EA Sports Arena Football Review

Arena Football tweaks the NFL game a bit and kicks the speed up a few notches. The real AFL is a thrill to watch since all of the rule changes – most notably the 50 yard field – makes every game a shootout where literally every play can result in a touchdown. Unfortunately, the game hasn’t made the transition to videogame form very well. It is missing a few key features and the spastic action on the field gets old pretty quickly.

Features and Modes

Rather than list out all of the differences between the NFL and AFL, I instead direct you to About.com’s Guide to Football, James Alder. Go here to find out anything you wanted to know about Arena Football.

EA Sports Arena Football has all of the real players and teams from the AFL, which is a definite plus, but it is rather lacking when it comes to gameplay modes, at least compared to what we are used to with other football games. You can play a quick game, practice, play online, and enter season mode. And that is it. The season mode lasts up to 20 seasons but you don’t have anywhere near the same number of options as other football games. You can trade and sign players and little else other than playing or simming the actual games. Season/franchise mode should be the crown jewel of a football game but you just don’t have enough control here to really make it worth your while.

Online play and multiplayer in general is far better than single player. You’ll play against better defense than the AI can muster which makes the game a lot more fun. Online play offers standard EA Sports options but the game runs smoothly.

Gameplay

The biggest problem with Arena Football is that the gameplay gets old pretty fast. The short field and wide open defense means that literally every single play can result in a touchdown. It is sort of thrilling at first, but being able to run the same couple of pass plays over and over again and score at will isn’t all that fun. And you can completely forget about running the ball. For one, it is darn near impossible to run the ball consistently, but it is also completely unnecessary since you can easily score with a pass. This creates a game where you spend far more time looking at menus and playbooks than the action on the field which isn’t all that fun.

The defensive side of the ball fares a bit better. Rushing the quarterback is far more difficult here, so your best bet is to play as a defensive back and try to knock down or intercept a few passes. The short field and fewer players on said field make playing defense a lot easier than in standard 11 man football but it is also far more satisfying because you have a more direct impact on each and every play.

Graphics and Sound

Graphically, Arena Football looks pretty good. The players look pretty close to what you’ll find in Madden and the animation is just as good, if not better. Little touches like knocking opponents over the sideline walls are pretty nifty and something you’ll never see in other football games. The graphics falter a bit when it comes to the stadiums you’re playing in. Arena Football is an indoor game played in basketball arenas so the crowd is crammed literally right up next to the field. The crowds are very dark and covered in a weird purple light and the arenas themselves don’t really have any distinguishing details. The game runs at a silky smooth framerate at all times, but it is pretty bland to look at.

The sound is also rather disappointing. The hits pack a nice crunch that is pretty satisfying, but there isn’t any play-by-play commentary which just seems completely odd in a sports game.

Bottom Line

In the end, Arena Football is a decent football game, but it is seriously lacking in features that we have come to expect from football games. I know that this isn’t supposed to be the NFL or NCAA or even Blitz: The League, but a real franchise mode and more options for everything else would have made a world of difference. Also, the gameplay doesn’t really come across as any better or worse than other football games. It seriously lacks the strategy and depth of NFL football so it isn’t nearly as satisfying. Being able to score on pretty much every play isn’t really all that fun after your first game or so. Playing multiplayer games with friends or on Xbox Live makes the game a lot better, but there is nothing really magical that gives you a reason to play Arena Football over any other football game. If you are already a big fan of the AFL you’ll probably find quite a bit to like here and at $30 it might be worth checking out. If you are just looking for something to kill the time until the next NFL/NCAA football season starts in August you should look elsewhere because EA Sports’ Arena Football won’t satisfy that itch.