How Does ESPN NFL 2K5 Compare To The “Other” Football Video Game?

In the three weeks of this series so far (part I, part II, part III) ESPN has jumped out to a 2–1 lead, but Madden was able to cut the deficit in half last week in the graphics department.

Now will it be able to tie it up and force a sudden death overtime?

This week the debate will be on presentation and sound. Last week's comparison showed us that ESPN could not keep up with Madden's graphical prowess, but that should have been expected. Now, the tables have turned as we are now talking about what may be NFL 2K's strongest point. Can Madden hold a candle to NFL 2K5? This could get ugly.

In both of these games, prior to the match-up you select your respective teams and uniforms and several settings that you could adjust for the game ahead. Once this has taken place, the similarities have ended.

In ESPN, a virtual Chris Berman runs down the match-up that is up ahead and gives his take on what could happen. He then hands the duties over to Dan and Peter for the play-by-play duties. They rundown who they think will make the biggest impact in the game as cameras fly by to show the player warming up. Even the coin toss has its own animations with the captains coming up and choosing heads or tails and the referee making the call. From the coin toss to key players the pre-game introductions are phenomenal and never seem to be repetitive.

In Madden, a non-visible Marshall Faulk gives a brief explanation as to which team will win and predicts a score which is fairly mundane and pretty repetitive right out of the gate. The players are then introduced according to their weapons, and come through fireworks and cool camera angles. This is a very nice addition and really adds to the presentation element. The coin toss follows this which, is just a screen.

Presentation (In-Game)

ESPN feels and looks like a TV broadcast. The play-by-play is phenomenal and the TV style overlays really make it seem like you are watching a football game. Stats will pop up from time-to-time, camera fly-bys of the coaches will occur, and players will be talking strategy or celebrating on the sideline. You can even see the referees on the field and sometimes they can even get in your way! If there is something on TV during a football games, you will see it in this game as it replicates the sport perfectly.

"Yes, we are listening to the radio while playing a sports video game. He doesn't even call the game as if you were listening to the radio..."

After the coin toss in Madden, Marshall tosses the game to ... ummmm ... "The Radio Guy." Yes, we are listening to the radio while playing a sports video game. While he does get excited at appropriate times, he just doesn't say anything unique. He doesn't even call the game as if you were listening to the radio, because you would need more visual cues since you are supposedly not really watching anything.

Also, the lack of any stat overlays or TV style cameras make this just a football game being played. Nothing wows you as you watch your team plays against your opponent.

During both halftime and post-game report, ESPN features shows hosted by Chris Berman as he goes through the big plays and stats of the game. There are even highlights that are replayed with his commentary and wacky nicknames. He goes through the stats and sees what the teams need to do to get back on track in the game. Very, VERY intuitive and groundbreaking for its time and has yet to really be surpassed by any game in this category.

During both halftime and post-game report in Madden, the top 5 plays are listed and the user is able to go through and watch the replays. That's about it. Oh yeah, the ring level of the user gets added up to see if you might have obtained a better ring.

Sound

On the field, both Madden and ESPN are virtually the same. They both have what seem to be generic grunts and groans of players as they battle in the trenches or make big hits. Madden has several real Quarterback voices to help maintain authenticity which is a very nice addition. Other than that, nothing stands out on the field.

In the booth, ESPN's commentary is better by four landslides. They have an actual team of announcers that do a fantastic job with the play-by-play duties and it rarely sounds robotic or butchered. Some of the best commentary ever is seen in this game and it really helps the player feel like they are watching a TV broadcast.

"It is really stunning to see that a game this old can still hold its own against the 'next-gen' of football."

In Madden, the radio announcer does a decent job for the first couple of games because he is something different than people are used to. However, after some amount of games he gets tiresome and it gets really repetitive. It really hurts the presentation of this game when the announcing isn't even done right. "The Radio Guy" sounds robotic at times and is even late at calling plays as they happen.

After going through several aspects of presentation and touching on the sound of things it is easy to see who the clear-cut winner is. ESPN wins this round and thus wins this series 3 – 1. It is really stunning to see that a game this old can still hold its own against the “next-gen” of football. Madden 09 does look very promising as it has finally seen what ESPN has done in the past and looks to improve upon itself.

Thank you to everyone who has tuned in to this series and maybe I will see you next time with a new comparison.