2K Sports always shines past Madden when it comes to game play, and that is exactly what you will get with APF2K8!

User Rating: 8.6 | All-Pro Football 2K8 X360
First things first, if you are looking for a huge dynasty mode, owner mode, superstar mode, etc. look towards Madden, APF2K8 will not satisfy those wants. However if you love the game of football, All Pro Football 2K8 makes up for the lack of game modes with great game play. The main feature of All Pro Football 2K8, is the over 240 legends available to build your team with and play against. Right when you boot up the game, it thrusts you into a create a team feature. From here you go on to choose 2 gold stars (Joe Montana, Barry Sanders, Jerry Rice), to i believe 6 silver stars (Randall Cunningham, Ricky Waters), and 8 bronze stars (remaining "legends"). After you choose your top players the computer fills the rest of your team with other mediocre legends and custom made players.

You then go on to pick your teams logo, name, city, stadium, and customize your teams colors. This is a very deep create a team mode and all the stadiums, logos, and names are great. You cannot make up your own team name, you must choose an already existing name. This may sound bad but it is good as you will always hear the announcers say the name of your team. There is also a season mode in All Pro Football 2K8. However it is very limiting. It is a standard single season where you just check the schedule, play your games, hope for the playoffs. You cannot trade, release players, or sign free agents which is a huge letdown. After the playoffs and Championship game, the season ends. There is no multi season here. Very disappointing. The season mode is worse than Blitz The League... yea, pretty bad.

Like I said earlier, despite the lack of game modes, All Pro Football 2K8 is still the best core football game out there. The core game play, going out on the field and playing a football game, is the best any game developer can make. It plays a lot like ESPN NFL 2K5 (obviously). However the game feels much smoother. The right analog stick does alot of the same thing it does it madden. On the offensive side it acts as basically a ripoff of EA's highlight stick. On the defensive side, it is better than the Hit Stick EA developed for Madden. This is because it isn't just a hit stick. You can perform reach tackles hoping to grab a piece of the ball carriers shirt as he runs past you, or you can do a standard tackle, or a big hit.

Graphics are lacking, it is a step under Madden as far as graphics go but that is not a bad thing. All Pro Football 2K8 is a great looking game. Players jersey's animate which looks really cool. The players faces are fantastic. There are some rough edges here and there, however the games runs great all the time, I have experienced no slow downs as of yet.

Last but not least All Pro Football 2K8 has a cool online mode. you can check news on all sports in the U.S. MLB, NBA, NHL, NFL, it is very cool. There is also a 2K Sports ticker which is always on as long as you are always on X Box Live or Play Station Network if you have PS3. This ticker gives you up to date scores, and news from all of those sports. You can toggle on or off the sports you may or may not want to read about, or turn the ticker off all together. Onto the main Online component... MULTI PLAY! It's fantastic, I played a game with NO slowdown at all! I got into a game quickly, the game got started quickly and I had a ball the entire time playing it. This is an online mode I am sure will bring about leagues, and will last until the next 2K football game comes out. It is that much fun to play online and gives this game that lacks in game modes a heck of a lot of replay value.

If you are looking for an alternative to the same two football games EA has given you since 2004 and/or have been waiting for 2K Sports to bring you a new football game since EA bought the rights to NFL games in December 2004, then you are in luck. All Pro Football 2K8 is a great core football game experience. If you can look behind the lack of single player game modes, and take the game as a straight up football game, then you will most definitely enjoy All Pro Football 2K8.