ESPN NFL 2005 has officially become a true playa in the football gaming market.
Madden has brand recognition and will sell copies regardless of product quality, but if you are a fan of football games, you really should consider checking out ESPN NFL 2005.
Mainly, because it is $20 and comes out Wednesday. If you spend $5 renting the game, you have already paid 1/4 of the full price. This game out pre-ordered Halo 2 in one day (at EBWorld.com) when they announced the $20 release price.
I have been reading a lot about this game, and it's quite daunting to write about all the new features, additions, and improvements, so I will instead link to a few reviews that have been released at this point.
Off the top of my head, the game has online leagues with living rosters, incredible presentation, a VIP system that tracks player tendencies and allows you to download and play against a real human's "bot" offline, a totally revamped graphics engine, draft coverage by Mel Kiper (that affects where players are taken), and lastly, the game is $19.99 and hits store shelves Wednesday, July 21st.
I know most people are going to buy Madden and blow off ESPN as being a discount priced joke, and that is fine, but after reading up and following the development of this game, I think it's something you should seriously consider checking out if you are looking for a quality football game this year.
Reviews of the game can be read at the following sites:
Take care, and if you do pick up the game, please reply with your impressions, comments, and even reviews, here.