All-Pro Football 2K8 (Playstation 3, 2007)

ESPN NFL 2K5 is one of those games that have developed a seriously hardcore following in recent years. That's because it happens to be one of the most tightly crafted football games ever made, and also because it happens to be the last NFL-licensed game made by 2K Sports, following EA's snatching of the NFL license into the land of exclusivity. For just about three years now, fans of the 2K brand of football have been wringing their hands in anticipation of what 2K might do to bring back an alternative to Madden. The answer is finally here in the form of All-Pro Football 2K8. All-Pro is precisely the kind of football you remember from NFL 2K5--maybe a little too much like it--but with a roster of classic players from NFL yore. The premise? Build your own team out of your favorite old-timers, and compete against other teams full of heroes of the gridiron, both offline and online. It's a very cool idea for a game, especially in the way you build your team, but some niggling issues with the gameplay and presentation, as well as a stripped-down package of modes, prevents 2K8 from being a truly great return for 2K football.

The Good:

* An exciting, highly realistic gameplay engine
* Over 200 classic players to choose from
* Building up teams and taking them online is a lot of fun
* Largely excellent animation
* Great on-field sound effects.

The Bad:

* Much of what makes All-Pro's gameplay so great was done just as well in NFL 2K5 three years ago
* A distinct lack of offline modes
* Player models look ancient (and not just because they're old players)
* Commentary is mostly recycled from 2K5
* Could have used more in the way of customization options.