So you get to build a team from the greatest players in NFL history and
that's pretty cool. Now, just don't expect to put them on any actual NFL team.
All-Pro has a bunch of minor league sounding teams with funky logos and wild
stadiums already created. I thought this part could have been a lot more fun and
over the top, especially the stadiums. There are some cool looking stadiums, I
especially liked the Gothic feel of the Werewolves playing at Blue Sun Stadium
and the way War Memorial Stadium, built to feel like an aircraft carrier, would
fire missiles from the fighter planes whenever the home team scores.
Gameplay is the key and this is where All-Pro isn't all-pro. All-Pro Football
2K8 seems stuck back in 2005 on the Xbox instead of making the move to the 360.
It seems apparent that 2K Sports didn't spend the last few years getting ready
for a comeback, but instead kind of looked surprised that they were back in the
game. The controls never feel right and the passing game is just irritating. The
animation is pretty cool but graphically it is very hit and miss. You can tell
they spent a lot of time trying to get some players to look good, while others
don't even come close to their real-life counterparts and the officials look
like gray-faced zombies. I did find the selection of Rush's Tom Sawyer as the
main theme interesting and darn cool.
My complaints with All-Pro are the general lack of polish. For example, don't
be surprised to see players from your own team on different teams and if you
happen to have “drafted” two players with the same numbers they will both play
with that number. It messes up with injuries also but showing on screen a
graphic that says your player will be out of 7 weeks but then the announcers
come on and say the player will be back in a quarter. Those are bothersome, but
when the game can't get the rules correct, that's when I get ticked off. Near
the end of a game I was down by five points and driving for a touchdown. I had
to go for it on fourth and six but got stopped. The big bummer is that there was
a defensive penalty for roughing the QB. I should have kept the ball and gotten
a first down. Unfortunately what really happened was the game called it a
turnover on downs and tacked a 15 yard penalty on the other team so that they
had the ball and a first and 25. Not the right call and sad to see such an
obvious oversight. Oh, and on a slightly controversial note, I found it beyond
tasteless that O.J. Simpson could be on a team called the Assassins who's logo
is a hand holding a knife...
In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated:
74%. It's nice to see that Madden has competition
again, but this just isn't the year where All-Pro challenges seriously. Like
they say, maybe next year.
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