Sega Sports NFL 2K3

ESPN’s Dan Patrick welcomes you to the exciting world of pro football, then ESPN’s camera angles, split-screen coverage and announcing team take you through the hits, hurdles, spins and blitzes of big-time football.

Sega Sports NFL 2K3, for the Xbox, is a terrifically animated game, full of options, with challenging game play and incredible playbooks. This game sports improved graphical elements, a new franchise mode, and the already-mentioned ESPN perspective.

NFL 2K2 suffered from some minor video breakups as well as an audio track that couldn’t hold the line against the competition. All that has changed. Sure, at game’s end, the players still run to the sideline and line up awkwardly, but in-game graphics are smooth, and dynamic.

There are a few minor problems, such as coloration of some uniforms (Vikings helmets are more blue than purple) and the helmets lack the sharp glossy look of other games. But when it comes to facial animation, NFL 2K3 is way ahead of the pack. The game may have a finite number of models, but the faces grimacing from behind the cages are amazingly lifelike. And come November, this is one of the games that is ready to play on Xbox Live, allowing players to compete head-to-head against other players online.

The game itself has a wonderful variety of playing options. You can jump into a quick game, or attack the franchise option. In addition there are situation, season, playoffs, practice, tournament and online modes of play. In addition, there is the Sega Sport Challenge, which allows you to record your statistics and see where you rank among players around the world.

The franchise mode is incredibly in-depth. You can play the preseason schedule, make trades and other transactions, participate in the fantasy draft, customize the leagues, import the class of NCAA 2K3, resign players (and try to talk players out of retirement), and snag free agents. The scout option uses the NFL Combine to score up and coming talent. From the coach’s desk to the front office, you can manage playbooks and depth charts, as well as work out your game plan.

The game interface features a number of menus for each formation and sub routes or plays.

The environments are quite well done, and the game animations are amazing. The game AI will allow some leeway for players who aren’t quite as skilled.

For example, you call a halfback lead to the strong side. Taking the ball, the halfback powers right, then seeing the holes close, jukes and cuts back to the left. You can hurdle with the right keystroke (Y button), but with the CPU’s help, the halfback will hurdle a would-be tackler felled by a block. Of course, at the harder skill levels, all those dandy little moves must be accomplished by the game player.

The audio track is delightful, and the announcers closely follow the gameplay.

NFL 2K3 has improved many aspects from the previous incarnation of the program, and in each area, the game has gotten better. This may be a different style of game from others on the market, but 2K3 is a Super Bowl contender in the world of pigskin console games.

This game is rated for Everyone.

Gameplay: 8.8
Be prepared to jump into this game and wade through the war in the trenches, or the speed game in the secondary. This is fast-paced action from the opening kickoff to the final whistle.

Graphics: 8.8
Some of the team colors may be slightly off, and the facial models are used time and again, but the player animation, the split-screen replays and environments are all superbly done. Some of the motion players look as though they are running through mud (the movement is uncharacteristically slow when compared to the overall graphics), but the overall speed of the game is excellent.

Sound: 8.3
The pre-game, halftime and post-game reports are all ESPN quality, as is the game announcing. This game sounds very good.

Difficulty: 7
The difficulty levels are customizable, and the game interface may take 15-20 minutes to get really comfortable with, but this game is player friendly.

Concept: 8
This is a solid program with a host of options that will allows players to participate in the kind of football experience that they want.

Multiplayer: 8.4
One-to-four players can participate in one game, and this game is also ready for the Xbox Online experience. This is a game that will be a stalwart in the multiplayer online ranks.

Overall: 8.9
NFL 2K3 is a different experience (setup-wise) from other NFL games, but Sega Sports delivers a game that is remarkable in terms of graphics and gameplay. This is a terrific gaming experience.