ESPN Football 2k5 and the Skins
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2004 6:10 pm
I did it. I long Maddenite went out and purchased ESPN Football 2k5. Heck, it was only $20 and a heck of a purchase for that price. It definately can compete with Madden but I'll tell you right away that ESPN CANNOT compete with Maddens gameplay.
Graphics: I purchased this on the XBOX. I must say that the graphics are INSANE!!! Most of the time... When you're actually in control of the game it doesn't look too impressive. But during the cutscens the graphics and animations surpass Madden. I dont know how to describe it, you'll just have to rent it on your own. A few examples are when I ran the ball with C. Portis, he was wrapped up and looked like he was going down, when he was falling he gave an extra kick and stretched his arm out for a 1st down!! My goodness Im getting excited just thinking about it! The only animation that looks funky is the running animation, I swear they look like they have poles shoved up theirs butts. But other than that, its incredible.
Controls: I like the controls, sometimes. Sometimes you feel like you're playing on the moon, the ball flight mechanics seem a little floaty at times. I dont feel like the ball has any weight to it. I can't really comment on this too much because I haven't played it enough to give an honest opinion. I do feel that they have the weight and momentum of the players down pact. You can't throw off of your back foot and put the ball where it needed to be, you can't run full speed and cut on a dime, and then back again if you're Jamal Lewis.
Gameplay: Two words, no control. I feel like Im not in control of the defense, even though I am. Maybe I just need to get used to the game but the AI will do everything for you. Also the running game has been improved, I remeber that you used to be able to stiff arm and juke your away around R. Lewis with L. Betts all day long. Thats no longer the case. Though once again the AI goes bannanas sometimes and you'll break some tackles that look cool as hell but you know you didn't do all of that on your own. I've had Portis do some wild stuff on here already. I turned the game up to its 2nd to hardest setting and was murdering the Eagles.
Extras: You can add your own music into the game!!! That completly does it for me. Its just a fun feature, you can any song you want that you have saved to your XBOX played at anytime during the game. Whenever I score a TD "The takeover" by Jay-Z plays. My intro is a rock song! It just brings your personality to the game and to your opponent who's sitting beside you.
Also the game keeps a record of your tendencies and applies it to the AI so your friends can take it home and practice against "you". My friends are going to need that, I wish Madden had that. Too slick.
Presentation: No competition ESPN owns Madden completely. The ESPN liscense is really shown off and in a great way, never in Madden do I look at the cutscenes, in ESPN I can't seem to convince myself to skip them.
In the end I have to say ESPN overall is the better game compared to last years Madden and the additions that are supposed to be added. That is to be taken with a grain of salt being that Madden hasn't been released yet. But I know that Madden wont have a few of these features and hopefully they'll be released for 2006. What it boils down to is the gameplay and Madden IMO is better and more realistic. All the pretty graphics can't substitute for inferior gameplay. ESPN isn't bad, but its no Madden and I can't convert. But if EA continues to not put any effort in like Visual Concepts has with ESPN then I will start to wander away.
It was interesting how the Skins are rated and play in ESPN 2005. It seems the developers think the same way as we do.
Brunell is just a bit better than Ramsey.
Portis is a beast and cannot be stopped, lol.
Coles is a beast and burned Newman frequently!
Gardener, can you believe he actually catches passes in this game?
Jacobs, dont try to cover him with a nickel or dimeback, he'll kill em.
McCants hands of gold.
O-line: Crushes the opponents
D-line: Not anything special but they hold their own and make the tackles
LB's: They bring all kinds of pressure and are a force
CB's: Springs isn't super fast but is a decent corner and a solid tackler. Smoot is on his way to stardom according to this game!
S: Taylor is crazy in this game, never loses a tackle, brings the pressure, and shut down TO's lame tail. Bowen, caught an INT, crushin tackler, mediocre in coverage.
This game has it down pact, our team is a monster in the game and out!
Graphics: I purchased this on the XBOX. I must say that the graphics are INSANE!!! Most of the time... When you're actually in control of the game it doesn't look too impressive. But during the cutscens the graphics and animations surpass Madden. I dont know how to describe it, you'll just have to rent it on your own. A few examples are when I ran the ball with C. Portis, he was wrapped up and looked like he was going down, when he was falling he gave an extra kick and stretched his arm out for a 1st down!! My goodness Im getting excited just thinking about it! The only animation that looks funky is the running animation, I swear they look like they have poles shoved up theirs butts. But other than that, its incredible.
Controls: I like the controls, sometimes. Sometimes you feel like you're playing on the moon, the ball flight mechanics seem a little floaty at times. I dont feel like the ball has any weight to it. I can't really comment on this too much because I haven't played it enough to give an honest opinion. I do feel that they have the weight and momentum of the players down pact. You can't throw off of your back foot and put the ball where it needed to be, you can't run full speed and cut on a dime, and then back again if you're Jamal Lewis.
Gameplay: Two words, no control. I feel like Im not in control of the defense, even though I am. Maybe I just need to get used to the game but the AI will do everything for you. Also the running game has been improved, I remeber that you used to be able to stiff arm and juke your away around R. Lewis with L. Betts all day long. Thats no longer the case. Though once again the AI goes bannanas sometimes and you'll break some tackles that look cool as hell but you know you didn't do all of that on your own. I've had Portis do some wild stuff on here already. I turned the game up to its 2nd to hardest setting and was murdering the Eagles.
Extras: You can add your own music into the game!!! That completly does it for me. Its just a fun feature, you can any song you want that you have saved to your XBOX played at anytime during the game. Whenever I score a TD "The takeover" by Jay-Z plays. My intro is a rock song! It just brings your personality to the game and to your opponent who's sitting beside you.
Also the game keeps a record of your tendencies and applies it to the AI so your friends can take it home and practice against "you". My friends are going to need that, I wish Madden had that. Too slick.
Presentation: No competition ESPN owns Madden completely. The ESPN liscense is really shown off and in a great way, never in Madden do I look at the cutscenes, in ESPN I can't seem to convince myself to skip them.
In the end I have to say ESPN overall is the better game compared to last years Madden and the additions that are supposed to be added. That is to be taken with a grain of salt being that Madden hasn't been released yet. But I know that Madden wont have a few of these features and hopefully they'll be released for 2006. What it boils down to is the gameplay and Madden IMO is better and more realistic. All the pretty graphics can't substitute for inferior gameplay. ESPN isn't bad, but its no Madden and I can't convert. But if EA continues to not put any effort in like Visual Concepts has with ESPN then I will start to wander away.
It was interesting how the Skins are rated and play in ESPN 2005. It seems the developers think the same way as we do.
Brunell is just a bit better than Ramsey.
Portis is a beast and cannot be stopped, lol.
Coles is a beast and burned Newman frequently!
Gardener, can you believe he actually catches passes in this game?
Jacobs, dont try to cover him with a nickel or dimeback, he'll kill em.
McCants hands of gold.
O-line: Crushes the opponents
D-line: Not anything special but they hold their own and make the tackles
LB's: They bring all kinds of pressure and are a force
CB's: Springs isn't super fast but is a decent corner and a solid tackler. Smoot is on his way to stardom according to this game!
S: Taylor is crazy in this game, never loses a tackle, brings the pressure, and shut down TO's lame tail. Bowen, caught an INT, crushin tackler, mediocre in coverage.
This game has it down pact, our team is a monster in the game and out!
