The AFL series finally has some light at the end of the tunnel after some very dark days, delivering it's best game yet.
You may think I just contradicted myself in the above paragraph, saying the series had improved significantly, and then two lines later saying that it doesn't improve enough per new title. But the fact of the matter is, look where the series started at? To put it metaphorically, it'd be like two AFL teams in a match where, before the siren even goes off to signal the beginning of the contest, one team is given a 10 goal advantage. The team with the advantage represents a benchmark of sporting games, such as EA Sports, and the team who starts behind represents IR Gurus and the AFL series. Simply put, If you compare a 2003 EA Sports game to a 2007 EA Sports game, I think you'll find about as much improvement as you will between the 2003 AFL game and the 2007 AFL game. But that still leaves the AFL series 10 goals behind, doesn't it? And that's the problem. In order for the AFL series to really start competing with EA sports games or the like, they need to start actually making ground, not just matching the improvement of their games with the competitors improvements on their games.
Now, in terms of actual noted improvement, the gameplay is where I think IR Gurus has been moving forward the most, compared to the older games in the series. Like I stated earlier, the game itself is simply more enjoyable than older installments. When you play against the computer, though your odds of winning are still pretty high, you actually do get challenged now. The new "dynamic difficulty" system doesn't have as much bearing on things as I would have liked, but all in all, the game is still a little harder than 2006. Kicking and Marking the ball has improved a bit, as well as the Tackling. Also, kicking goals from set shots is a little harder, because the meter doesn't slow down when closer to goal, and depending on the ability of your player, may not even stop immediately after you've pushed the kick button. I've often found that while shooting for goals with rookies, like a Jack Riewoldt for instance (Richmond supporter here), I'll push the kick button down when the meter is near the centre of the goal posts, but it'll end up stopping on the behind post, or close to it, which usually results in a behind. This brings a little more realism to the game, as you won't be having rookies kicking tough goals very often, or at all, so you'll be looking to pass the ball off to a more experienced player if in a tough-looking set shot position. The wind also seems to have a bit more of an effect, and shooting for goal can become quite difficult if you don't have the wind meter turned on during a wet or windy game (I choose to have it off though, opting for the "throw turf into the air" idea that Matthew Lloyd employs when shooting for goal.) The computer is also not as accurate either, so you won't be playing games where the computer scores 20.1.121 or something of the sort, as would be the case in previous titles. This further adds realism, due to the realistic looking scorelines at the end of matches (mind you, there'll still be the occasional lop-sided or unrealistic-looking score from time to time, but it's a rarity rather than a norm nowadays)
The downfalls of the in-game action, from what I can tell, are the dodgy smothering ability (which enables you to pretty much smother almost any kick if you position your player right), and the handballing. Being a key and unique component of Aussie Rules, IR Gurus really need to sort out the handball mechanics, so you can actually feel comfortable when handballing, and not worried that your pass will go astray, as happens more often than not. Umpiring is another "iffy" area in my mind, with decisions being very inconsistent, and sometimes just downright incorrect. The "holding-the-ball" rule is certainly mutilated and deformed in this game, and you'll often find yourself wondering just why the umpires hate you so much (the answer to this question being 42, of course)
The sound is bland, as per usual for an AFL game. But once again, it's still better than what older AFL titles dished up, including last year's game, so it has been improving. The commentators for this year are Dennis Cometti, Gerald Healy, and Danny Frawley, and they do an ordinary job at best. However, as far as AFL games are concerned, the commentary is better than any other title so far. The crowd is a little better than last year as well, but still pretty ordinary. The menu music also hasn't changed at all from 2006, which is a shame, as it's quite annoying.
Graphics-wise, 2007 looks almost identical to 2006, maybe the only difference being players and stadiums looking slightly smoother. The stadiums are actually a highlight in an otherwise old-looking graphics system, looking very realistic indeed. And considering all that goes on during a regular match, and all the players that are on the field at one time, the frame rate is great too. The crowd though, still looks like it's assembled from cardboard cutouts, something that's getting rather old and annoying. Graphics are most certainly an area that the AFL games get much criticism for, and rightly so, they are quite outdated. But regardless, the game doesn't look so horrible that it's unplayable. It's just people's perceptions, and what they're used to, that decides what they think of the way the game looks. I'm not phased much personally, though if in 2 or 3 years they're still using the same looking graphics, I'll be pretty disappointed.
In terms of game modes, it's a pretty generic affair, all the usual suspects coming into play (Quick Match, Single Match, Career, etc). My favorite mode is most certainly Career mode, where you have the chance to lead the team of your choosing to and beyond the 2007 Premiership cup (my beloved Richmond will win something other than the wooden spoon this year, I'm making sure of that!). Career entails basically the same aspects that were in 2006, though adding in a somewhat pointless "training" aspect. It's a nice thought, but probably needs to have more of an effect on proceedings. Playing out the training would also be a nice option, but unfortunately, it's all simulated. Another mode in the game is "Mission" mode, which puts you in the shoes of the team of your choosing, in a significant moment of their history (usually a Grand Final) The mode looks fun enough, and unlike previous years, they don't make you play out full 20 minute length quarters, and allow you to pick the difficulty level of the mission, rather than assigning a mission per difficulty level. However, there's really no incentive to play them other than when you're bored of the other modes, as beating them doesn't unlock anything.
One feature that pleased me a great deal, and one that I had been waiting for since the Premiership Edition, is the ability to select your guernsey. Not only that, but the addition of the classic and heritage guernseys, makes for choosing your outfit almost like a trip down memory lane (when playing with Fremantle in their old away guernsey from 1995, I was pleasantly surprised when I didn't get flogged). The one minor problem I have with the extra guernseys though, is that only the current ones have all the proper logos. It would have been nice to see all the old jumpers exactly as they used to be, logos and all, but this is a very minor complaint.
In summary, AFL Premiership 2007 is, without question, the best AFL game ever made. That being said, most other AFL games are worthless piles of junk (excluding last year's installment, which I thought was a whole lot better than previous titles). Many things still need to be done before this series can become something to match an EA or 2k sporting game, but the series itself (at least the last two installments anyway) is enjoyable nowadays, which is certainly a step forward. I actually look forward to playing my copy of AFL Premiership 2007, because I know that I will at least have a good time playing it, even though it's far from perfect. In the past, playing an AFL game just annoyed the hell out of me, simply because it just wasn't any fun. At all.
The question I put forward now is, where to from here? If the AFL Premiership franchise can continue improving, and especially if they can step up the amount of improvement per title, then by 2008/09, we might have a really awesome AFL game on our hands. For now though, it's merely an acceptable title.