College Hoops 2K8 (Xbox 360)
This is still the best college basketball game on the market, but is it worth $60?
1/31/2008 12:00 AM | 0 Comments | Page 2 of 2
What's Hot: Deep gameplay, with an even deeper recruiting model; 2K Share and the Play Designer are awesome additions; Online remains a blast
What's Not: Graphics and animations lag far behind NBA 2K8; Some of the new features are a bit fluffy; Some basic basketball gameplay flaws
William Abner
Status: Most likely playing a sports game of some sort
One area that has improved is the atmosphere. The play-by-play commentary remains fairly bland and almost a carbon copy of what was heard in last year's game, but at least the crowd makes an appearance this year -- and goes absolutely crazy during crunch time and with a good sound system, the game's arenas are absolutely rocking. Visually the game still lags far behind
NBA 2K8. The animations are better this year, but the player faces, models and movement animations are nowhere near as smooth as the NBA game.
College Hoops 2K8 isn't a bad-looking game -- it's just not going to blow you away, especially if you have played 2K's NBA game.
The most important aspect, the way it plays on the floor, remains a bright spot. There are some frustrations, like the lack of CPU non-shooting fouls, too few turnovers, weird substitution patterns, and other basketball basics that the game manages to whiff on (will we ever see regular traveling calls?), but the tempo and feel of the game remains top-notch; each game feels like its own individual story, and nothing seems too canned. The gameplay isn't a huge step ahead of
College Hoops 2K7, which was brilliant, but there are some improvements, particularly in how the AI attacks the basket.
Online play is a blast, and if you can find people to play in tourney mode, simulating March Madness, it's one of the finest online sports game experiences available -- but again, last year's game was great online, too, so you are still going to have to weigh your options as to whether or not the new features are worth the price of admission.
That's really the big question: Are these additions worth another $60? It's a tough sell. If you skipped last year's game, then this is without a doubt worth picking up, but if you're looking to upgrade, then perhaps a weekend rental is the way to go to get a feel for the new stuff and to gauge if it's worth the yearly donation.
This review is based on a retail copy purchased by Crispy Gamer.
