All-Pro Football 2K8

Developer: Visual Concepts
Publisher: 2K Sports
Release Date: July 16, 2007
Systems: PS3, Xbox 360
ESRB Rating: E10+
Official Web Site

In a nutshell: All the football with none of the NFL license.

0:01 Jeez! I hit start on the title screen and rock music blares from the speakers. I lunge for the remote. Learn some volume control, guys.
0:03 So I just want to play some football, but instead the game forces me to pick 11 players. And that includes people like kickers and punters. I can't fill every position on my offense even!
0:04 Oh, it turns out I was only picking the star players. Now I get to pick non-star players based on generalized statistics. Why wasn't this available as an option for the stars, for those of us that don't care?
0:05 There's a good selection of team names and cities, but no option to enter your own? Why? If I can't be the Redskins, let me be whatever I want? I don't care if they say the name in the voiceovers.
0:06 I get five Gamerscore points just for making a team. I guess they appreciate you going through the whole ridiculous process.
0:08 There are pre-made teams for the opposition, but I can't seem to choose them. Grumble.
0:09 The presentation in the actual game a little rough at the edges. Blurry in places, and the faces are disturbingly dead looking. There are some big awkward pauses in the voice acting too whenever they say a player name.
0:11 While the player close ups are creepy, the animation is amazing. Players move smoothly and realistically in full formation.
0:12 "Oh yeah hope they come at us the same way," one of my team members says. I gained one yard on the last play. Personally, I hope they... do something different.
0:14 I can't get anything going on offense. My players seem exceptionally slow.
0:16 Defense, however, is easy as the computer does all the work and gets two sacks and an almost-interception. Hum dee dum.
0:20 I've figured out my problem on offense. Apparently I was trying to avoid tacklers. That was silly. I should just barrel up the middle instead. I've gotten two first downs already.
0:22 On a fake punt, for some reason my quarterback pump fakes instead of passing and gets sacked. The on-screen controls in the options screen don't help me figure out why.
0:24 I finally take part in a defensive play with a diving tackle. The wrap-around animation is great.
0:25 My tackler bounces off the ball carrier. I know it happens sometimes, but still frustrating. It looks like he had him dead to rights.
0:27 The player interaction is amazing. It's easy to follow a play as it develops, much more than in Madden. Runners bounce off tacklers and juke impressively. If only the close ups in between plays weren't so jarring.
0:28 Nice feature: Tapping A before a play speeds up time and gets everyone set faster.
0:30 The commentators say you "have to wonder if he heard some footsteps." Um, three of my guys surrounded him and tackled him as he caught the ball, so I'd say "yes."
0:33 ARGH! The ball bounces off three of my defenders and into an unintended receiver in the end zone. On the one hand this is extremly frustrating to have happen. On the other, it's extremely impressive that this can happen in the game.
0:39 Lofton: "Touchdwon, Touchdown. HA HA HA HA HA!" He sounds like a jackal. Oh, and I'm down 21-0.
0:40 "You can't be indecisive in this league or you won't be around for long." Which league is that again?
0:41 I somehow got into no huddle offense and can't figure out how to get out. I end up spiking the ball somehow, too. These controls are too much for me, apparently.
0:44 The controller rumbles at some very random times, like during a field goal block. It feels like it's gonna fall out of my hands.
0:46 I again slip into no huddle again, somehow. I give up.

Would I play this game for more than an hour 46 minutes? No
Why? Despite impressive presentation and options, complex controls make it hard to get into for me. Plus I'm not a big sports game fan.

This review based on a retail copy rented from GameFly.