My review of ESPN 2k5

[cashpath]

Ok here it is my review..

1st person football- A waste of time, it sucks its no fun.. its neat for about a half a game then blows chunks. I would rather my developers spend thier time on something else

The Crib- What a joke.. if I want something like this I will buy the SIMS or wait for SIMS 2 to come out and buy it. Not in a football game.. this is just plain dumb

The Gameplay- Uh.. it sux, it all sucks.. passing sucks, running sucks, player movement sucks.. the buildup turbo and let off it thing sucks.. the playcalling sucks, the plays themselves even suck.

The graphics- Some things look good and some look stupid.. the players hands are as long as thier forearms.. I know players have big hands but uh... thats just funny haha. Thier is a section of fans that actually look somewhat like people (a cut scene) and thats ok but still computerish looking. The jerseys and stuff do look more realistic.

So whats good?... A few things..

1) The half time and post game shows are cool I like them.. wish Madden would implement something like it!

2) You can sim the game and watch the ESPN live gamecast that shows you a play by play (like what they have on ESPN.com.. This is also cool for those who sim but want to see whats going on..

3) Injuries- Better than madden, the players actually moan or say stuff, they also get on to a cart sometimes and you can hear the cart's motor and the trainers talking while its going in.. this is neat.. They might even get put into an ambulance if necessary I'm not sure.

4) After the game the player of the game gets interviewed... its short and ghetto but still kind of cool, something that madden should add and it could get better over time

5) Pick celebrations- You can go through like 25-30 celebrations and pick 5 and assign them to various letters for you guy to do.. this is neat and it would be even cooler if you could design your own!! Add it to Madden


Thats it I think.. 5 things ESPN has that I wish we could get in Madden, but I mean it when I say the gameplay is horrible.. its pathetic, if you are a Madden player you cannot play this game it just blows so bad. Words cannot describe it.

If you have questions about it Fire away and I'll check it out since I wasted $20.99 on this piece of crap game lets make it worth it (hmm maybe I can give it away as a prize hahaha)

First guy to reply award. Me. I win. My address is...

Ok cash, check out two things:

a) when a runner is behind a blocker, in ESPN he actually presses his forearm against the blocker's back, real neat touch.

b) when plays run over into the endzone, madden just freeze-stops everyone, whereas I saw a video of defenders making hits on runners. This is only a factor in short yardage situations really.

I keep hearing that 2K5 takes a while to get into, give it more of a chance, I guess. Even though I agree its inferior. That whack-as-**** open field running definitely needs fixing. But from the videos I thought those juke moves were pretty badass.

[cashpath]

a) Haven't noticed I'll play another game and see if I notice it.

b) hmm.. ok

[fearme504]

just bought it today my take...

1.The Presentation is great once again besides the fact that when Berman or any one else talks its like one of the old godzilla chinese movies "where there mouth dont move with the words to well"

2.doesnt really count but there cheerleaders look a hell of alot better then maddens

3.umm i know this has to be my stupidity but on my franchise i cant find the free agents part :tapedshut

4.i dont like first person football....at all

5.the running animation still looks weird to me

6.on sports center when they show videos of games they only show one play...i dunno i just think there should be more...

7.hmm its a fun game i like it but in 18 or so days when madden comes out i will have to say good bye to this game

[cashpath]

1) I agree

2) Yes they do

3) dunno but sure its there..

4) Me either

5) Yep it sux

6) I've seen more than one how long were your quarters?

7) I've pretty much played of of it that I will play...



Another thing I just remembered that I wanted to add to the list of things I liked..

a) You can motion multiple people

Pretty much have to agree with you Cash, was playing it at my buddy's house today, besides the half time show and post game show though I really liked the tackling animations, really felt like guys were getting hammered, still can't wait for Madden though, playing 2k5 was like giving a cigarette to a crack addict. :alcoholic

[titansrule]

its sounds like its worth a rent but no more

Something tells me if you've never played a football game in your life you'd most probably love 2K5. And I think the guys ESPN is going after are those who have no experience of madden. Prime situational example: kid goes to buy football game, sees 2K5, sees madden, sees much cheaper price and the well-known ESPN logo and goes for it. He then becomes loyal ESPN fanboy. So that next year they can charge full price and he blindly follows. I also think the IGN and gamespot guys were ****ing bribed! I want to hear of just ONE madden lover that was converted.

[titansrule]

yeah that has to be true, and i think your right about the market they are aiming at aswell, its a good idea but unfortunately for them, just about anyone who likes football will have played madden, and so the market will be fairly small...but it is clear that the low price is working, how many of the guys who bought espn this year bought it last year? thats a genuine question, cash, fearme, did you guys buy it last year? or did the low price tag appeal to you?

[rams fan]

I was gonna get it but decided not to I am just gonna save up my money and get a XBOX Live Starter Kit(12 Months Free) and Madden 2005 to play alone and online

[cashpath]

I got a demo of it on my xox magazine disc last year.. and all I really wanted to check out last year was First Person and I got to on the demo.. I bought it this year basically to review it and only because of the low price tag or else I would have rented it.

