The game sure doesn’t lack anything in the visual department, that is for sure. The player models are crisp, extremely detailed, and very high resolution. Each year MS has improved on the player model’s size and scale, and this year they’ve gotten even closer to the real thing. Throw in some progressively dirty uniforms in normal or wet conditions, and this game reeks of polish. The stadiums are massive, and really give the player a sense of being on field in the Pros. Each stadium also has its unique quirks, like Oakland’s baseball field and Tampa’s Pirate ship. The surface textures and grass is awe-inspiring and shows the great use of the Xbox’s bump mapping engine. The rain and snow effects are admirable as footprints are left in the snow and the field deteriorates. Oddly though, in dry weather, dust comes off the feet as if someone came in and spread a thin layer of dust on the turf. I appreciate trying to capture atmosphere and everything, but sometimes too much effort can be a bad thing too. The visuals aren’t all peaches and cream though. The animations are still a bit slippery and never really react to forward momentum or exact hits. It also is apparent that the mo-cap team needs to do make one for every position, as most players will jump, dive, and tackle almost in unison. For a game this pretty, the animations should be just as wonderful. Lastly, the lighting is great and effective, showing off the shadows and time of day correctly. There is though, a beam effect off the helmets that almost look angelic, which is more comical than anything. I’m trying to figure out who said to add this effect, and when looking at it remarked, “Man this looks really cool,” because it doesn’t. One thing is for sure in the end, the developers know how to take advantage of the Xbox visuals and it still stand out above the rest, even with it’s little flaws.

Fever’s audio presentation is a mixed bag that captures all the sounds of the game, yet the announcers have got to go, or at least the folks who edit their voices into the game. On the field, the sounds are pure football. The grunts, groans, clashing of the helmets and gear, trash talking, etc. It’s all there and done terrifically. The stadium atmosphere is represented in the sounds as well, with great crowd reaction and specific team sound effects for big plays and first downs. The Panthers, Jags, and Bengals all have their signature growls, Patriots have an American anthem, Ravens and Falcons have the bird screech. The on field announcer does a good job for the fans in the stands and actually a better job than the guys in the booth. This is where Fever hurts in the audio department. Kevin Colabro and Ron Pitts return to do the play by play, and while their heart is in the commentary, the streaming done by the techs is just awful. It’s a shame as the duo gives informative information, and calls the right plays; it just doesn’t come off smooth. Too many times do we hear repeated phrases, and worse yet pausing between the play and the player name? Nothing seems more dated in this age of technology than to hear your color man say, “That was a great leaping catch by……….Jerry Rice!” It’s almost to the level of old school, first generation commentary and is by far the worst in the series. All in all, if you turn the announcers off, you shouldn’t be bothered with the sounds as everything else is done fairly well.

NFL Fever has struggled the most in the game play aspect for the last few years. The ball’s physics were off, giving it a “floaty” feel, the running game was weak or too strong, or the game was just flat out too easy. These and many other reasons have kept Fever from reaching even critical status. This year they looked to fix all of that. Providing a stricter A.I. and more profound ball physics. With online play established, a decent looking and sounding game, it is time to get the game play right, and for the most part they did.

Fever does play a very good game of football, which is enjoyable and will satisfy most gamers. A better play-calling screen is available, which was a major complaint in the past, so now the game’s plays can be read easier. The A.I. is a lot smarter this year, and it shows as the money plays, while still around, aren’t as apparent as in previous years. The A.I. also knows when to read blitz plays and how to handle audible plays. The passing and running games have been tweaked, with the passing game being touched up on the most. Adding this year is a read and lead style of play, where you pick your pattern, but now can pick the spot on the field where you want your receiver to be, thanks to a nifty cursor you can spread around the field. This adds some realism and is a feature that will be improved on and copied for sure. What hurt the game play most are the animations, as the game just doesn’t react to certain tackles well. Your running game seems more like a series of pinball bumpers than actual jukes and stiff arms. This forgiving animation leaves the game wide open for plays that shouldn’t happen, but do. Does this kill the game, no, but it does wound it for the purist out there. The game just never really captures a fluid feel, which is something that still needs to be addressed. Better than before, sure, but still keeps the game from capturing a simulation feel.

The game offers nothing really new to the single player Fever veteran in terms of new features this year. There is the addition of the head coach on the sideline that gives advice and animates his emotions on the sidelines, but while new to Fever, is old news for the big 2. The biggest addition comes as the christening of Xbox Live’s XSN sports network. We all know that Xbox Live’s game play was top notch and offered a great number of features to help you match up against players and friends, but XSN brings it all to a new level, allowing for tournaments, league play and even a full season! All you need is an existing Live account, the game, and a PC. Everything is updated on the XSN website, from the leagues in progress, to your stats and profiles. When you are ready to get your game on with others, just log on to the website (www.xsnsports.com), register your name and Xbox Live gamer tag, and choose your style of gridiron action. You can either join a type of game that is ready to begin, or form your own leagues if you so desire. You can go up against up to 31 other players in a gridiron showdown for the ages. From there you play your games much like most of your Xbox Live titles, but the results are prompted to the website. Now you can see your complete play stats and how you compare against the league. This is a very cool option that will take off, especially with the supported titles on the horizon. PC users have had the joy of doing leagues and tournaments for years, and now consoles get that little taste of heaven thanks to XSN.

If for any reason, the whole online experience the game brings to the player is unparalleled, this is the reason to buy Fever over any of the competition. If you’re offline, the game is still very solid and will provide a good game off football to last you till next year.