All-Pro Football 2K8

"Finally! VC has come back to the public's eye with another Football game. Read on to see how APF 2K8 stands up to the competition."

In December 2004, EA signed an exclusive deal with the NFL. They were the only kid on the block that could use the likeness of the NFL players and the actual NFL teams. Throughout the US, countless fans of ESPN NFL 2K5 let out a silent cry for the loss of one of their favorite franchises in sports.

The public was forced to buy Madden, not because it was better, but because it was the only game in town. Because of this fact, the series suffered for three years. Madden 2008 has plenty of options for lovers of everything Madden. Unfortunately for us, EA cut out many of the options available on the PS2 and X-Box version. To this day, Madden still hasn't achieved the same level of greatness when compared to the competitive years. Madden 2008 was the first football game to finally move into the right direction.

The reason for this?

The game isn't close by a long shot, but Madden 2008 is the closest thing available on next generation platforms that holds a semblance to years gone by. There is a reason that the competition decided to elevate their game this year. It is one little name that will make the average gamer understand why Madden felt like competition was on the horizon.

The phrase?

All-Pro Football 2K8

2K Sports came into existence when Take-Two Interactive purchased all the stock in Visual Concepts. Visual Concepts couldn't make a actual successor to ESPN NFL 2K5; however, they began work on their own game with retired players. These players were no longer bound by the exclusive license that EA now owned.

Visual Concepts decided that the owner of their game could create fictitious teams using former players of the gridiron. These names would include: John Elway (one of my all time favorite QBs), Archie Manning (father of the Superbowl MVP, Payton Manning), Barry Sanders, Jerry Rice, etc. There was a total of 240 former football stars. The game became a regular who's who of former football stars. The player had the ability to create their team in whatever image they decided upon. It was a dream come true for some football fans.

Let's take a look to see if 2K Sports jumps the line with their first football release in a number of years.

Graphics

The first thing that comes to my mind when playing this was how much it reminded me of ESPN 2K5. That isn't a bad thing. I still consider the game the best looking/best moving football game on the market the year it was released. To this day, it is still nice looking and runs like a dream. That is a testament to how much rivalry is needed. Which version of Madden finally implemented the same realistic little nuance of a running back pushing off the offensive lineman to clear space and make room to run?

Answer: Madden 2008

That was a part of ESPN 2K5. That was a little animation addition is still present in APF 2K8. That isn't to say that the game looks like a straight port of ESPN 2K5; however, it looks like hi-res version of that game. Visual Concepts didn't release yearly editions to make the incremental increases that EA has done with the Madden series since it was released on the 360.

Visual Concepts decided that gameplay was the most important thing and graphics were a close second. Therefore, many of the animations that were in 2K5 make a triumphant return in this game. The game isn't ugly by any step of the imagination. You can instantly see the difference if you play both games side by side (I know I did). It just reminds you of playing an updated version of NFL 2K5.

Another thing to note about this game, Visual Concepts couldn't film some of these players in their heyday. Visual Concepts hasn't created a time machine to go back in time to view these players and take their pictures. They did decide to build all the player models from scratch. That means some players (like Jerry Rice) look like dead ringers, while other players (like John Elway or Dan Marino) look a little off.

That can be viewed as a bad thing. It can also come from the growing pains of a first year (possibly only year) franchise. If you are expecting BioShock, you'll be highly disappointed. However, if you remember what Madden 2006 was like on the 360, you can give this game a pass. One thing of note, Madden 2008 was the first year that the game ran at 60 FPS. The same thing can be said for All-Pro Football 2K8. Another thing to keep in mind is the PS3 version runs at 30 FPS and the game by EA does the exact same thing. Can this be a coincidence, or is it the fact that EA finally feels challenged?

Gameplay

On the field, there is hardly a game that can match this. It almost seems unfair seeing how well the game still runs overall. Every trick play and run play is just as potent as I remember them. It is nice to see a football game that puts the action on the field first. Madden couldn't say the same thing. It seemed like it was all about the extra features.

This year, this is a weak alternative when it comes to single player mode. The only option the players has is a single season mode. You start the season by picking your Bronze, Silver, and Gold players (11 players in total). You go onto playing your season and then trying to compete for the championship in this fake league. At the end of the season, you get to see the credits. When you play a two player season. The second player has to create their own team and build it from the ground up. So, both teams should have 11 different players. Besides the 11 former players, the team consists of generic players that the controller decides what areas they will excel in. It creates a sense of strategy because you can only draft certain players, and then you have to decide what the remaining players will be like.

That is it. You play a season and watch the credits role. No dynasty, franchise, or anything that will really keep the player coming back for more. It seems a bit shallow in that regards. One can only hope for a better version next year.

Sound

Dan Stevens and Peter O'Keefe make a glorious return to the announcing team on All-Pro Football 2K8. It is nice that they didn't decide on some generic man in the announcing booth. They gave us the familiar voices from years gone by.

Unfortunately, they sometimes use the exact same phrases and terms that were in ESPN 2K5. That can be bothersome to a few individuals . It just seems that they could have focused on updating the lines produced by the announcing team.

The sound on the field is the same that anyone would here on a football field. It isn't anything memorable; though, it still sound accurate.

Lasting Appeal

The only options are exhibition and season mode. That is it. It becomes pretty tiresome after a while. Hopefully, Visual Concepts decide to rectify the problems of the shallow season mode. Everything else is squeaky clean, but it lacks that “oomph” that will keep you coming back for more.

Fun Factor

This game is just plain fun while your team is on the field. On the other hand, you see the wind leave the game's sails when a player wants to do more than play a single season.

Overall

All-Pro Football 2K8 is an excellent first year effort. It still has room to improve, but this game is a nice alternative to Madden 2008. A person who wants to play as former players should really try this game out. That goes doubly if they are tired of the lackadaisical efforts put forth by EA.


Graphics-7.5= The graphics are nothing more than hi-res versions of the graphics that appeared in ESPN 2K5.

Gameplay-9.0= There is very little in the virtual football realm that competes with this game while on the field. Something this fun shouldn't be legal.

Sound-8.0= The sound is just as wonderful as years gone by. However, the announcing team hasn't been updated with a ton of new lines.

Lasting Appeal-7.0= Season mode is lacking in depth. However, when you are on the field, you will forget about everything else. The game is good, but not legendary.

Fun Factor-8.5= The game is fun to just pick up and play. Unfortunately, it doesn't have many options beyond the one season-season mode.

Overall-8.0

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/10/07

Game Release: All-Pro Football 2K8 (US, 07/16/07)