I am gald for ESPN cause competition is needed we NEED something to push madden and make them make it as good as they can, also ea can steal some of thier ideas and still have the better gameplay.

I used to play sega 2k games back on my dreamcast.. and I liked it then, I thought the gameplay was better than maddens back then, but madden was still the overall better game...

But now... there is no way I played ESPN and I'm not kidding here it seemed like I was still playing it on a ghetto dreamcast.. the player movement and actual gameplay just plain sucks.. there is no realism to it. The game is nice.. all the way up till the ball is hiked.. then it goes to crap.

yea da first player mode sucks i play football and its nothing alike.da dreamcast games where better cause graphics were new and we still had first playstation

[titansrule]

yeah, i appreciate the healthy competition coming from espn, sounds like they have actually thought up new things, or at least listened to us

this reminds me of the FIFA vs Pro Evolution Soccer debate. Much in the way that PES is totally superior to FIFA, Madden kicks ESPN's ***. The two inferior games always have nice touches though, that if the superior game includes would make for perfection. Like, if madden shined up its jukes and goalline stuff, it'd be nicer, but i still dont care, 05 will be the ultimate football experience, bar none.

[fearme504]

this is cool....im now 5-3 with the cowboys Eddie George is amazing... i traded for J.P Losman and he is doing great 400 + yds and 3 tds "1 int" in two games keyshaun is doing great too Eddie has the third most rushing yards right now...o yeah the feature i though was cool is when the 8th week comes you get to see all the rookies that will be in the draft...and they start talking about it on sportscenter "on the game" any ways the rookies actually have pictures!! lol small thing but thats neat o well just thought id tell you about this stuff

[titansrule]

Eddie George is amazing

yes, yes he is, a break tackling beast

[SenorMatt24]

Hmm Game informer says its better....lol, I dont have and it and dont want it

I thought it had a very realistic feel and look to it as far as when your man goes in motion and after the ball is snapped the player movement was exceptionally good. But the QB sounds and Announcers are very weak. But hey for $20 bucks you get what you pay for. I play it on a HD TV so that probably adds some value as far as graphics go, I didnt see any hands as big as forearms or anything of that sort at all...A new football game to play until Madden comes out, .. to me thats a good thing..... I throw $20 bucks away on any one weekend just to see some (usually over rated) movie on the big screen for an hour and a half, so if you compare it to that, its a bargain. Not to mention the more competition in the game market is very good for the end user. Thats the biggest thing to me...

[titansrule]

hi, welcome to the board

20 bucks for a movie?!?!?...seems likely you get what you pay for, but i still would not spend $20 on it, id rather save up for a bit and get something else

I thought that everyones take on espn is about right. How ever the prepare for the game feature is pretty cool. You have the ability to really micro manage your football team. From how interviews are handeled to what game films are to be reviewwed all the way to how many reps your player is going to bench press. Madden really needs to implement this. THis is n eo f the keeper features on espn's game.

[cashpath]

I play it on a HD TV so that probably adds some value as far as graphics go, I didnt see any hands as big as forearms or anything of that sort at all

Yes a 53 inch one...

But I'm purely compairing it to madden... and ESPN is only in 480p HDTV so is Madden, I mean if it was in a true hd like 1080i or even 720p then that might mean something but its not.. it's just like every other game..

Ya I agree that comparing the game to Madden it doesnt hold a stick to to it. I meant that if you compared playing the game on a nice HD TV to playing the game on a 6 year old or more regular TV, the game would probably be a certain amount more appealing as far as graphics go. How much more appealing would be different with everyone, im sure. But ya you cant compare this game to Madden in no way shape or form. I guess im just trying to look at any positive aspect of it because I appreciate the fact that another company is involved in making a football game that will push the designers at EA to listen even better to what people want in the game. It costs millions to produce a game so if a company can cut any corners because their is nothing competing with it, it will. Good example the PC market.
I know i have gotton away from the subject so I will say no more

[cashpath]

Well said.. and I agree..

[Ghs]

the first person football gave me quite possibly the worst hedache i have ever had.

[ItalianStallion]

Haha. I was going to rent and play this game with my cousins to see what it's like, but my PS2 was in it's "Disc Read Error" mode this week and I couldn't get it to play.

i was listening to the gamespot review of Madden 2005 vs. ESPN 2k5. They said that if u had the choice on which one to get, that u should go with ESPN 2k5.

[qb8stunner]

In my humble opinion, video game reviews don't know jack sh*t. I get so annoyed with their "in-depth" analysis and they point out stupid details some times that just annoy the crap outta me. I think all they are anyway are the types who go for the big play experience instead of the realistic, grind it out style. Honestly, I cannot picture one of those guys sitting down and playing ultra-realistic. I may be wrong, but the thought of it annoys me.

yeah your right...