Love at First Sight?

[VCdolphin]

Pretty much loved it from the start. As a longtime 2K fan, it was very exciting to have a new football game after three years.

Going in and grabbing Marino, Fryer, Martin and a couple other former Dolphins, then creating the team unis and colors was a blast. Went with the Miami Sharks, loved the Amity stadium, and the gameplay was good.

A fair-good start for APF, but I'm hopeful VC gets to do a 2K9 with more depth to it.

[umd]

Being an EA "twitcher" I struggled with the controls at first, but now I really do enjoy the game and am as comfortable with it as any EA football game. I posted my reviews of the 3 games in this thread:

NCAA vs APF vs Madden A look...

I've given all three games a shot and APF even made me dust off the PS2 and fire up NFL 2k5. Man, 2k5 is even better now that I know the controls solid. I'm playing more 2k5 than APF (w/ some Madden and NCAA) until my OS Draft League starts for APF...

[Eddie1967]

Quote: Originally Posted by spankdatazz22

I loved 2K5, but wasn't a big fan of it's directional control and the default running animation. With APF, I remember reading the initial complaints that it looks "just like 2K5 in hi-def". When I initially booted it up I didn't feel that was an exact description, but I was underwhelmed. But after playing I began to appreciate it more and more. And once I got into the team creation/uniform editor phase there was no turning back. I think the area VC really dropped the ball on was the game's default uniforms - they're just too bland and uninspiring. Especially when you consider the great job they did w/the stadiums/crowds/sidelines. The graphics in the game are actually quite good; I'd liken them to NBA2K7 quality - once you've created nice unis that is. The gameplay is great; it can be appreciated that much more once you create some nice uniforms. It even makes the other bland teams look better. 95%+ of my games have been exhibition games where I've created teams, tweaked them, and just play with/against them (since I have two controllers) or just watch them play each other. Even with it missing franchise, I feel APF is far superior to 2K5. I'm crossing my fingers that they'll put out a patch that will allow us to edit and play w/the cpu created teams for exhibition and season play. That would go a long way towards making the offline play more enjoyable. Personally I think they lost out on a good chunk of sales by not having better looking uniforms as the default.

Uniforms don't make me appreciate the gameplay. It's already brilliant IMO. I know how you love uniforms so that is funny. Uniforms had nothing to do with low sales, it was IMO, the lack of a franchise. You and those uniforms. LOL

[xrams]

Quote: Originally Posted by umd

Being an EA "twitcher" I struggled with the controls at first, but now I really do enjoy the game and am as comfortable with it as any EA football game. I posted my reviews of the 3 games in this thread: NCAA vs APF vs Madden A look... I've given all three games a shot and APF even made me dust off the PS2 and fire up NFL 2k5. Man, 2k5 is even better now that I know the controls solid. I'm playing more 2k5 than APF (w/ some Madden and NCAA) until my OS Draft League starts for APF...

I just read your review... very well done... not to long and balanced...

Quote: Originally Posted by umd's review

On the field: This game is just fun, smart, x's and o's football to play. People argue that APF is a thinking coach's game. I don't know about everyone else, but I agree. I think when I play NCAA, but I think harder when I play APF. With APF I feel like if I don't, the computer (or human) makes me pay.

I think you hit the nail on the head...!!! you will pay if you don't call the right "D".... I read alot about folks indicating poor DB play... poor LB play... but, as with any platform that gives you a huge outstanding array of defensive/offensive options.... I feel its only right that you get penalized for calling the incorrect formation.... just like in the NFL... one wrong move and you get beat.... I like that about APF....


again good write up...!!!

[Red Ronin]

Quote: Originally Posted by xrams

I knew I wasn't going to be disappointed.... what I love the most is not about the game... it the fact that I don't have to watch and hear the folks play madden (wishing I had a game to play), like a little boy who's bike was stolen.... I mean the last three yrs. have been hard as he>LL..... just to have a (FootBall) gaming season back for those whom chose to boycott the other game feels like I've been re-born....

Ditto!

Red Ronin

[spankdatazz22]

Quote: Originally Posted by Eddie1967

Uniforms don't make me appreciate the gameplay. It's already brilliant IMO. I know how you love uniforms so that is funny. Uniforms had nothing to do with low sales, it was IMO, the lack of a franchise. You and those uniforms. LOL

I say the "look" is important because the first judgement we make is visual. After thinking about it perhaps I am wrong for being so uptight/anal about the game's default unis. But I went ahead and did some captures; all from the same perspective - all cpu vs. cpu games. Just to see if it affects a person's opinion on the game's overall visuals. They look a lot better in hi-def of course. First up is cpu vs. cpu default styles game:




Next up are a couple teams "inspired by" the Cowboys and old Oilers teams:



These are some inspired by the Bears and old Eagles unis:



And last are the default Sharks versus my created Sharks:



I'm not a very creative person artistically. Yet I was able to whip up decent looking unis in 30min or so. Maybe I am being too anal when it comes to the game's default unis; some of the color combinations and styles seem so unnecessarily busy or out of place. I think when people play the demo and are playing w/teams w/weird color schemes they're not familar with, I think they'd be at least more acceptable if they were cool looking, rather than drab/dull. I could be wrong; just my opinion

[umd]

Quote: Originally Posted by xrams

I just read your review... very well done... not to long and balanced... I think you hit the nail on the head...!!! you will pay if you don't call the right "D".... I read alot about folks indicating poor DB play... poor LB play... but, as with any platform that gives you a huge outstanding array of defensive/offensive options.... I feel its only right that you get penalized for calling the incorrect formation.... just like in the NFL... one wrong move and you get beat.... I like that about APF.... again good write up...!!!

I just think people get too caught up with who makes the game instead of what is actually in the game and how it relates to what you find important to make a football game worth playing. Do I wish I had a game that got all the best aspects of the 3 right? You bet I do. Both companies have collectively given us decent football games to play. Are they all around spectacular? No they're not this year.

They all give you different things and APF gives me the gameplay. Better yet, it also has me very satisfied in the rebirth of my 3 year old copy of NFL 2k5 in my PS2. Of which I have played 4 games of tonight and enjoyed every one.

[xrams]

Quote: Originally Posted by spankdatazz22

I say the "look" is important because the first judgement we make is visual. After thinking about it perhaps I am wrong for being so uptight/anal about the game's default unis. But I went ahead and did some captures; all from the same perspective - all cpu vs. cpu games. Just to see if it affects a person's opinion on the game's overall visuals. They look a lot better in hi-def of course. First up is cpu vs. cpu default styles game:

Your not alone spank... A good friend of mine came over to play 3wks ago... I showed him how to set up a team so we could play since he couldn't us the APF established teams.... when he finished and his team met my STL Rhinos.... he laughed 1st at my stadium... w/the safari look and the rhino busting through the middle.. he said the scene reminded him of Disneyland.... also his mocked my unis... especially the yellow shoes....

of course that laughs quickly faded with the gameplay started...