ESPN NFL Football
And he could…Go…ALL…The…Way. Welcome to the new sportscenter…
Tags: ESPN NFL Football Categories: Reviews, Xbox Reviews
Posted by Travis on Oct 13th, 2003
| Title | Players | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ESPN NFL Football (title page) | |||
| Developer | Publisher | Genre | Online |
| Action | No | ||
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Hu Hu Hutt Hike… drop back and suddenly a 320lb lineman slams your face into the grass. This of course is what your quarterback sees in the all new first person football (FPF) mode that provides a dynamic new way of playing the game. The inside the helmets and views are as realistic as they come. Although some improvements cane be made it’s a great new feature and very addicting especially watching your quarterback getting pummeled into the turf.
ESPN NFL Football is a nice change in speed from typical football games, from realistic movements of the lineman and all the way down to the cornerback. Sega used various NFL stars, such as Brian Ulracher, JJ Stokes, and Ahman Green to act as the character models, so that the players do look very lifelike. Animation of the players is right on and very smooth.
If you’re lucky enough to have a nice television with HDTV this game supports 720p which makes this game just really stand out. Instant replays are actually worth watching sometimes you might forget you’re not watching TV.
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Speaking about TV – those of you with cable and satellite who watch SportsCenter will love the new halftime report. Chris Berman is at the mike and actually worth watching instead of skipping through it as many of us do. The commentary is very good, and the studio analysis is brutal while keeping fresh and allows for a much closer feel to sitting on your couch Sunday afternoons.
The 5.1 Dolby digital is great, hearing the hit fly across the speakers putting you right in the game only makes it that much more enjoyable.
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ESPN added a new feature called The Crib, which allows you to view different trophies and rewards from throughout the game. As you reach and accomplish more goals you are rewarded with more items. You can take your items/rewards and build your dream football bachelor pad. This adds a lot more replay value and is more esthetically pleasing then Madden’s collectable cards, while also not changing the balance of power through different powerups.
The franchise mode is easy to navigate and very fun but still not quite as diverse and deep as Madden. Xbox live enabled for content downloading such as new rosters and also playing friends.
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Controls have been redone for the better. Turbo can be done two ways by either holding down for one big explosive move or by tapping for an extended speed move (for those of you who are button mashers). This makes the game play a little more dynamic forcing players to look at the situation and deciding what will work at best.
The player AI is mediocre though, with some boneheaded moves put on by the players, but considering your own movements when in first person mode and staring down a 315lb lineman who has a 15 yard head start on your face, I can understand some of these decisions that the players chose to make.
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The online mode, which makes this the game of choice for most XBOX users due to Madden’s refusal to join live, is one of the most impressive features of the game. From standard fare games being played, you can also join various leagues online which are officially ran through ESPN’s website. You can also run tournaments, set up game situations or just find a game for a quick challenge.
In the end this game is about the best football game you can expect until next year when they can fix things under the new license. The gameplay itself does not particularly shine, but the graphics are second to none, the first person view mode makes this completely different then any other title on the market.
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
|
Controls First Person Football Graphics |
8.8 |
| What Doesn't | |
|
Franchise Mode Navagation |
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| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| The graphics and the first person mode make this game enjoyable. The online features make this the football game to have on the XBOX | |
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Tags: ESPN NFL Football
Posted by Travis on Oct 13th, 2003 and is filed under Reviews, Xbox Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
