“Hold on to the damn ball!”
PlayStation 2
Released in 2002 by Sega
Grade: B-
This game shows some huge improvements over NFL 2K2, but it’s not going to make you say, “Man, this game really holds up!”
Where it falls in the series
It’s the fourth 2K football game, the second on PS2. The series peaked with ESPN NFL 2K5, which is often called the best football game ever, even today in 2018, and then EA snatched the NFL license away. The underappreciated All-Pro Football 2K8 came next, and that was it for 2K football.
Praises and gripes
This game definitely succeeds in improving several gameplay aspects from its predecessor. But as a complete package, it’s frustrating, due to one simple flaw: Receivers catch the ball, get hit by a defender, and drop the ball. On default settings, this happens so unbelievably often, even when making passes just like ones caught all the time in the NFL.
The 2K series has some good stuff baked into this installment. The control is ultra responsive. Players move like superhumans that aren’t restrained by real-life physics. The defensive AI is strong, forcing you to play smart football offensively. The line play looks right, with vicious defenders crashing in on offensive linemen naturally. The running lanes and the passing pocket never form the same way twice.
The game still uses the same clumsy playcall screen, but you can finally call hot routes before the snap, which gets this series closer to Madden’s strategic depth. The problem there is that you can make receivers do anything except pass block. You can’t get call for extra pass protection, which you really need to sometimes. The playbooks are limited to begin with, with no more than a couple play-action passes. When it comes to X’s and O’s, 2K3 doesn’t measure up to Madden 2003.
Pass plays seem to develop well usually, but those drops are CONSTANT. Defensive backs keep with receivers very well, and you can’t throw passes fast enough. They’re “floaty.” You can try dialing down the catch difficulty — this is the first in the series with such an option — but it still won’t help much.