Does anyone like this game? Because I do... Here's why
Just my opinion, but I think most hate on this game because it is becoming more realistic football and less video game garbage. You can't run the ball? Complete some deep passes to open up the run game. Can't complete passes or run the ball? Guess what... You're gonna lose. Teams lose in the NFL. Sometimes they lose big and get shut out. It happens. I'm actually liking this game the more I play it.
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Same on defense... I play a team rated 75 and similar if the QB throws a bad pass my defenders react and make plays on the ball.. Either swatting the ball, knocking the ball loose, or intercepting the ball... In the same situation witha team ranked 85 and above.. If the defender has a play on the ball sometimes he wont react at all wont attempt to swat the ball, if they can intercept the ball they usually drop it, and if the receiver catches the ball the defender wont even attempt to knock the ball out...
And those are the most frustrating elements of the game for me.
Longshot was horrible though. Endless cutscenes followed by, what were basically QTE's.
The super linebackers are terrible when it happens. Backside run-through is ridiculously not realistic as it happens way too often and with the LB having superhuman speed. The LB picks on passes being thrown 20-25 yds downfield are far from realistic. 99% of these should be tips at best.
Yet LBs rarely intercept the quick slants that they are underneath the receiver. I've even seen a LB be standing directly in front of a 'spot' or hitch route and the ball moves him out of the way allowing the receiver to make the catch.
I've seen balls travel right through DBs that had dead-to-rights picks. I've seen floaters over the middle (in the air a half hour) that safeties don't even respond to until the receiver catches it. I have also seen deep receivers without a single defender anywhere close when the call was cover 4. I've seen receivers in the corner of the endzone, with CB and Safety 5-7 yards away at the throw, and the DBs don't move until pass is complete for a TD.
RBs get hung up on screens and free-release routes way to often. RBs at every level of football should only have this happen once or twice at most, in any one game. That is unless a DL was holding on the play.
The QB throws under duress are far from realistic. If a defender is near, then the QB throws a ball in the dirt or into oblivion 90% of the time. On the plays when the QB is actually contacted, the ball is incomplete 2-3 yards away 90% of the time. The duress/pressure/hurry mechanic is whack. This pretty much negates stepping up into the pocket, like a real NFL QB would do.
Sometimes receivers and RBs STOP to cut up field upon receiving a pass or a toss. And, I assume this is the new 'one-cut' mechanic, that causes the ball carrier to get stuck traveling a certain direction for a time period usually 3-5 yards.
FBs and pulling guards "whiff" too often. OL set up screens like a wedge and don't bother to go get defenders that don't run right into said wedge. This is AFTER the reception is made.
The "reach" tackles wind up looking like 'big hits'. Almost all tackles look like big hits. Then its a crapshoot on whether a ball carrier will stumble over a player lying on the ground. I see the stumble more often than not. But, I've seen the ball carrier run right through the lying player several times. I have seen the ball carrier jump over the lying player ONE TIME.
'Pancake' blocks are almost always in pass-pro and are rarely if ever seen in run blocking. And, back to the screens, a 180 lb DB should never be able to stand up a 300+ lb OL. Just as a 180 lb WR should rarely stone a 260 lb LB that has a head of steam. And there is to the point of QBs breaking DL tackles. Unless it's Cam or Big Ben, this should rarely happen. Especially when the QB is totally stationary.
Dive tacklers can dive almost 10 yards and hit-stick tackles can cause the tackler to lie down altogether or just stand still altogether.
Changing a play now costs 4-5 seconds which would be fine IF: 1. Defensive adjustments were penalized in the same way or 2. The game ran on the full 35 second play clock.
Calling or changing a hot route should never incur a 3-4-5 second animation sequence.
Tipped balls shouldn't divinely stay alive anywhere near as often as they do.
Defenders shouldn't warp off of blocks or into position to defend passes.
Fumbles are much too frequent and the penalty for using the 'protect ball' button is way more severe than the penalty for spamming the hit stick...which is almost none.
Pursuit angles should not be any less than 90 for any defensive player and probably no less than 85 for any offensive player. In reality, only kicker and punters should have a poor pursuit angle and if they were truthful in this rating on the game, even the dang kickers pursuit shouldn't be less than 80. It's the pros!
Same with play recognition. Play recognition should be both offensive and defensive and in reality, players recognize plays by alignment, personnel, and tendency according to film study, long before they see the same **** play called 10-15 times in the current game.
Etc. etc. etc.
The more you play the game, the more you should be able to add here as for as realism is concerned.
Nobody expects it to be perfect. I, for one, do expect weaknesses and exploits to be addressed and diminished over time. Some of those things seem to be enhanced and the importance or necessity of what issues may have been resolved or even addressed, seem to be inconsistent from one year to the next. I think most of us actually 'like' the game. That's why most of us keep buying the crap. I, however, wouldn't be opposed to having some other options like NCAA, or even 2k or somebody else having a crack at it. I just feel like too much effort goes into MUT and it's no mystery to why that is.
But if you’re playing against the AI and psychic defense...
Seriously though.... the game has grown on me. Still has a long way to go. 12 years later, I should not still be saying “but 2k sports had it” (and no I’m not talking about the stupid half time show people keep whining about.