I will be a first time ESPN NFL buyer what should I expect?

[Radja]

you have to learn espn to even start playing it. to get good, you have to:
1) practice.
2) read your coverage.
3) follow your blocks.
4) stay in the pocket.
5) you cant call the same defense every time.
6) you cant go for it on fourth down every time.

i was a maddenite until dreamcast nfl 2k2. i did not play madden since 2001 and picked up madden 2004 and it was like i never stopped. i called the same d, went for it on fourth every time. i beat every maddenite i played. it is not a bad game, but it is easy.

madden is fun against humans if you want to talk junk. any fool can pick up a controller and have at least some success against me. but espn, if you dont know how to play, you get stoned, beat, crushed, demolished.

[goh]

what should I expect from the series?

Great gameplay,graphics,more realism

How is the AI?

It's variable
Last time in week 3(my 8th game..4 preseason + exibition) I won 12-8 thanks to a 4th and goal sack by Peppers(did fantasy draft)
2 weeks later I won 63-13

How is the pbp?

Very well done. They don't have the real ESPN announcers but at least they dont recycle too many lines.

What was the main weakness of last years game?

Many say it was too many broken tackles wich is a problem I never had.
For me it was create-a-team.

Basically in what ways is ESPN NFL better than Madden?

Just about every way

[Daudr]

If they don't fix it, you can expect super running backs that can break tackles with a single glance. I'm hoping that they fix it, but all of the previews still say that it has it in there, and the videos seem to bear that out. I just hope that they fix it this time.

[jmood88]

Quote:

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Daudr said:
If they don't fix it, you can expect super running backs that can break tackles with a single glance. I'm hoping that they fix it, but all of the previews still say that it has it in there, and the videos seem to bear that out. I just hope that they fix it this time.

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What previews other than the gamespot one? And the breaking tackles wasn't that bad as you are making it out to be.

[Daudr]

Wasn't that bad? It is so bad that all the cheesers online use Rickie Williams and run 100% of the time.

Granted, if you call good defense and use good play-calling, you can help alleviate some of the issue, but to state that it isn't that big of a deal, is fallacious.

[jmood88]

Quote:

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Daudr said:
Wasn't that bad? It is so bad that all the cheesers online use Rickie Williams and run 100% of the time.

Granted, if you call good defense and use good play-calling, you can help alleviate some of the issue, but to state that it isn't that big of a deal, is fallacious.

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I don't play online so I don't know about that but it isn't nearly as bad as you make it out to be. I do have problems with ricky williams or eddie george but they aren't as big and I can usually stop them when they try other things.

[GTheorenHobbes]

I think the problem with the running backs last year, if there was one, was with online. The single player experience for me was fine, and I didn't even really tweak any sliders. I've seen some pretty good posters say that there was a problem with them online though, so I can't dispute that.

[Daudr]

That might explain it, because I almost played exclusively online with it. It was so bad I just took it back and kept Madden.