This third-person action shooter tries to make things interesting with squad-based functionality. You and three other characters must retake a military facility captured by terrorists. You control one of the squad members and give general orders to the rest of the squad (follow, recon, stay, attack, spread) in stealth or attack modes. The AI is pretty sound in executing those commands, though you'll have to watch your buddies' backs. The player's battle controls are nicely done. You can lock onto and cycle targets for easier firing. Much of the gameplay is just run and shoot, find the lever, run and shoot some more. A better plot line would have helped make the tedium more bearable. And the acting is so bad, Resident Evil looks like Shakespeare by comparison. Put to better use, this engine might make a great game. As it is, it makes for a bland one.
This seems a more tepid effort than Madden Football. The basic control is okay, as are the graphics. But nothing here snaps and gets you into the game as effectively as Madden. All NHL and 20 international teams are represented. The computer opponent is competent, with good goalie and stealing skills. You can customize players and teams and trade players in season play. For hockey fans, the game may be good enough for some hockey fans, but it didn't go far to draw novices in.
Nascar racing clearly is an acquired taste – much like chewing tobacco and beef jerky. Going around and around a set of highly realistic but boring oval race tracks must be somebody's idea of fun, however, so EA creates a good looking racing sim with excellent physics and a roster of 34 real-life Nascar drivers and 12 tracks from the circuit. Authenticity rather than style seems to be the keyword here. Drivers have very detailed characteristics, which recreate their real-world driving styles in the game. A very good AI gives you the sense of competing against sentient beings. You also receive real-time status reports, advice and reconnaissance from your pit chief. A 12-point damage system registers folded fenders and collision effects on the car models, and good smoke and spark effects add to the thrills. The control is good, and the graphics are very clean, with good downfield visibility, which is critical when you are racing this fast on a small track. But this one really is for diehard fans of Nascar. EA has done nothing to make it at all lively or appealing to the uninitiated. To paraphrase EA Sports. The tedium? It's in the game.
