ESPN NFL 2k5

[ForwardtoDeath]

Has anyone here played this game yet. Im thinking of buying it, it has gotten good reviews and for 20 bucks, how could you go wrong. Im just interested in seeing what other people think about it who have played it before i go out and spend my money. Also, Im a really big fan of Madden 2004, so how different is this from Madden? Furthermore, is the Dynasty mode as deep as in madden?

[quest1mark]

I bought it the day it came out. Although I'm a Madden fan for life, I think the game is the best money can buy and will definately give madden a run for its money. The gameplay is top notch and the graphics are excellent.

[NeverBorn]

I agree, well worth the 20 bucks

[omega2K4]

ESPN NFL 2K5 is the 3rd best football game ever. Right behind #2.) NFL '95 for the Genesis and #1.) Tecmo Super Bowl in the arcade, in my opinion.

ESPN NFL 2K5 is really great on Xbox Live, it tracks pretty much everything you can think of, statistic-wise. Plus you can start up or join tournaments, and/or seasons.

[bouray]

Excellent game, very smooth game play, graphics are great, smooth transitions between plays, quarters, and halftime (the halftime report is amazing)...Madden and EA have better watch their backs.

[Rudel73]

Do they have in depth dynasty mode type deal where you trade players and negiotiate their contracts etc etc? thats what i really love about Madden...adding on to your stadium and all that stuff you know

[NeverBorn]

Franchise Mode, yep they have it

[MontanaXVI]

search..learn..be a god

[NoseyJoe]

the franchise mode lacks the depth of the madden series, the trading and free agency are not up to par, however the gameplay is soooooo good. if i didnt play the franchise mode all the time i would not even buy madden this year. . .

[Ace_O_Spades]

I've decided I'm buyijng ESPN 2k5 for PS2, and Madden 2005 for PC

it's just the way it is

[heccubusiv]

Originally posted by Ace_O_Spades
I've decided I'm buyijng ESPN 2k5 for PS2, and Madden 2005 for PC

it's just the way it is

Ya madden is ussually a lot better for the pc and cheaper... and you cannot pass up a 19.99 dollar game for the ps2 doing the same thing

[Ace_O_Spades]

I just find menus and shit easier to navigate and manipulate with a mouse... and I do a lot of manipulating in the franchise mode of Madden

[Ace_O_Spades]

Oh wow... this game ROCKS

I went and bought it today, and it's 100x more immersive than madden has EVER been for me.

I will still play madden 2005, but i have a feeling this game will be far superior

[japhyryder]

I bought it a couple weeks ago and am loving it. Franchise mode is awesome. It just rocks. Best 19.99 game I have bought in a while. So long Madden

[omega2K4]

FYI, the game features a VIP mode, which is a thing that tracks pretty much everything, your favorite plays, how often you pass/run, where you pass to (left, right, middle) most often (same for rushing), and a lot more. You can even get online and download other people's VIP files and play against them (which play just like the real player).

[gar1976]

I've never played madden, but this game is a steal for 20 bucks.

[clockworkgreen]

Can't wait for NHL 2k5 on top of this one. 2 games for $40, can't go wrong.

[BigGov]

I've logged a good deal of playing time on both ESPN and Madden and I can honestly say you can't go wrong with either one.

It's not to say they're the same, but they are both very well done, very polished, and overall offer great gameplay.

While the Franchise modes in each are nice, big, and very customizable, 95% of the stuff is just worthless. ESPN a feature which lets you lay out the week for your team so their ratings get better. Great idea, except once you find the right layout, you never touch it again. Madden has the whole pricing concept again, which overall is just pointless because if you field a halfway decent team you're not going to have a problem. This is all fine though because key things like roster management are done perfectly in both games. In ESPN you can customize just about everything about someone's contract, little pay the first few years, more later, the same over all years, less in the middle, just about any way you can think. Madden have this feature, but instead they have numerous factors (15-ish) to determine where someone will sign, so in theory a big name free agent could take less money to sign with a contender, or just be a money grubbing whore.

The gameplay in each is very well done too. ESPN 2k5 is the best incarnation of the 2k-series, a decent passing system, a nice running game, nothing really sticks out that makes you say, "WOW!", but on the other hand, nothing will make you pull your hair out and yell, "WHAT THE FUCK?!" and make you want to kick your console ...except for that fucking kicking arrow...moving piece of shit...

