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| PLATFORM: XBOX |
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| ALL-FLUNKIE LEAGUE |
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 he real-life players that inhabit the AFL teams in the game weren’t man enough to even sit on the bench in the NFL, and yet here we have a video game based on their failures as pro athletes. Great. This prospect doesn’t get the blood pumping any more than playing as college baseball players did in MVP this year, but the faults of this game aren’t just that these players aren’t good enough – it’s that the sport of arena football isn’t fun enough.
Offense rules the roost in arena football, but even those who like to chuck and duck in Madden will find that the steady diet of touchdowns you get in this title leaves you with a hollow feeling. Between the money plays and the total lack of a running game, I found little enjoyment in putting up 60 or more points on my opponent. The only redeeming part of the title is that you can control a receiver and pass to yourself, although even this doesn’t work too well, as it’s hard to get receivers to turn and face the line of scrimmage.
If playing offense made unlikely stars out of NFL flunkies like Tony Graziani, it only goes to show that playing defense in the AFL is a joke. By the rules of the league, linebackers are very restricted in what they can do. Cornerbacks can’t blitz and the defensive line can’t stunt – leaving you little to do when playing D. Although this game features some big multi-player hits, the run-ins with the sideline walls give you the feeling that you’re watching some stupid sports bloopers show hosted by Mike Golic – who fittingly is an AFL commentator. And don’t get me started on how embarrassing the trash talking is.
If this game sounds like it should be a freebie feature in Madden or if you’re asking yourself why you don’t just play NFL Street (which is more fun despite its faults), you’re not wrong. I have no idea why this title was even made.
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There’s definitely something exhilarating in knowing that your quarterback can gun it into endzone from anywhere on the field. Arena Football excels in the prospect of delivering big game-changing plays, but falters in offering gameplay that fits this mold. This is simply Madden Football on a smaller field. As much as I love seeing the brutal mid-air collisions, players tumbling over the walls, and on-field coaches being splattered by running backs, the gameplay is one-dimensional. It’s all about passing. The running game is rarely effective given the constrained space that you have to work with. Arena Football has the potential to be a nice counter to Madden, but as it stands now, is just a poorly thrown Hail Mary. |
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6.5 |
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| CONCEPT: |
| Hemmed-in field, hemmed-in gameplay, and little reason for being |
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| GRAPHICS: |
| Luckily this fast-paced game doesn’t suffer the slowdown that hits Madden sometimes |
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| SOUND: |
| The trash talking dialogue cutscenes are embarrassing |
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| PLAYABILITY: |
| Without a strafe or turn-to-face button, catching balls while controlling your WR can be hard |
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| ENTERTAINMENT: |
| This is the poor man’s version of a poor man’s version of football |
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| Copyright
1991 -
2008
:: Game Informer Magazine
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