Xbox
Released in 2003 by Microsoft Game Studios
Grade: B-
NFL Fever 2004 is Microsoft’s best attempt at a football simulation, and while it’s fun at times, it’s flawed and uneven.
Where it falls in the series
It’s the last of three in the Fever series. I’m giving it the same grade as NFL Fever 2003, but for completely different reasons. 2003 is arcade-like, limited, and gimmicky, but at least it’s consistent. 2004 goes for lifelike realism and complexity, but it’s hit and miss.
Praises and gripes
The game feels more like football than before. Pass plays are wide open, so you can read defenses and find receivers realistically. Players have flow and momentum, and there are a variety of tackles, broken tackles, catches, and deflections. Players look more distinct, so your cornerbacks are noticeably leaner than your linemen.
Unfortunately, the action moves oddly slow at times, like it’s being played on the moon. Tackles feel soft and aren’t as easy as in previous versions. The control is usually intuitive, but there’s something off about it. I never feel in full control, especially on defense.
There are new features that add complexity, and not always the good kind. You now have three passing styles to choose from. There’s the basic style you know from every other football game. Just press the button and launch the pass. The “trigger” style has you select a receiver first, and then use the right trigger to pass. The camera tilts toward the receiver you’re locked on, giving a “going through his reads” feel. And the most absurd choice, “read and lead,” has you select the receiver, pull the trigger, AND guide the ball using the right analog stick. It’s more awkward to execute than it is to read about, so just forget it. Like the dumb passing cone from Madden 06 that 99% of us never use, it’s for maniacs who find the game too easy to play as is.
In addition to that, there are some more options for adjusting your play before the snap. However, they’re pretty slow and require more button presses than you’re used to if you’ve played Madden or 2K. The playbooks are pretty good, despite a few odd routes and no variation from team to team.
Anyway, the passing game is more dynamic and easy than it was before. It can be awfully fun to move the chains with successful pass plays. DBs do their jobs, but D-lineman don’t. You consistently have time to find an open man.
This means that playing defense isn’t fun, and the uneven control is a pain. And in addition to that, there’s a frequent glitch that makes your player freeze for a moment instead of hunting down an opponent for a tackle. It’s aggravating as hell.
Even though there are sweet moments that really shine, the odd moments take you out of it. Speedy ballcarriers rarely score a long touchdown, because defenders magically catch up. QBs are able to take off through the line too easily. Running plays result in losses often, and when they don’t, it feels unrealistic. The CPU is still totally incompetent making coaching decisions. The risk of shooting for 100% realism is that minor problems are more glaring, and that’s the case here.
All that said, it’s still a fun game, and if I had to choose one Fever game to keep in my collection, I’d go with this one.