ESPN NFL 2K5

"Excellent Advancement of series."

Ok, let me first start out by saying how absolutely phenomenal and fun this game is as a whole. I just can't put it down it's so addictive and entertaining, and isn't that the point of all video games, ultimately? The vestigial quest for overall enjoyment? Anyway, on with the technical stuff, I'll set it up the way gamespot does.

Did I mention it costs $20?

Gameplay: 9.5/10

Awesome all around, beats what I've remembered from Madden 2004 soundly in almost every respect. Everything feels very responsive, the controller mapping is acceptable and nothing strange occurs. Unfortunately, we have some problems in the pre-snap situation, where making on-the-fly defensive adjustments feels cumbersome. The on-screen audible menu, however, was thankfully brought back from previous game installments. As far as player reactions are concerned, it's overall very excellent. Their was obviously lots of money spent on professional, top-notch Motion Capture to make all animations appear lifelike in their movements in comparison with your control. Not since Microsoft's "Top Spin" has this been so apparent in a sports game.

Graphics: 10/10

This category may be erroneous to many causal gamers such as myself, but it really does stand out. Hands down this is the best-looking sports game that I have ever seen in the way of textures, stadium rendering, player movements and off-field animations. Although the rain could use an upgrade from the age-old "grey streak" it currently suffers from, weather effects look great. What I enjoyed particularly are the little touches that appear within the whole ESPN-themed telecast. This includes, but is not limited to, blimps, the "ESPN-skycam" which I love, and incredible exterior shots of the stadium, something you see all the time in real football games but never in video games. Lots of work was put in, absolutely awesome.

Sound: 8/10

Could use a little work, but I was thoroughly impressed with the wide variety of commentary from Chris Boomer in the "studio", providing a hearty dish of memorable football one-liners. i almost died when I heard him refer to one of Jamal Lewis' spins with a good-hearted "WHOOP!". Unfortunately, the in-game audio gets very repetitive rather quickly, and the commentators themselves sound awfully bland. On-field sounds are standard, but there isn't enough crowd involvement for my money.

Online: 9/10

This may take a little while to get used to, and I'd certainly advise doing it on XBOX-Live with friends, since getting a game started right off the bat can prove a daunting task at time, as I have sat waiting for several minutes (something that should not happen in a sports game) waiting for a "challenger" to respond. However, once in the game, it's flawless. It seems exactly like you're sitting next to the person on the couch, and I'm not even kidding. Absolutely EVERYTHING that's happening on your screen is happening on theirs, with obvious exceptions. Some may find this unimpressive, but I think it's spectacular. Roster updates happen immediately so everyone's up-to-date, and their is supposedly CDL on the horizon. Very nice overall, if you can get it started.

IT'S ONLY 20 DOLLARS! 20! 20! 20! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

Overall:

Unbelievable game experience, unrivaled in the world of football. Although I would like to have seen some more features, and the celebrity phone call thing is idiotic, this is an insane football experience not to be missed at any price. It just happens to be $20.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/23/04