NFL 2K3 - E3 Preview

Building upon NFL 2K2?s impressive kickoff last year, NFL 2K3 is looking to get bigger and better in all aspects of the game, from A.I. to cosmetics.

Da? Bears over the Vikes
Building upon NFL 2K2?s impressive kickoff last year, NFL 2K3 is looking to get bigger and better in all aspects of the game, from A.I. to cosmetics. First of all, Brian Urlacher, NFL Rookie of the Year and hard-nosed linebacker for the Chicago Bears, is replacing bad boy Randy Moss as the game?s cover guy. Sega is also partnering up with ESPN so the look and feel of the formidable sports-media outlet will be evident in the new half-time and post-game reports as well as during draft day in Franchise mode.

In fact, Visual Concepts has targeted Franchise mode as a key area of improvement. In addition to beefing up gameplay, gamers will be able to run day-to-day operations from a radical first-person gameplay view.

The most dramatic upgrade will be to the player models. 2K2?s ?lanky? player looks are gone. Visual Concepts rescanned player images, retooled skeletons, and added 600 polygons to the models.

Heads-Up Play
NFL 2K3 has more going on inside its helmet, too, with artificial intelligence getting another boost this year. Defenses in particular will be smarter, even at the rookie skill level. Defensive backs will be adept at ?handing off? to receivers in zone defenses. Defensive linemen will dive at ballcarriers or jump up to block passes.

You?ll counter with your own tactics, including building a complete playbook from scratch. And just like you can call hot routes on offense, you?ll be able to call hot defenses at the line of scrimmage. You?ll also be able to set defensive and offensive audibles on the fly by quickly recording any play to one of the four action buttons.

With simultaneous releases planned for the PS2, GameCube, and Xbox NFL 2K3 is looking like a preseason league leader.

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