In a lot of my reviews I've said what kinds of games I DON'T typically play. Well, football sims are what I DO typically play. I've loved football games going back to the cheesy ones on the first Nintendo. So when it comes to these games, I have some heartfelt opinions. What I like in a football game is realism, both on and off the field. ESPN handles half of that REALLY well and the other half pretty well. In terms of graphics and presentation, ESPN 2K5 has set a new standard. The off the field presentations with Chris Berman and the other added extras make the game feel like you're watching Sunday Night Football. It makes it a lot of fun and more interesting than the typical halftime stats screen and post-game info. On the field, the graphics and animations are excellent! From the helmets right down to the grass, the game is well polished. My brother stopped by and thought I was watching a real game. Now, it's not THAT good, but's it's close. Audio is pretty typical. I haven't played the 2K series for a while, so any commentary was a welcome change to Michaels and Madden. It's not suberb, but it's good. The on the field noises and stadium sounds are very cool as well, all adding to the overall realistic feel. In terms of gameplay, ESPN 2K5 is good, but it's the real shortcoming of the game. Don't get me wrong, it's good, it's easy to learn, fun and challenging to master. But, it doesn't have all of the nuances that Madden has. Madden's gameplay setup player movements are a little more real and true to the game. ESPN does it well, just not as good in my opinion. Although, I will say that I like the audible selection better than Madden. But again, that's just my opinion. Overall, ESPN 2K5 is a great game. And for $19.99 it's a no-brainer for football fans. Get it try it. Especially since it'll likely be the last one, at least for a while. It's sad, because the quality of ESPN 2K5 should shake things up at EA a little so they could take the game to the next level. But, now with the exclusive rights deal EA has with the NFL, it only means NO competition which doesn't usually bode well for quality. All in all, though, ESPN 2K5 put up a good fight and put out a great game. If only you could marry the two, it would be the perfect football game.
I have played every single 2k football game since the Dreamcast and there is doubt that NFL 2k5 is still the best out of the 2k football series. Many people bought this game because of the $20 price tag but just about ev... Read Full Review
The day that Microsoft added ESPN NFL 2K5 to the backwards compatible list I rushed to my nearest GameStop and found a used copy for $1.99 - For me, this game shot to the top of my playlist. Everything I loved about it ... Read Full Review
