2K Sports Legends Football.
I must admit that this is a leap based on very little information and founded primary on a number of circumstancial points: 2K has made wonderful football titles in the past and has had about 3 years from their last release to put into the project instead of pushing out a new full release every 12 months, Madden has whimpered into next gen with cut features and absolutely nothing new in terms of innovation of revolutionary development of technology (a total shame for one of the best selling titles every year), and most ear popping is the "rumor" that 2K8 is using NaturalMotion technology.
Long have I bemoaned that graphics suffer because animation gets the short end of the stick. While animation doesn't really translate to screenshots for PR purposes, it is just as import to visuals from a graphical perspective and significantly more important to gameplay. Madden is one of the worse offenders. 2K was offering team tackling years ago and EA only introduced it to the PS3 this last year--ouch. Football is he one sport that sticks out in regards to the dynamics of the motion due to the immense amount of contact that happens on every single play. Oh how it has pained me to see the same tackles... even worse seeing a tackle animation begin only for a 2nd defender to approach and be unable to participate in the tackle action and do the "moonwalk" or "leap of faith without moving" animations. Another classic example of how animation in football games are broken (and impacting gameplay) is blocking. e.g. You have a OL engaged with a DL and you have a LB stunt... and your run into the OL side or feet because the DL has taken the opposite gap and turned the lineman sideways. In reallife the OL is going to get steamrolled by your stunting LB and both you and the DL are going to have free access to the QB if the OL opens himself up like this. In Madden? The OL remains engaged with the DL and you are stuck doing a moonwalk, in place, incapable of getting by the lineman. Sure there are cases where Madden will let you slip by or where the OL disengages or flops but it is all too unnatural and unrealistic.
Simply put the animation system is broken in this regards, and equally the gameplay for tackling, blocking, rushing/juking, etc are broken.
2K8 probably won't fix all these problems. I don't really expect them to actually. But they are going to take a stab at it and doing so with an animation system that should be much more robust. Will it be broken in some ways? Certainly. Will it open up new exploits that are nearly impossible to resolve due to the more dynamic nature of the system? Probably. Will this first version be unbalanced? Yeah, and typically it is something core (e.g. past games have flipped flopped from being too difficult to rush or pass... hopefully they do the full on Madden treatment on sliders). And most likely they will stubbornly adhear to the arcady charge-execute speed burst instead of Madden's far superior 85% run with full agility w/o speed burst, with speed burst (unlimited) less agility.
So I am not expecting a perfect game or even the "purest" football game--it won't have active licensed teams, players, or coaches. 2K also lost their ESPN license which could impact presentation significantly. It is going to have some short comings which will result in Madden selling better and be missing features that have been standard to football games for a decade.
So how in the world can I choose a game I expect to be broken to a degree, and surely incomplete compared to the genre standard, when there are killer, killer apps coming in 2007?
My love of football clouds my vision to a degree. But 2K has proven to be capable of making an awesome gridiron experience. Further, football games are as robust, detailed, and rewarding as any other genre. Action elements, RPG elements, strategical and tactical elements both on and off the field, etc flesh out America's most popular sport on TV and in videogames. Add in customization, replayability (hundreds of hours), and online it is easy to see how the package, as a game, competes with even the best games.
But it is the animation that has my tongue tingling. The idea of running backs all running different based on size and physical attributes and reacting to a wannabe tacklers force in relation the dynamics of each player is awesome. Seeing the animations be much more variable and seeing much more emphasis on tiny details like the stupidity of trying to arm tackle Jerome Bettis or trying to level Barry Sanders in an open field tackle or how your player has a shoe string and your fellow tacklers come in for a sweet dynamic tackle that looks totally lifelike. And the possibility of injuries being tied to these animations and how a really nasty collision where your player crumples wrong results in an injury related directly to the actions on the field -- instead of some cryptic injury generator -- has awesome potential. As does seeing the impact of fatigue and field conditions on player movement, agility, and contact.
The possibilities are endless. I have easily spent more time playing football games than any other genre of games. And while I have enjoyed the Madden series for many years I have also enjoyed the 2K series and what they brought to the table. The last couple years have seen some horrible Madden releases that clearly milk next gen gamers with the clear intent to upsell/resell features from the older consoles (2K proved with their first basketball this wasn't necessary as they shipped a graphically improved version that also had all the features of the older console games). It seems clear Madden is milking the NFL license and has had no ambition to improve the franchise other than minor superficial updates. Thankfully it looks like 2K is resuming their old role of challenging Madden and taken it to them where it counts: On the field and directing attention to elements in dire need of updating.
Hopefully the released product lives up to my anticipation. Seeing as I know hardly anything about the title and haven't seen a shred of info on it this is a huge leap of faith fueled by my apithy toward Madden and my knowledge that 2K is equally skilled at making football titles and is hungry to show us the NFL made a huge mistake--and we consumers should have been buying their games all along.
My choice is out on a limb, but the other titles coming are equally to blame for my choice. All great titles shaping up to be great titles but each does something (or more often doesn't!) that turns me off or there isn't enough information to even make a judgement. Halo 3, while absolutely stunning in the E3 tech video, has showed a lot of crappy media as of late... and most importantly I haven't read a word about any progressive gameplay designs. I know Halo fans want more Halo in HD, but as a consumer who didn't own an Xbox I am looking for a cutting edge next gen experience in regards to gameplay. Halo1 had a lot of small innovations and evolutions to the genre as well as stuff like vehicles which were rare at the time. I expect them to do the same. GTAIV is a total unknown and I have never been interested in the previous titles. Mass Effect looks awesome and deep... but the combat turns me off. Everything about the game seems perfect (well, not the eyes) lest why cannot I get an action/traditional FPS like controls in combat? Sigh... Bioshock is kind of the other extreme on RPG/FPS, and as it lacks online it won't appeal to me. Looks great, if not creepy. I may wet my pants. Assassin's Creed looks killer with slock animation, but I want to know more about the combat system. I like systems that require skill and are not dumbed down... online MP features are also a question mark. Lost Odyssey looks like a traditional RPG (not my cup of tea at all), FM2 looks to have great gameplay but lacks graphically from my expectations but more importantly is missing one of the most important next gen features I have seen--cabin view with inertia affecting the POV. And finally BFBC, I love BF1942. Absolutely love the game and DC had me playing it for nearly 3 years. BF2 was fun... but really buggy with ick support. BF:V was similar and I would sooner forget it and BF2142. But the large battle, team oriented, fast action / use any weapon or vehicle you want open world is a blast and I love the franchise. And the fact they have destructible world items... wow. The game is an absolute looker too. I was very tempted to put this #1, but not knowing what online features it would have (if any?) and how destruction translates online are huge question marks. I have tended to HATE "console" adaptations of games to "fit" the console consumer because I am a PC gamer at heart and absolutely love the PC series. Give me the PC series with destruction please! Please repi
Staw Wars: The Force Unleashed also has me curious due to its destruction and animation systems... but the lack of gameplay footage the Lucas Arts long history of destroying anything SW since Tie Fighter versus X-Wing has me concerned. Will this be a game or tech demo? Will I even care?
As good as the games of 2007 are shaping up to be it is the unknown in one of my favorite genres that has me most excited. And while I feel Mass Effect is getting a slight due to my uninterest in the gameplay (which is unfortunate as the game absolutely looks to rock across the board) and that BFBC is only a victim of not seeing enough gameplay, the mere thought of getting a better football game that answers my number 1 gripe is giddy worthy.
So if 2K8's football game lives up to most of my expectations you can bet I will be a happy camper... maybe even one with a PS3/Xbox 360 to enjoy it
