ESPN NFL Football
Release Date: September 2, 2003
Sports, American football, splitscreen, multiplayer, singleplayer, internet
The next installment of a popular sport game from SEGA's catalogue dedicated to American football. The creators expanded their cooperation with the ESPN station, thanks to which we receive an even bigger show modelled on television transmission. Among the novelties there is a player's eye view mode, a trophy room and some changes in the mechanics of the game.
ESPN NFL Football, released on PS2 and XBOX, is the next installment of a series of sports games previously know as NFL 2K. Thanks to the closer cooperation with the popular TV station, the developers have decided to include its name in the title. In return, we receive even more spectacular shows reminiscent of live broadcasts watched on a TV screen. However, this is not the end of the changes introduced in comparison to the previous version of the series.
Mechanics
ESPN NFL Football has introduced new modifications to the mechanics. As every year, the developers decided to improve artificial intelligence to better balance the matches. In the case of the top game we can choose a simplified system that allows you to pass the ball to the receiver marked with a specific button on the pitch, or we can use a more advanced technique that allows you to change the angle of attack, which increases the risk of missing, but properly performed allows you to carry out a very effective action. There is also an option to check if the judges made a wrong decision, the so-called challenge.
Game modes
The biggest novelty is the mode that allows you to play games from the first-person perspective. Thanks to this, we can immerse ourselves better and see how the match looks like from a football player's perspective. For this option, the controls have been modified to some extent. This mode has also received a new user interface. For example, during an action, a bar appears on the screen to show how close the nearest opponent is. As a result, we have a better understanding of the situation on the pitch and we get a hint when we should expect a sudden charge from a defender.
In addition to the new mode, we can still take part in the extended career mode called Franchise. Depending on our preferences, we are responsible for all aspects related to team management or rely on artificial intelligence and focus only on winning games.
Fans of all kinds of achievements will surely be satisfied with a special room where we can display our collection. We receive them not only for winning tournaments but also for long, successful passes or a thorough review of all menu items.
Technical aspects
The graphics have undergone minor improvements like a more faithful representation of TV transmissions. ESPN NFL Football also features new animations and an improved replay system.
Last updated on August 5, 2019
ESPN NFL Football Summary
Platforms:
PlayStation 2 December 5, 2003
Xbox September 2, 2003
Developer: Visual Concepts
Publisher: Sega
Age restrictions: none
