Graphics - 4:
This is pretty rough stuff here. I realize this is an older game, but it is rough even by older standards. The cut scenes are roughly animated and seem to be at a very limited frames per second. The game itself does not animate a whole lot better, and the colors and textures are really bland and muddy.
Sound & Music - 6:
Some of the commentary is actually pretty funny, but it gets really repetitive. The sound effects and music are not bad, they're simply bland. They do an effective job of relaying the action through the announcers and the game's effects, but they are not what I would consider interesting in the least.
Gameplay - 6:
It really depends on what you are looking for. This game is more simulation than actual action sports title. In fact, there's no real 'action' at all. The entire game is predicated on dice rolls that determine the success or failure of every single action. Of course, some of them make sense. Dodge a tackle, knock someone down, catch a pass? There's a reasonable level of expectation to these actions being associated to a roll of the dice. Others however, like being able to walk into a clear space or throw a pass that goes three open squares? The roll mechanic just feels overused and almost cheap. Instead of taking a 'skill' team that favors the deep ball, I found myself favoring brutes simply because the tackle/turnover odds were better.
Intangibles - 6:
There are several modes, though I had trouble finding any activity in online leagues. This is likely due to the fact that the game has been out a few years. That said, the season mode has some interesting facets such as the player progressions and the ability to earn money to buy more perks. Even still, the game feels a bit shallow at the end of the day and I found myself barely able to slog through even a single season.
This seems like a harsh score, but the game really let me down. Fantasy + football seemed like a fantastic idea, but outside of the team progression the game itself really failed to hold my interest. Many of the rules and gameplay mechanics were unclear to start, and even when I did understand them, I found them to be often quite annoying. There is a lot of potential here, but it's unrealized potential that left me wondering 'what if' instead of appreciating what was there.
