ESPN College Hoops 2K5

"ESPN Does It Again, CH Series Nearing Perfection"

ESPN's motto consists of: 'The Worldwide Leader In Sports'. I now consider them the Worldwide Leader in College Basketball games. I wasn't sure about picking up this game, not hearing a lot about any major updates from its 2K4 predecessor. But I am grateful I did. This game is nothing short of amazing.

Gameplay:

2K5's gameplay is the most realistic sports game I've seen on the market yet. Everything from shooting free throws to charging the lane. It is far more advanced than last year's college basketball game, its gameplay is almost brand new. The Isomotion has been adjusted to a more realistic feel, no longer can you tap the right analog stick and just blow by your defender. Now its more difficult to juke your opponent and if you do end up slipping by him, he stays with you as you go to the hoop like in real life. When sprinting with the ball, your player doesn't stop on a dime but has to take a step or two to get under control. On defense when a pick is set on you, your player even falls down at times if he slams into it hard. But the biggest change is the brand new free throw shooting system. No longer is there a meter but a black box telling you when your player is ready to shoot. You press and hold square as he begins his shooting form, and you must release it towards the end of it to sink the shot. They change the camera angles as well to throw you off. Players have different free throw shooting styles adding to the fun yet somewhat difficult shot. To finalize the gameplay in one sentence: it plays like the real game.

Presentation:

The Commentary is great, Mike and Jay do an excellent job at calling the game as if they were doing a live college sports game on ESPN. Like any other sports games, the more you play the more often you will hear some of their lines so they will get repetitive over time. The crowd sounds are good as well, cheerleaders can be heard doing chants on the sidelines and the crowd roars with momentum shifts despite the fact 2K5 lacks the momentum meter. The graphics are really good as well, being a college game the players cannot look precise due to NCAA regulations. The floor for each of the school's is decent looking as well. Graphics are great but still there is room for improvement, they aren't perfect.

The Legacy Mode:

Prior to starting you are given numerous options, the main one being what path you want to take. You can choose between Open Legacy or the regular Legacy. Open meaning that you can choose any team you'd like. The regular Legacy gives you a list of poor basketball schools for you to choose from and either bring them to greatness or build your coaching prestige to get a contract from a superior school. This year's legacy mode is superior to lasts with numerous updates. First off, as head coach you decide how the team practices. Out of 100%, you choose a certain percentage for Offense, Defense, Shooting, Post Play, and Fitness. Keeping in mind that it takes away time from the coaches thus leaving less room for recruiting. Recruiting can now be done around the world, not just within the limits of the United States. You can contact a recruit by, E-mail, Phone, or have one of your coaches visit them. You can also request game footage from them as well. The ESPN.com page is very cool, giving a written article after every game. They are usually from 7 to 11 pages long and give an interesting look to the game with quotes from your coach, and its even accompanied with a big play from the game. The Legacy mode is awesome and very fun, ESPN does it again.

Replay Value:

The Legacy mode is very deep especially starting out with one of the weak teams. You have numerous goals for your career from signing a 4 start recruit to accumulating 500 career wins. If your a huge basketball fan, then you wont be able to put this down til 2K6 comes out. This game is just too much fun. They took out the slam session which is disappointing because it was decent, but it doesn't hurt this year's version the slightest.

Final Thoughts:

The ESPN College Hoops series is nearing perfection. They've basically mastered the gameplay of college basketball, the legacy is tons of fun, and the presentation is all there too. Up to now, this is no doubt the best basketball game out there. For only $20, who wouldn't pick this great game up? ESPN College Hoops 2K5 doesn't disappoint, it delivers.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/24/04