Fan of the sport, vs. Fan of the NFL
User Rating: 8 | All-Pro Football 2K8 X360
Call this, a revisited review, now that I've owned it since day one, & have lived with it, ever since, & am no longer super disappointed. Let's look at this through 2023 vision. NO, there are NO NFL teams built into this game, as they didn't/don't have access to the license. Yes, there are retired (some HOF) players in this game, to give it some weight, & make it less generic. If you're a fan of American football, even in 2023, THIS is your game! If you're SOLELY interested in recognizable names, skip this. BUT, ALWAYS REMEMBER: NO ONE knew who Brock Purdy was, until he was forced to hit the field, & shined. To remotely think you're going to know every single player, on every single team, is beyond unrealistic. So, that shouldn't be levied against this game, either. Since, when you build your team, the generic players don't change each time you play, you get t learn what each player can do. 1nce I truly learned how to use the kicking mechanic, it's THE ABSOLUTE BEST,& most realistic. Of course, the length of the kicks, are based on kicker attributes. My generic kickers & I get along just fine! The game modes suffer, due to lack thereof. No changing that. There DEFINITELY could've been a multi season set-up in this game. Remove the potential "aging" mechanic, & institute contract negotiations/renewals based on performance throughout the season, trades, negotiations with your host city or relocate, etc. There are sooooooo many ways this could've been approached. AND, had the series continued, players retire EVERY SINGLE YEAR. So, the folks that could've been added, were endless. The game alternative to Madden truly could've existed AND thrived. But, poor sales due to folks wanting to live NFL fantasies, ruined that. The gameplay is that unmatched 2K gameplay. Yes, even in 2023, untouchable. Which is exactly why there are entire PC gaming modding communities that use THIS game as the foundation for their NFL gaming pleasure, instead of simply playing Madden. Because of the shortcomings, I gave it an 8. However, if this game were to become a series, I'd be all in. I understand why they fell back (EA wasn't playing fair with the retired players, so they sued EA, making it more costly for a game that didn't move units), but I still play this game, to this day. (*I own the PS3 version*) 
