Operation Sports Forums - ESPN 2K4 review by gamepro

I found this on another site.

Hopefully this is not a repost of this review...

ESPN NFL Football comes roaring out of the tunnel and onto the video
game football field with a vengence. The game formally known as NFL 2K4 has attitude, energy and more than a few cool new features. Along with the big-time gameplay, a jumbo-jet-load of features, a little bling-bling and oh yes, and great football action too.

Alright lets's just get this out of the way: ESPN NFL Football's First Person Football is a knockout!! First of all, you have to appriciate the audacity of this design; that ESPN pulls it off is all the more impressive.
You can play an entire season in this mode. Helmet look and feel is excellent. On defense as a linebacker for instance, the ugly gets nasty as you go facemask to facemask with blockers who impede your attack on the the ballcarrier. On offense, the ball exchange between quarterback and ballcarriers incorporates nicely tuned bullettime annimation to enable you to adjust your field perspective. Very slick.
The potential replay value for the game is enormous. Of course, until ESPN has had a full season under its belt, the jury's out as to whether first person football is here to stay or not...but, it is very cool.

That being said the regular "old" football is pro caliber. For both the XBOX and PS2 versions, are great. ESPN has the best-looking face models hands down. The body models still retain a sort of long arm, stiff hands look. Animation is generally smooth and players display both pre and post play antics that are so lifelike, its errie.
The controls get a major facelift with a traditional playcalling screen that features formations with plays in three windows. The systems simple to master. Armchair coaches will appreciate the ease with which the interface enables you to manage tactical intracies, including the audible setup that assigns multiple audibles based on each formation. On defense you can preset defensive backs to always double-up on a specifc star wideout, among other moves. Online gamers get a "cleaner" game of head to head football with both the XBOX and PS2. A major effort has gon into elimating online cheating this season.

ESPN puts on an entertaining show too, and headling the festivites is the new CRIB mode. This is bascially a virtual bachelor's pad worthy of any jock millionaire. As in real life you start out with nothing but a hot tub, but as you accomplish such far ranging activities as winning games, setting on-field records, or even exploring ESPN football features, your inventory starts to resemble a Sharper Image catalog. For instance, you get autographed jerseys, trophies for your trophy case, and even fun stuff like and air hockey table mini-game. Even tunes on ripped to the Jukebox if you have an XBOX.
You don't have to crash at your CRIB if you're a football game purist, but you might want to make an occasional visit. You could find cheasts, historic players you can add to your current rosters, and special hidden skills.
If nothing else ESPN NFL Football earns kudos as a masterful effort. It does literally refefines itself within that span of one year. If this game can't get you excited about pro football, you must be a Cardinals fan.

Love to hear this kind of review and not the EGM bull&%$*.