Madden on the other side falls on both sides of the spectrum. This years Madden is the best incarnation of the Madden series featuring a spectacular passing system, a decent running game, and the new moves on defense will make the defensive guys out there jump with joy. The Playmaker system that seemed like such a pile of shit last year has been carried over almost untouched completely to 2005, and surprisingly it doesn't suck. The offensive playmaker controls untouched from what I can tell, which is fine. The defense though is where it really shines. Before the snap on defense you just select a guy and flick the right thumbsitck, that player's responsibilities will have changed to either blitz, zone, flat zone, or spy the QB. The other nice new addition are the new Coverage audibles. Before the snap you can easily shift your players to bump and run, loose coverage, or the two new audibles and my favorite, line up directly across your man, and stuff the box. They're pretty self-explanatory, the first will line up your players just across the line so your linebacker won't be assigned to the tight-end on the other end of the line anymore if you don't want it. The second is another favorite of mine, choosing this sticks everyone except cornerbacks right up next to the line. Combine that with the new playmaker ability to blitz specific players and you have one potent defense if you know what you're doing. The "Hit Stick" is also fun when you can use it, but you don't use it much. Strip tackling has been improved too, as your player will go all out for the tackle now while trying to strip the ball. It won't cause a fumble often, but it will make the tackle.

What's so bad about the Madden then? The defense. Oh no, not yours, you're gonna love that. It's the computer and the difficulty. On Pro difficulty, a casual gamer will likely just dominate the competition. On All-Pro and All-Madden difficulties the computer will hand you your ass. Here's an example, on All-Pro difficulty I was playing the Packers and I was up against the pathetic Bears. The Packers have one of the best lines in the game. Consistantly I would be sacked, knocked down, or have something distrupted within 1.5 seconds. Except the Bears were just rushing 4 linemen. It was so fast I couldn't do anything, couldn't scramble, couldn't pass, nothing. That experience definately fell under the, "WHAT THE FUCK?!" catagory. But that's ok, I could deal with it, I pulled back and only had two guys going out for the pass, everyone else was staying back to block. Now, according to simple mathematics, 8 blockers - 4 rushers = 4 guys free to block, hey, how convienient, you can double team every guy, or at least give me a chance back in the pocket. Apparently Tiburon failed math in school because the same result happened. It started treading very quickly into kicking the console territory, but I calmed down and decided it might be a fluke. So I went into Pratice mode, and watched Farve get nailed again, and again, and again. I spent 30 minutes practicing one play. Eventually it got to the spot where maybe 20% of the time I might get lucky and have a second or two in the pocket and I would be able to throw it as far as I could for Dante Hall. He has a 98 SPD and ACC rating. No one is going to catch him, especially if I line him up as the slot receiver. So that's what I did. Lined him up in the game as the slot receiver, got a few seconds, and threw the ball about 50-60 yards. Hall had a good 2-3 yard cushon on the no-name worthless 60 rating Bears corner when suddenly this guy turns into Deion Sanders on steroids, jumps up and deflects the ball, then falls down and tackles Hall just for good measure to make sure he can't catch the ball. Very close to console kicking territory...It wouldn't be so bad if you could control what's happening, but in many cases I just wasn't able to control my guys to do anything before the defense broke through and I had to scramble.

And that is really the only area where the two games are truely different, in the difficulty. In ESPN I played with the Eagles, and 10 games through the season have broken almost every record or am on pace to destroy it. Owens has about 30 touchdowns, 90 receptions, and 3,000 yards. McNabb was injured for 4 games, yet has almost 1,000 yards rushing, and 1,500 passing. Kearse (who I control) had exactly 22.5 sacks when he went down with an injury. This is on the hardest difficulty. It's not like I'm pushing it or trying to be a stat whore a, la Tecmo Super Bowl or anything. I throw to the open man, who is almost always Owens, I rush when the pocket collapses and there's nothing but 20 yards of open field ahead of me, and as I said before, I like defense and know how to blitz correctly.

If I'd have to choose one though, I'd still choose Madden. The speed of Madden feels much closer to that of a real football game, the defensive game is superior, and it is a real challenge.

Sega made a great move by lowering the price of ESPN to $20. I would not have purchased ESPN for $50 because I prefer Madden, but for $20 it was a nice little diversion.