of politicking going on behind the scenes. The Commissioner, who owns a huge stake in the upstart Riot franchise, has maneuvered his way into position to draft the young sensation. However, he completely rebuffs the idea of playing for the Riot, instead choosing to play for his hometown team.

Following this, we're treated to a press conference, where you determine your character's name, his position, and what attributes he'll start out with bonuses in by answering questions from the press. It's an interesting way to customize a player's starting attributes, and if you're not happy or change your mind, you can restart the whole process. After the press conference, you get to design your team by picking from a number of pre-selected cities/locations, logos and uniform styles. Though it's perhaps not as in-depth as what you might be used to with Madden, there are far, far more options to creating a team that's as unique as you want it to be.

From there, it's on to the field as the league's newest star and his squad try to rise up through the ranks, from Division 3 up to Division 1, The League. Along the way, you'll be able to train your team to improve their stats, upgrade the training facilities and equipment, and turn your team from chumps to champs. Your character also picks up sponsorships, which give bonuses for the whole team, and girlfriends, who can bring certain bonuses to the team as well. On top of all that, there's juicing, which returns from the first Blitz, but this time around, is a bit more complex. While juicing can benefit your players, it costs money and your players can get caught, which is of course, not a good thing. There are a number of ways to play through the game and customize your team to your desire.

Then there are the injuries. Halfway through my run with the Columbus Rage - my customized Franchise Mode team led by its stud quarterback/linebacker - I planted a huge low hit on the opposing running back in a big game. As a result of the force of my blow, I was treated to a nice little cutscene in which I watched my opponent's testicles erupt.

For the first time in my recent memory, I cringed. At a video game. Not even Resident Evil 4 got me to do that.

There's plenty more than just exploding testicles, though. Legs snap in half, muscles rip, skulls crack open, spines shatter and sever. It's bloody and violent in every sense of the word, but it's also what most people wish the NFL was really like. That's the beauty of Blitz's satire: while it mocks the NFL for what it is, it also mocks the NFL for what it isn't.

For those wanting a bit more, Blitz II has a few modes outside of Franchise Mode. Alongside a training mode and quick play mode are several bonus games, each more brutal and different than the next. Lucky 7s, for example, takes away points from a touchdown score for each play that doesn't result in a touchdown. Meanwhile, Prison Ball takes away field goals, helmets, and first downs while cranking up the injury rate at a tremendous pace. There's enough diversity here to keep things pretty interesting, though these games are better suited for party-style atmospheres where there are multiple players.

Core game play remains relatively unchanged from the past Blitz games, featuring over-the-top hits and big yard-gaining plays. The biggest real game play change is in the injuries department, where you can now set injuries or juice players back to health on the sidelines if the injury isn't too serious. The setting mini-game uses the two analog sticks to pop in shoulders and set broken limbs back in place, which is actually a pretty creative idea. It can be hard to line things up just right, especially since the mini-game is picky when it comes to precision, but doing so gives the player a stamina boost and allows them back into the game sooner.

The juicing mini-game is similar, except that you use the analog stick to move a cursor over the injured area. Like the first mini-game, the more precise you are in your injection, the more stamina is recovered and the sooner the player can return. The game also adds in an improved tackling system that lets you target body parts for injury and a touchdown dance option, in which you can input button combinations after scoring a touchdown for one of at least 20 different dances. Some are kind of lame and generic, but others are crude and hilarious. All are welcome additions that add to the satire of the NFL's strictness and cleanliness.

The beatdown system, all the way from the earlier NFL Blitz games, makes a grand return, allowing you to chip away at an opponent's health after a dirty hit. This becomes invaluable when you're going up against some of the monsters in the league, because it makes them more vulnerable to injury as each game progresses. And heck, it's pretty fun to see your guy rip the opponent's helmet off and smack him in the side of the head with it.

The only bad news is the A.I. While not as rubber-bandy as in the first Blitz game, it still likes to play catch-up too easily, even on easy settings, and is a bit too eager to pick the ball off for an interception on passing plays. I don't mind that it plays smart, but it still needs a bit of tweaking in future Blitz installments.

Controlling your team in Blitz II comes pretty easy, even if you don't walk through the tutorial. One trigger is used for sprinting, while the other is used to toggle the game's turbo equivalent. Turbo can be used in conjunction with juke moves to evade tackles and cause injuries; on defense, it can be used to add more punch to a huge hit and potentially cause injury. Passing, running, catching and tackling are all handled by the face buttons and movement by the left analog stick. The right analog stick is for freeform juke moves, which come in handy when you need to quickly evade opponents. All in all, the game handles pretty impressively, but it does take some time to learn all of the controls properly.

Blitz II features a significant upgrade over the first game in the graphics department. The first Blitz was ported to the Xbox 360 and didn't feature a huge jump in graphics over the PS2 version, but this time around, Midway has put together a great looking game. The cutscenes from the game's opening look great, and most of the bloody injury animations even have a certain realism to them. Character animations are fluid and fun, as are the touchdown celebration sequences.

However, with all that said, there are a few reports of graphical glitches, not so much in regards to clipping as in regards to the game freezing up on me a few times, or certain graphics not disappearing from the screen when they should. Quitting and re-entering the game seemed to fix these issues, however, so it doesn't appear to be anything devastating. That being said, the sidelines definitely could have used a bit more "decor", as right now, they're populated by a bunch of 2-D images of teammates. I found that bit out one time when I got run out of bounds and slammed into the ground, right through one of my teammates.

The soundtrack fits the game well, though it can get a bit repetitive the more you play. The voice acting, however, outshines both the soundtrack and many other elements of the game. Jay Mohr does an excellent job as your character's agent, while Frank Caliendo brings his hilarious John Madden impersonation into the fold. Seriously, Frank's Madden-esque lines are one of the best parts of the entire game. Lawrence Taylor returns and does a great job as Quentin Sands, as well. Former NFL star Bill Romanowski does not return as nemesis Bruno Battaglia, but to be honest, he's not really missed.

Online play doesn't offer much else besides the ability to play with people from all around the world, but it's done pretty well. Lag is not really an issue, and hey, it gets rid of the A.I., so I guess it's a plus. The achievements range from those that are simplistic to some that are incredibly difficult. They'd be a lot easier to get if Midway hadn't gotten smart and made half the achievements unlockable only in Franchise Mode, thus taking away the old tradition of using another unmanned controller to run up your stats and the score.

Blitz II has the spirit of all the old games, except with a shiny coat of paint and a bucketload of brutality. It's clearly not a game for everyone -- especially those of you with weak stomachs -- but it is the best of its kind: an arcade-style sports game that recognizes it needs to be surreal in order to be successful. I haven't enjoyed an arcade-style sports game this much since NBA Jam back in the 1990s. It's definitely worth a look if you're looking for something a little more than the typical experience EA Sports delivers.

Pros: Brutal satire on the NFL, coupled with a fast-and-furious play style. Improved graphics over the previous Blitz game, along with some fun bonus modes.

Cons: A.I. can resort to being cheap. A few areas where things can be improved with more options. Oh, and it's brutally, terrifyingly, over-the-top bloody, so those with weak stomachs may want to pass.

Final score (on a scale of 1-5 floating Lawrence Taylor heads)