NFL 2K

Sega showed off their new Dreamcast football title, NFL 2000 (working title), at E3. One word easily described the game: amazing. Judging from what was shown, NFL 2000 could be the gridiron game every sports fan should have this fall.
Visually, the game is stunning. These screenshots may appear impressive, but they pale compared to how NFL 2000 looks in motion. The stadiums look almost photo-realistic--the model of 3COM park in San Francisco (one of the stadiums available on the demo) displayed an impressive level of detail and sharpness. The players have realistic height and size differences. The motion capture and animation has no equal. Sega has incorporated 1500 motion-captured moves into the game, using real players, Hollywood stuntmen, and real referees. These moves have been executed brilliantly. Receivers stretch for balls thrown behind them, their feet sliding out from under them. Tacklers grab a running back’s legs, holding on as the ball carrier struggles for an extra yard or two. Players returning to the huddle after the play look shockingly real. Weather effects also have a very realistic appearance.

Great gameplay complements the astounding graphics. The controls are very responsive. The usual moves have been included: spins, stiff arms, and so on. Linemen block like real linemen, receivers stretch for passes, and quarterbacks realistically lead their receivers and also underthrow or overthrow them from time to time. Defensive linemen read and react to the plays intelligently, while defensive backs and linebackers swat passes down like real pros. Weather even effects footing--on one kickoff during a rainy game, my returner slipped and fell when he tried to cut back, which was very cool.

The AI even held up surprisingly well. DBs seemed a little susceptible to the deep ball, but the defense defended the run well. The computer also ran the ball on offense with some skill, something that has eluded a lot of NFL games. Some tweaking needs to be completed before the game is released, but the AI on display looked quite decent.