ESPN NFL 2K5 Review

As a huge fan of American Football, I was looking forward to playing this game. I'd heard good reports from my American friends (who got the game about five or six months ago and have been rubbing it in my face ever since), and today I finally got my paws on it. I wasn't disappointed.

The controls are very easy to pick up (even easier if you've played the previous ESPN NFL titles as they haven't actually changed much). Much of the gameplay is same-old, and in most games, this is really annoying, but in this game you tend not to notice because a lot of smaller features have been added. A lot of improvements have been made to make the game look and feel more realistic, and on the whole they do impress.
The best improvement in my opinion is the fact that the AI system has been improved. On the harder settings, you really do have to think about what you're doing because the computer-controlled team is just that darn good, and one misjudged movement can mean the difference between winning and losing.

The graphics look stunning, as I've come to expect from the ESPN NFL series, although this is sometimes a bit of a bother. Last year's game graphics were so good, it's really quite difficult to improve, but Sega and Visual Concept obviously tried hard and it shows.

As with all sports games, you really have to be a fan of the series to get maximum enjoyment from the game. If you liked the previous games, or if you're a fan of American Football and looking for a decent game, give it a go and you shouldn't be disappointed. If not, you'd probably be better of steering clear.

This review was added on 5th February 2005 by Dan Clement.