NFL 2K3 is a game that was seen by many gaming sites as being the best football game out. So with this in mind, I decided I would go out on a limb and buy it, even though I already owned Madden 2003. Madden had been satisfying my football craving since Gameday became a horrid series, but I felt it was time to try something new.

When I first popped it in, my hopes were high, and with a cool enough intro involving a real ESPN announcer, I was pretty excited. When the game started however I quickly realized I had wasted most of my $50. Lets start with the gameplay. Yes, it is much faster gameplay than Madden, but in a bad way. The main thing that makes the gameplay so much faster is the constantly moving camera which can be a distraction to some. I am one of those who was very annoyed at that but I continued to play to probe deeper into this game that was supposedly better than Madden. Another horrible thing about the gameplay is the play selection. Sure, once you get used to it, I am sure it is sufficient, but it does not compare to the simplicity of almost any other football video game.

The passing portion of the gameplay is another part which hurts it. Passing is near impossible to pull off. These virtual players who get paid lots of virtual sums of cash cannot seem to catch the ball. When you do catch it though, it can be fun breaking a long one, because unlike Madden, the defense can catch up to you. The running game would be ok but the camera angle hurts it too much -- it seems while I am running the camera is trying to keep up with me too close so you cannot see the full array of the other team.

The graphics were something I had heard were amazing, and I was disappointed. Sure, they run smoother, but their overall look is jaggy and pasty. All of their bodies are too thin. The replays are not the best, but still very dramatic and fun to watch.

Overall, NFL 2K3 left me disappointed after all the hype I had heard about this game being better than Madden. Don’t get me wrong, this is an average football game with some good qualities, but it does not measure up to other games like Madden. If you are looking for a faster pace than Madden 2003, I highly suggest you get NFL Fever before this game.