All Pro Football 2K8 Impressions

I'm not really a big football fan in terms of NFL. That being said, I don't have a favorite team (I hate the hometown Packers.) I enjoy football for what it is - a damn good sport. I play high school football, but that's about as far as it goes. Every once in a while I'll play Madden, but I'm not a yearly "subscriber" by any means, and the last Madden game I bought was 06 when it was about $10 used. APF2K8 is really a welcome surprise to me - it is a love-letter to football fans and perfectionists alike. I love variables when it comes to customization - the team creator does NOT disappoint.

Whether I'm playing with my Knights, Rhinos, or Stallions, I can basically take any mascot, make it any color, change the uniforms in any way, and never see another team quite like it. Sure there are limits in terms of complete customization (like not being able to type in a name for your team) because of the restrictions placed by the NFL, simply put, 2K sports doesn't own the rights. That being said though, you can still come close. Are you are fan of the Dolphins? Well maybe no dolphins, but you can make them the sharks, marlins, whales, or orcas. How about you Viking fans? Maybe you can live with the Norsemen? I mean, besides the logo differences, you can make the uniform and color schemes as accurate as you want.


Almost a viking...right?

The legends system is alright, but flawed in terms of depth. I can have 2 gold star players, but really who is going to pass up a gold star quarterback for a gold star lineman? Maybe someone who wants to focus on strong defense, but then your offense suffers when you have mediocre skill positions - the players that really matter. Lack of modes is another little downgrade. I wish there was a franchise, that way I could create a league of only my created teams (season mode is pretty shallow too.) The graphics are also kinda blah. The game runs fine, but everything is a little muddy and not quite right. Animations are good but sometimes get in the way and are annoying. Online is good like most 2K Sports games, and I love the fact that you never see the same team twice. That's right, no more people spamming the Patriots or the Chargers or what have you, the customization is great.

Overall I give this game a 6.5/10.