| 93 |
GameZone
The AI is sound for single-player games and the online capabilities are truly amazing.
|
| 92 |
TeamXbox
Only NFL Fever 2004 will give you the option of taking your game beyond your console and allowing you to participate in a virtual league like never before.
|
| 91 |
Gamezilla!
The hands-down winner if you plan to play online.
|
| 90 |
Gamer's Pulse
One of the most interactive football titles to date with some of the best game play I have ever seen in a football game.
|
| 83 |
Armchair Empire
Having only a few flaws is still too many flaws when stacked up against the stiff competition of both "Madden" and "ESPN Football."
|
| 80 |
Yahoo! Games
The Live stuff definitely adds a new wrinkle to the yearly football competition. For Xbox owners interested in online play, Fever has a huge advantage over Madden, which is unfortunately single-player only on Microsoft's platform.
|
| 80 |
Game Over Online
Online play is taken to the next level in NFL Fever 2004, in what is easily its strongest feature.
|
| 80 |
GamingTrend
Each mode outside of online brings less to the table than "Madden 2004" and the fact that this game doesn't run as fast just hurts it in my mind.
|
| 80 |
GamePro
But the key is gameplay and control, and that's where Fever’s a little rough around the edges.
|
| 79 |
Official Xbox Magazine
Feels bare-boned and unrefined compared to the other two. [Oct 2003, p.74]
|
| 78 |
Operation Sports
It’s a fun game to pick up and play, and it plays great online, but in the end; by not doing the little things right on the field, and by lacking depth off the field compared to it’s competition, I just don’t see myself spending an extended period of time playing this game.
|
| 75 |
Play Magazine
With the incorporation of XSN, new passing controls and improved tackling, NFL Fever 2004 gives Xbox owners a reason to rejoice. [Sept 2003, p.87]
|
| 75 |
Sports Gaming Network
The overall gameplay feels almost unchanged from the previous NFL Fever games.
|
| 75 |
GameSpy
Its single-player mode can be frustrating, the player models are lumpy and odd looking, and the on-the-field gameplay achieves the impressive feat of feeling both too slow and too fast at the same time.
|
| 75 |
Game Informer
The game's Read and Lead passing system is simply a blast to play. It's not perfect, but it's a breath of fresh air to the sport. [Sept 2003, p.116]
|
| 75 |
IGN
Besides the XSN functionality and the Read and Lead passing --which should still be considered experimental like First Person Football-- there's nothing Fever does that other football games out there don't do at least as well and with more polish.
|
| 73 |
GameSpot
While it would be technically correct to call NFL Fever 2004 the best in the series, it still doesn't have the quality or quantity of features, the rock-solid gameplay, or high level of polish shown by its competitors.
|
| 71 |
Game Chronicles
Microsoft keeps inserting small innovations when what is really needed is a major overhaul to the entire game engine.
|
| 70 |
Cincinnati Enquirer
While not as comprehensive as "Madden" or "ESPN NFL Football," mainly because of fewer game options and graphics that haven't improved much over last year, NFL Fever 2004 is a fun multiplayer game with a lot of replayability.
|
| 70 |
XGP Gaming
Throw the slow pace in with the disappointing Read & Lead and you have yourself a recipe for disaster.
|
| 70 |
Cheat Code Central
I also have to wonder after 3 years why the game still has some things that have not been fixed? It's not that Fever is a bad game. It just seems to be missing that final polished look and play about it.
|
| 70 |
Gamers' Temple
Xbox Live gamers should seriously consider hooking into XSN with NFL Fever 2004. For everyone else, the game will be more appealing to the casual football gamer than the hardcore veteran crowd.
|
| 67 |
Gaming Age
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.
|
| 67 |
Cinescape
One cool thing about NFL Fever 2004 is the ability to save the game whenever you want. If you’ve got to run out for a bit and don’t want to leave the system on, you can save your game in the middle of the quarter.
|
| 63 |
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Problems plague the player models, the camera is too high, the Dynasty mode is still shallow, and Fever's announcers make Madden's demented ramblings sound smart. [Sept 2003, p.125]
|
| 60 |
GMR Magazine
Different and innovative doesn't always mean good. [Oct 2003, p.69]
|
| 60 |
Xbox Nation Magazine
A cartoony visual style and color palette dilutes the hard-hitting realism of the game. [Oct/Nov 2003, p.95]
|
| 60 |
G4 TV
May appeal to hardcore football fans looking for a more customizable game of pigskin on the Xbox, but most gamers will lose interest rather fast. Not only are there myriad problems with the overall presentation, but the gameplay also fails to feel as tight or well tuned as this season's other football titles.
|
| 58 |
GameNow
Still a ways to go if Fever is gonna compete with "Madden." [Nov 2003, p.54]
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