The game features all of the official players (692 in total) and teams from the 2005 AFL season. Whilst this is an appreciated (albeit necessary) feature, the timing of the game has meant that when the draft takes place next month, the game will already be out of date. There is unfortunately no way to edit players either, so those hoping to replicate the draft changes will be a little disappointed. IR Gurus haven't obtained the official license for stadiums yet, so their have been slight name changes, for example the MCG is referred to as 'Melbourne.'
In terms of options the game features three main gameplay options from the main menu. Players can choose from exhibition, season and multiplayer. The exhibition mode is for a quick game of footy and the season mode allows you to play through the pre season wizard cup right through to finals series. There are actually a few omissions from the game, such as the mini ball games, which were often a little bit of a fun distraction, which have been completely removed.
Ok, the camera isn't this far back - but it nearly is
The multiplayer mode is fairly self explanatory. For the first time the franchise the game features an online option, which is something gamers have been requesting for a long time. Those without a network adaptor will be relieved to discover that offline multiplayer is also possible. Whilst the modes offered may seem like enough, they become stale rather quickly, and we couldn't help but feel that there should have been more gameplay options. Just off the top of our head we can think of some additions such as a training mode and a quick game options. This would have made the game seem more polished and more accessible.
Sony have added their own little touch to the game, and players who also own an Eyetoy camera can add their face to the game. For the sake of trying every feature out, we actually added our face to the game and would like our ten minutes of time back, it's really a pointless inclusion, and it is difficult to see your face on the actual player, so if you were hyped about this feature then prepare to be disappointed. It isn't as simple as just scanning your face either, you need to scan your face, then map out the points on your face that correspond to the diagram, and then load your cameo into the game.
When AFL Premiership 2005 was first announced it was proclaimed that the game would feature an entirely new game engine, this had PALGN extremely excited, as it is something that the franchise was desperate in need of. So, when we launched into an exhibition match and realised the game engine hasn't been "fully upgraded", we were completely disappointed. Aside from a few minor differences, all that has really changed is that the camera has been set back a bit, and this is what is being touted as an all new game engines. Unfortunatly, the animations are just as repetitive as before, and the controls are just as confusing. Those who want to jump into a game and work the controls out as the go may want to rethink this, as the pause menu doesn't even outline the controls.
Whilst we appreciate that IR Gurus have included some new features in the title, they just don't feel scoped out enough. For example, with the Brownlow medal, the player's votes are not shown at the end of a match, which can mean that you have no idea who is actually recieving the votes. The trading is also far too simplistic, and it is also too easy to get any player from any team - there needs to be some challenge, as it is far too easy to create the "dream team", which makes the title even less challenging.
The difficulty level in the AFL Live titles has always been set to "extremely easy" and this game is no different. After playing the title for fifteen minutes we were annihalating the AI, and the game is made even easier by the fact that the AI make some bizarre decisions in the field of play. Most players will be forced to choose the hard option, just to get a decent challenge.
We can't tell where the boot ends and the player begins
The artificial intelligence is just as lacking as in the game's predecessors. They make some silly moves, and they make decisions that simply defy logical, and take away from the overall realism of the game - such as passing when only metres out from the goal.
It would also be fair to expect that players would reflect their real life appearance, considering the 692 official players in the game, but we cannot say that we remember Saverio Rocca being bald or Barry Hall having hair. For a game that is supposed to contain the official license of the AFL, there are some awful inconsistancies in player details. If you wanted some more proof of the title's unrealistic nature, the top rated team is Collingwood, which have a total score of 67/100. Sydney? They have a score of 62/100.
Individual statistics were always a highlight of the previous titles, and IR Gurus have basically removed them from this incarnation. A pop-up box comes up when a player has the ball, and outlines their statistics, but their is no way to actually look at their statistics after a game. Team statistics can be viewed from the menu at any time during the match.
Graphically, the game looks remarkably similar to the previous incarnations, the character models are blocky and the crowds in the stadiums just look like cardboard cut-outs. Players are very difficult to recognise and their animations are very repetitive, overall the game just doesn't flow as well as it should. Despite the poor quality character models, the frame-rate can often drop as well when the action becomes a little intensive.
Lego: AFL Live Edition
A new commentary team has been adopted for this incarnation, which features Dermott Brereton and Dennis Cometti. Unfortunately the commentary is rather stale and we get comments like "The leading team is (pause) Sydney" The commentary becomes very repetitive and at one stage Dennis Cometti asks Dermott if he has a comment, and he says no, which just seems like filler material. Aside from this, the crowd seems like it is sitting at a drive-in and listening to a movie, rather than being at a football match.
Aside from the season mode and the multiplayer options there isn't much to keep gamers coming back to this game. If you're a huge AFL fan and can forgive the bugs and other poor development decisions that were made with the game then you may find some joy in it, but no more than in previous titles. The season mode is over fairly quickly, and there are no real bonuses that make it worth playing through again. The novelty of playing through during the AFL 2005 season is lost, because the season is over. The real drawcard of this game is the online play or the multiplayer aspect, so think about this hard before picking the game up.
AFL Premiership 2005 could easily be one of the most disappointing titles of the year. The game sounds great on paper, with a new engine, updated rosters and online play, the Brownlow medal and trading have been implemented which is something that fans have been calling for since AFL 2003. We know this game is likely to sell through the roof, and our score is likely to be debated by all the AFL fans who are just happy to recieve a new AFL title - unfortunately, it is seriously time for the entire game to recieve a ridiculously large makeover.
Every copy of AFL Premiership 2005 comes with a bonus 'History of Football' DVD, which looks back at the past of football. This is the first time the movie has been released on DVD and the DVD is exclusive to AFL Premiership 2005.
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