NFL 2K2 Review

So good it’s almost maddening.

If the console wars were a bar fight, the Xbox would be the gigantic, muscular

brawler, the Gamecube would be the stylish but smallish kung-fu fighter, and the

PS2 would be the tall, handsome secret agent guy. However, at this point in the

fight, the Xbox would only be wielding a knife and the Gamecube a broken bottle.

Meanwhile, Mr. PS2 would be locking and loading his FA-MAS assault rifle and wetting

the blade of his demonic saber to hack into some virtual-competition.

The PS2 just has so many weapons this holiday season, and with the release

of Sega Sports’ NFL 2K2, it’s added yet another piece of potent munitions

to its bristling arsenal. Unfortunately, in the transition from DC to PS2, the

game has lost its online potential, and so sheds its sharpest edge. The move

also means it’s in direct competition with EA’s Madden series, which

makes its subtle advantages and weaknesses all the more crucial.

In the esoteric features department, the Madden series has a slight

upperhand with its Madden Cards and ability to draft saved players from NCAA

2002 dynasties. Madden 2002 also has a superior

Practice mode and the nifty Challenge mode.

On the other hand, NFL 2K2‘s Practice mode is inaccessible if you have

something other than a dual-shock plugged into the second port. Now, that doesn’t

make sense to me either and I’m sure there’s a great explanation, but the game

does block you out of Practice mode for a less than obvious reason.

NFL 2K2‘s features are generic, albeit well done. Everything you would

expect from a modern football game is included, like a Create a Player mode

with tons of options and accessories and a Franchise mode with complete stats

and records.

But like any hunter will tell ya, it’s not the silver sheen or fancy engravings

that make a good gun, but the smooth feel and clean action. In this regard,

NFL 2K2 scores a bullseye with a blazing framerate, a caffeinated pace

and the dynamite control scheme NFL 2K games are famous for.

Running the ball is particularly exciting in NFL 2K2, with the ability

to store energy for trickier spin moves and stronger stiff arms. Unlike Madden

games and their acceleration based physics, players in NFL 2K2 move fast

all the time which definitely lends a twitch factor to the control. While such

a twitch means more precise gameplay, it can also be a detriment.

The analog stick is extremely sensitive to movement, and so are your players.

As a result, you can put your players through some weird loops and maneuvers

before gaining control of them, especially when changing players in the middle

of a play.

The difficulty setting greatly changes the nature of the running game. On

Rookie, your running back practically runs over everything in his path and can

fell all but the largest mobs with a casual stiff arm. However, on Pro and All-Pro

settings, your RB becomes far more vulnerable and the defense amazingly formidable.

Such differences make for a more dynamic game, supplying both the means for

a belligerent, unrealistic slaughter, and a gritty, inch-by-inch exposition

of superior strategy.

No matter which difficulty you choose, your running backs and receivers will

look great. NFL 2K2 has the most sophisticated network of animations

I’ve ever seen in a game, with players twisting and dodging with a natural grace

that used to be exclusive to televised football. And not only do the animations

look great, they correspond to a smoothness of collision detection that puts

the Madden games to shame.

NFL

2K2‘s passing game is augmented by Maximum Passing, which allows the player

to more accurately control the placement of the football in relation to the

receiver. By pressing the left analog stick in a given direction, the player

can lead or under-throw receivers based on the coverage. This feature and pressure-sensitive

passing buttons combine to create one of the most accurate and intuitive passing

games to date.

On the defensive side of the football, the game is at its plainest, but still

manages to avoid some of the more irritating attributes of other recent football

games. For example, even though the game moves at a brisk pace, you don’t usually

miss tackles outright. Don’t get me wrong – slippery running backs will make

you miss plenty, but at least you won’t be falling on your face before they’re

able to plant you there.

Another thing you might notice on the defensive side of the ball is the computer’s

inability to use timeouts effectively. The computer consistently fails to stop

the clock at crucial moments, and instead lets the clock run down right before

kicking what would have been a game-winning field goal. While odd, this oversight

really isn’t that bad and shouldn’t hamper your enjoyment of the game.

Graphically, NFL 2K2 is so subtle and in tune that half the time the

game looks just like TV. The animation moves at a fluid rate, the textures are

life-like, and the general visual presentation is terrific. The faces look extremely

realistic and exhibit appropriate emotions, while clouds float across the sky

above the fields, casting realistic shadows over player and field alike.

Aurally NFL 2K2 is outstanding, with agonizing groans, violent screams

and muted trash-talking between the players. Whereas most games only have one

or two “Ouches” and “Dangs,” NFL 2K2 practically has a different expression

of pain for every hit. Choke-slamming a running back to hear them respond in

a unique expression of physical anguish is a wonderfully guilty pleasure.

And to top it off, the commentary isn’t half-bad. Sure, the voices of Dan

Stevens, Peter O’Keefe and Michelle Weshphal are inauthentic, but the natural

delivery of the commentators’ lines is rivaled only on television.

Overall, NFL 2K2 is an outstanding football game. However, without

an online component, the gap in quality between this game and Madden 2002

is largely subjective. If you’re an old Madden fan, you might want to

rent this game first just to make sure the different style doesn’t turn you

off, but otherwise NFL 2K2 is a game that belongs in any serious football

gamer’s stocking.