NFL GameDay 2002 Review

NFL GameDay 2002 is, for all intents and purposes, the same game we've been playing for the past two years now. Fans of the GameDay series will, however, undoubtedly still enjoy this latest incarnation since it includes all kinds of extra options and features that add depth and give you control over the game like never before. For instance, the game gives you the ability to change individual AI components, such as CPU running and receiving. These in-depth options, along with nice extras, like every team that's ever made it to the Super Bowl, really make the game seem like a special edition or "director's cut" of GameDay 2001.

GameDay 2002 includes four basic modes of play: exhibition, season, tournament, and practice. In addition to the gameplay modes, GameDay 2002 features a robust general manager mode that gives you the opportunity to make all of the tough decisions that take place in a GM's office. For instance you can trade and sign players and even release players who aren't performing to your standards. The game also includes a rather intriguing create-a-player option that has two modes. One is a simple mode that lets you set the player's abilities, such as speed, strength, awareness, and aggressiveness. The second create-a-player mode, called "create a super player," doesn't give you this type of control; instead it simply asks you to choose the player's ability in ten categories, such as arm strength, pass blocking, and leg strength. The selection scale of how good he'll be in these categories is odd, since it asks you to choose from a list of five players rated well in that category. So for example, you can create a quarterback who has the arm accuracy of Kurt Warner, the arm strength of Drew Bledsoe, and the speed of Randy Moss.

The game has all of the teams and players currently playing in the NFL. Each team is rated in 12 categories including various offensive, defensive, and even special team classes. This ranking system is the perfect tool for finding a team that has a play style that's right for you. GameDay 2002 also offers you the ability to select between two modes of play, arcade and simulation, which offer significantly different gameplay experiences. For instance, arcade mode's default game speed is slightly faster than that in simulation mode. Breaking tackles and completing passes also seem much easier to accomplish in arcade mode. The simulation mode starts your team off with default settings, such as fatigue, turned on.

In the gameplay department, GameDay 2002 does a great job of delivering excitement through gameplay that is extremely fast and responsive. Even in GameDay 2002's simulation mode the game feels slightly faster and more responsive than most other PlayStation football games, including previous GameDay titles. One of the big improvements to this year's installment in the series is that the game now features a more exciting tackle-breaking system that lets you bust out of more tackles than before. This, along with the game's patented total-control passing, which lets you put your quarterbacks' passes exactly where you want them, really makes this year's GameDay all about action. The controls are extremely responsive and let you have players turn and cut on a dime. Sure, it's a bit unrealistic, but it makes for a fun experience.

GameDay 2002's AI strikes a good balance between the four difficulty settings that you'll find in the game. The rookie setting lets a first-time player jump right in and make a ton of mistakes without getting stomped by the computer. On the other end of the spectrum is the game's hall-of-fame setting, which of course lets the computer catch just about every pass, since it always seems to call the right plays and run them to perfection.