ESPN NFL 2K5

"Too Many Problems to Replace Madden"

First of all, I have to admit that the main reason that this game caught my attention was because I am strapped for cash and the $19.99 price tag is tempting.

And the game looks good. In fact, the graphics blow Madden away. The players have closely detailed faces and the body-types are smooth and life-like. The physics are mind-boggling. Gang tackles are truly fun and the receivers actually CATCH the ball with their hands.

The VIP is an interesting concept, but the fact that the celebrity challengers get to use all-star teams populated by players from your own team taints the gameplay.

Tainted is a great word for this game. It looks good and it is complete with realistic ESPN presenataion and real personalities such as Chris Berman and Suzy Kolber. But there are too many flaws, both simple and profound, that make this game unplayable in the long-term.

My biggest complaint is the touchy nature of the running game. If you as much as lean the ananlog stick in a lateral direction, the player freezes, changes fields, and usuually gets KO'd by a gang tackle. Running is straight-line and is best accomplished by jamming on the speed burst.

The defense is always three or four steps behind the offense. Case in point: I had the Bengals and Deltha O'Neal could not run down Todd Heap over a 50-yard distance. However, the computer's defense has no problem running you down or intercepting every other pass that you throw. The DBs may as well be Jerry Rice because they make over-the-shoulder catches like a Probowl flanker.

The weekly preparation sounds good on paper but it gets annoying fast. When I want to play football, I want to play football, not spend 15 minutes preparing a team just so that the players can gain a whole point or even lose points. The default injury setting is ridiculous- I lost four players in my first pre-season game ALL for numerous weeks.

Then there are small things:

- When injuries occur to a computer-controlled team, the depth chart gets skewed. Kyle Boller was actually back returning kickoffs.
- I ran for 35 yards, but the play was called back due to a 15-yard clipping call. Rudi Johnson's stats recorded the play as a (-) 50 yard run. That sucks.
-The music sucks, esp. compared to the up-and-coming artists featured in Madden.
-Only a few passing plays work and a few are practically unstoppable. Also, mediocre receivers drop way too many passes. If they're open, they should catch at a better rate than CPU DBs.
-The menus are confusing and misleading. For example, you cannot save options from the "save/load" screen in the Franchise mode.
-I almost forgot about this- Diving is awful. Sometimes it feels like your moving backward when you dive. You can NEVER chase someone down from behind and make a tackle.

I could go on, but you get the idea. ESPN NFL 2K5 is all flash and no substance, particularly for a fan of dynasty mode. I could never have played this game for an extended period of time. Stay with Madden and don't waste money like I did.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 08/12/04