GameSpot editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Spectacular
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 09/08/2000
- Updated on: 05/17/2006
- Released on: 09/07/2000
- Originally published on GameSpot: NBA 2K1 Review
NFL 2K was considered by many to be one of the most amazing football games of all time, but it wasn't without flaws. Once you got into NFL 2K, it became a predictable game. Visual Concepts, the developer of the game, realized this as well, and the team has improved everything it possibly could in an attempt to correct this. We played NFL 2K1 for a considerable amount of time, and the results of Visual Concepts' work over the past year are clearly evident. The game is a much more refined, balanced, and complete version of the first game and is not only amazing for its online gameplay capabilities but also for its improved running game and greater overall depth.
The most obvious change is the addition of online play. NFL 2K1's network options make it possible to play with or against other players over the Internet, as well as download team roster updates throughout the season - all you need is an active phone line and a service provider. From there, you need to enter four lines of information into your Dreamcast to enable your connection. If you don't have an ISP, you can sign up for Sega's very own service provider, SegaNet. NFL 2K1 has an easy-to-use interface that will hook you up with SegaNet. Once your Dreamcast is properly configured, selecting "network" from the main menu hooks you up to the NFL 2K1 online servers. There are three different regional divisions (east, west, and central), and each region has a dozen or so city-specific servers to choose from. If you and your opponent have a solid connection, meaning that you and your opponent have good phone lines and are connected to the closest regional server, the experience of playing NFL 2K1 online is as if your opponents were sitting right next to you. If you don't have a solid connection, the game occasionally freezes for brief periods of time during play, or you'll notice a lag time between controller commands and onscreen player reactions. Of all the games we've played online, using various ISPs, the majority have had a slight but noticeable delay. However, we did play a few games against online opponents near and far, which were just as good as multiplayer games played on one console. As is usually the case with online gaming, your mileage may vary.
The new franchise mode lets you take a team through multiple seasons and lets you deal with tons of managerial tasks such as drafting players, releasing players, and signing players. You even have to take into account a player's age when signing him, since some players retire at the end of a season. The franchise mode adds a new depth to the series, which will undoubtedly keep you playing NFL 2K1 for a long time to come.
While the additions of the franchise mode and Internet-play capability are huge, fans of the first game will find the subtle control and AI improvements to be just as important. The running game of NFL 2K, for instance, was one of the areas many players felt could use some tweaking, which is exactly what the design team at Visual Concepts did. The ball carrier's force is now more momentum-based, meaning that if he's running at full speed, it really takes a solid hit to bring him down. In the previous game, any contact would basically stun the ball carrier for a moment, a moment that usually lasted longer than it would take for another defender to come along and finish the job. In NFL 2K1, the ball carrier is able to spin off of opponents who don't make solid contact, which in turn allows you to realistically break tackles. Running up the middle, breaking tackles, and actually busting out with a surprise 70-yard dash to the end zone can actually happen now. All the moves from the first game are included, although the stiff-arm's effectiveness has been toned down substantially. A new juke move has been added that allows you to cut across the field a bit faster. The computer AI is a bit tougher and is much quicker in adapting to your style, meaning that if you find a play that allows you to make a substantial gain, it's not likely that the computer will allow you to pull it off again right away. The team-specific playbooks are, for the most part, specific to offensive plays, and the defensive playbooks are actually rather weak.
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