Franchise features include pretty much everything you could imagine: Managing the whole coaching staff, minor leagues and player trades, contracts and a very deep draft. One exception is negotiating contracts. There's no way to tell what the players wants – even though I've never seen a pro athlete who was shy about what they want. This leaves you to trial-and-error when it comes to offers. It's not a big deal, but it gets time consuming during the off-season and doesn't make much sense.

The ESPN presentation that permeates all their sports games is here, too. Love 'em or hate 'em, ESPN has become the face of sports the way ABC's Wide World of Sports was way back when, and their identity lends a sense of realism to the package.

Pre- and post-game graphics and introductions are familiar, with the announcers pointing out the same star players a few too many times. But it looks even better than last year. Little things like tunnel entrances set up the game perfectly. The ice is perfect at the beginning of a period – reflective and smooth – and it's dull and in need of the Zamboni by the end. Players move as fluidly as real skaters, and that means they can't always change direction on a dime. Their subtle movements work very well for checks, dekes and shots, giving you just enough eye candy to appreciate the moves you're pulling.

And when it comes to pulling moves, the more you abuse your opponent, the higher their Tension Meter. When both meters are full, gloves get thrown. The fighting system is a little more interesting than in the past – with grabs and a few other moves. You can also move around the ice. It's not a game in and of itself; it's good enough to be a distraction to the rest of the game, which means it serves it's purpose. Goalie dominance has been toned down a bit for 2k5. Last year, one-timers and interference were almost a requirement for scoring. Now goalies are much more human and most make mistakes at some point during a game. How many mistakes are we talking about? That varies by goalie, and statistical representations of goalie skills are always going to be hard to pin down in a video game (just like it's hard to decide how cosmically aware a cornerback should be on any given play). But there are far more multi-goal games this year than in the past – with shutouts being a lot harder to come by. There aren't extremely high scores, either. Just like Baby Bear's porridge and bed, they're just right.

The default difficulties are done so well that you'll have to play a lot to even consider going into the slider screen. There's finally a balance between easy and almost impossible. Even at the easy levels players act realistically, so playing on a level too easy for you can still be fun if you like scoring. At the higher levels, there's a lot more going on than just perfect goalies and opposing players that are all faster than yours. Those types of adjustments are easy, and the programmers of 2k5 did not take the easy way out. When this game is hard, it's because players make less mistakes, not because their stats have been cranked up to represent an all-time all-star team. They'll pass well, anticipate your passes, protect the front of the net, etc. It's not just the most realistic game; it's a joy to play – no matter how you prefer your hockey.

There are distinct controls for battling on the boards – a nod to the NHL's dump-and-chase style of play. But you don't have to play that way. You won't get every hooking or slashing call if you play the fast, graceful hockey popular outside North America, but the power of the poke check has been tuned down. You'll be able to pass and skate your way down the ice if you know what you're doing.

If the nitty-gritty of the NHL game isn't your thing, you can play variations against friends. Games of 2 on 2, 3 on 3, with easier controls, are viable options for a more relaxed game. Online leagues that run smoothly and without constant drop-offs round out a package that has everything it's supposed to have.

ESPN NHL is the most realistic, complete hockey experience of the year, and if NHL labor negotiations go as expected, that will include the real thing. Gameplay, Stats, Franchise and online leagues – everything you could want is there. The only things it's missing are the game-breaking bugs found in many sports games. And it's $20. This is the second excellent sports game offered by Sega for $20, and that price still comes as a shock to any sports fan accustomed to paying $50 for games that aren't half as good.