Your review score : | Current user average : 6 | 2 users have rated this game
Review Summary :
8.6
Gameplay The gameplay is similar to that offered in Madden and NCAA with the exception of those rule differences enforced because of the differences between the two forms of football. There are some nice tackling and catching animations and you get a real sense of the action in Arena Football. The playbooks however are limited and the emphasis is very much on scoring points as quickly and as often as possible. EA has definitely produced a very solid gameplay experience.
7.7
Graphics The players look good but the graphics are no better than those offered in Madden or NCAA. The crowd is not exactly close to the action and is very 2 dimensional. Given how the AFL players often fall over the wall into the front row of seats it's disappointing to see such a flat crowd. However, the players do make catches against the walls and fall over them and those are nicely implemented by EA.
8.0
Longevity Longevity is hurt by the lack of a franchise mode with season mode offering only a single year experience. Nevertheless, the online capability makes this a game that you can play online and have tremendous fun with.
7.9
Presentation The integration of the ESPN Sports Center radio updates is very sweet but the ESPN implementation is very limited. When are EA going to start using this ESPN license properly ? Aside from that the menus screens are very basic, although the stats and player bios are done nicely. The stat and roster screens are very similar to those found in Madden and NCAA Football.
7.2
Sound The lack of a commentator really hurts the game and the arena announcer sounds familiar to those of us who have played NCAA Football (those college football games that aren't televised). The crowd makes some noise and partially gets involved in the action but the overall atmosphere is limited.
7.9
Overall For a first release in this series EA has done a great job with Arena Football. They've taken the license and produced a very solid product and exciting game of football. You won't sink deep into the playbooks and get involved in a franchise mode but you will have an entertaining pick-up-and-play type of football experience. Clearly EA have laid the foundation for the franchise to develop from this onward and upward in future years.
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