All for only $19.99!
User Rating: 9.6 | ESPN NHL 2K5 XBOX
First let me begin by saying I was a little skeptical when we found out that this year's batch of ESPN games would all be $19.99. Call me old-fashioned, but there is something about paying less for a product and hoping for more from that product. I just didn't think ESPN was taking this seriously. Anway, I purchased NFL 2K5 hoping to get a taste of this year's ESPN series, and found myself entrenched in Franchise mode within minutes of unwrapping the game. I have been ecstatic with all NFL 2K5 has to offer, eventhough it's pretty close to last year's game, the addition of custom soundtracks alone (for the XBOX version) is absolutely priceless. So buying NHL 2K5 became automatic. I was hoping for most of the same features in the NFL game but expecting not to see them. My wishes have been granted, because you CAN add custom music to the game - and the near insane customization for this feature kept me up for hours last night. You can feature a different song for several different points in the game, such as a goal music for both the home and away team, intermission music, powerplay and penalty kill music, powerplay and shorthanded goal music, and on and on... What a great idea. The graphics have been revamped for this edition of NHL 2K5, but it's more of a subtle enhancement than an overhaul. New motion capture animations have been added, and the player's uniforms shimmer and sparkle with the arena lights and reflections, and I have been greatly impressed with ESPN's attention to detail with the player models across the board. Sound is sound, I guess, and this seems to be one area of disconcern for ESPN, eventhough the game features the new arena sound feature. I must give the developers their due dilligence in enhancing the sound, and it does sound great, however I think it is hard to improve on something that was pretty decent last year when the feature is not the most important feature in the game. One of the most important features in a sports game is features, and NHL 2K5 does not disappoint. There is something for everyone in this year's installment; the game even has a "party mode" with about 15 minigames for up to four players at once. You can create a team - here's where it gets good - and use that team in franchise mode, along with your created players. The SkyBox feature is back and better than before, as it looks like there is plenty of material to purchase. The game also features an Arcade mode among others and the list goes on... The value of ESPN NHL 2K5 would be great at $49.99, so at $19.99 it's simply astounding. The gameplay is better than ever. The difficulty and AI issues from last year's version seem to have been addressed. What more can you ask for in a great hockey game, all for only $19.99! 
