What I hope doesn't stick around, though, is the slight imbalance in excitement. Arena Football tries to maintain a strong energy level, but I kept finding flaws in the game's defensive modes. There's a number of defensive plays that are available from the get-go, but the game clearly loses a bit of energy in its execution. It's like you keep wishing for a fumble and interception just to get on the offensive side of things, only to find that they mainly happen WHILE you're on offense. I can understand wanting to keep a fair shake between both sides of the team, but you'd think that defensive plays would have a similar energy. In Madden, I couldn't wait to set my player up for the key sack. Here...if it happens, it happens. This should've been worked on a little bit.

The kicking system has also been simplified, when no one really asked for it to be. Instead of setting up on a power meter ala Madden, EA Tiburon went with a "pull back, push forward" system. It has its moments, but too many times you'll find yourself nailing the uprights every time. Again, boring...and for a arena football game, boring is the last word you should have to run into.

AFL fans will wonder what kind of extras Arena Football has to offer, and there are a couple. The game does support Xbox Live for online play, although the three sessions I had occasionally bugged a little bit and went a little slower than I would've liked. Still, it works, and the lobby system is easy to use. Then there's the off-line season mode, where you can work your way through a number of seasons, signing on free agents and working your way to a championship just like the Crush did. However, it sorely lacks details and numerous activities to make you feel like you're really in the coach's shoes. It's recommended for die-hard fans only, and they may even become...well, bored. There, I said it again.

As far as presentation, I wouldn't call it boring, but I would definitely call it patchwork. The in-game graphics fail to really innovate the kind of franticness that the sport is known for. It's really hard to tell arenas apart because the audience is mostly darkened and non-detailed, with all the focus turned to the field. Player animations are pretty solid, and the camera perspective isn't too troubling (aside from when you're trying to view all the players on the field and sometimes can't make out who's on what icon), but it seems a bit fuzzy in terms of texturing. Given a little more time, I think EA Tiburon could've made this a dazzling beauty of a game. But time must be one of those luxuries they can't afford, I suppose.

The sound's even worse. The game lacks any sort of running commentary to go with the action. Now, this can be a good thing, especially when you consider how awful commentary has been in past games from EA. But none at all, aside from an announcer who runs the standards? I would've given something just to hear some humor blended in, like "Oh, wow, what a hit! He took out the hot dog guy!" The sound effects are acceptable, with the hits coming across convincingly, but the rock music needs to go. Once again, EA Trax ruin the experience.

Arena Football isn't a slouch of a game, by any means. It still manages to bring the action of the AFL to a decent, respectable level, and its "telemetry system" is worth a look if you're up for the finer balances in a football game. But its substance and presentation leave a lot to be desired, and will probably disappoint those who expected this to be better than Madden. Cheer up, AFL and EA Sports. There's always next year, and that's something the XFL and Kurt Warner simply can't boast so easily.