ESPN NFL 2K5

"Electric.Sensational.Progressive.Notified"

Espn 2k5

Gameplay:
The best at the moment for a football game, rules in comparison to madden. The same basic pick your play option is there, but hot-routing and using audibles has never been so slick. You can easily have a human player confused and guessing in a few short seconds. Passing the ball is obviously a huge part of the game, which has been tweaked and edited a bit since the previous instalment. The ball always seems to react as it would in realife, its far more realistic than any of EA's attempts to have an amazing passing system. there are many varied moves and spins your RB/HB can pull off, which can either leave your opposition the dirt, or ruin your perfect running play and force you to fumble. Everything in ESPN 2k5 is top notch realism, from kicking to intercepting. Its all done with a quaint unforced charm that no other football game can bring o the table. The smooth control layout makes everything a lot easier, found that these controls are much better than Maddens. If I was trying to find a fault with the game play, it would have to be the fumble system. Fumbling is so random, you could go three matches in a row and fumble not once, only to drop it six times in the next game. Not only that, making computer fumble the ball seems to be near impossible. Overlooking this however, you should find much fluidity in the flow of the game, with half time shows + post match shows really giving you that ESPN experience. Many people agree that the weekly round up has vastly improved since 2k4, leaving you the gamer feeling satisfied every time you round each week off.

Graphics:
Can you honestly complain? There nothing wrong here, the stadiums and players are all accurate and faithall to their real life persona. When you turn the rain on, the graphics really shine and you will watch in awe as the pitch gets drenched. Snow too is graphically amazing, with your player coughing out cold air as you complete a 30 yard TD pass.

Sounds:
Commentators are good and have some intriguing things to say, unfortunately most of their lines are just transferred from the last ESPN outing. With Dolby digital switched on, you can really hear the crunch as your 5'6 WR get hammered in mid-air by your 6'9 OLB. Musically, the game lets itself down with some rather annoying beats played on the menu screen. Thankfully, you can have your own custom play list and use songs which you have stored on your XBOX.

Modes:
Plenty to choose from here; franchise mode being the immediate choice. The crib mode is excellent once again. This mode allows you to customize your very own home into a swinging, game filled mega dome dedicated to your favourite team. If anything, it's the crib mode that will drive you on to playing the game for over 100 hours. there are plenty of extra modes here including stadium custom play list and create a team mode, which adds to the limit offering of variety sports games offer. First person football mode also makes welcomed return, which sees you play inside the helmets of your favourite modern day NFL players. Passing is a tricky thing to get the hang of in this mode though.

Lifespan:
Definitely over 80 hours worth of play here, if that is you are a big fan of football in the first place. Creating your ultimate team on franchise will last extremely long.

Overall/Rent Buy:
For £15/$20, I reckon that this is a great purchase for your money. A game which should be bought and not rented, after playing a couple of matches you will be glad to have this complex sports outing on your console.

9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/17/05