Axis Football 2023

Thumbs sideways for this version. I played AF since AF17. Since I have arthritis I only play franchise mode in coach mode to avoid the hand movements. Over the years some great improvements have been made in this game. The flip side is they do not seem to spend the time getting the bugs out of every version. 2023 had some great improvements but the bugs are numerous and horrible compared to previous versions. Some bugs persist from version to version but mostly new ones come up and in 2023 it is like they did not test the improvements so there is glitches all over. 2023 is still playable with all the glitches. I hesitate to get the next version because of this track record. May try something else. BTW, I work as a programmer so I know about testing the software. I will say again there are some excellent improvements over the previous versions!!! I do still support this game because it does have promise.

Franchise management is great, but the actual gameplay leaves more than a lot to be desired.

I love this game. I've played over one hundred hours of this game. It's very addicting. I'm also aware of the existence of Madden, yet I won't bother trying to compare one against the other, because the scope and resources available are far too dissimilar for a good analysis. I've also played a few exhibitions of the 2024 game, which is similar enough to the 2023 game that this review kind of counts for both. Pros: * Endlessly replayable * Deep franchise mode * Deep enough stats and info to make sensible changes to roster and scheme. In other words, if you scheme poorly or draft/trade for the wrong guys, the game will be noticeably more difficult. * Gameplay is pretty smooth. I turn off all penalties to make it even smoother. Player controls are pretty simple so it feels more like an arcade style game than Madden. It's easy to goof up controls, which can result in unintended player movement and penalties, so turning off penalties eliminates frustration with player controls. * The ultimate reason why I enjoyed this game so much was the NFL mod. I liked simulating with real rosters and coaches. It makes the game feel more comfy, rather than alien and distant. * I'm a big fan of the run game. The running backs are comically overpowered in the game, meaning I easily get run touchdowns every other drive as well as punt return touchdowns at least once a game. Cons: * The run game is overpowered. While it's fun on offense, it's extremely frustrating on defense. No matter what scheme I use (5-3 usually the most effective but extremely weak when an obvious pass audible is called), offenses easily get 5-6 yards/carry. * Another aspect of this game that makes it feel arcade-like is how offense is so easy that scores can easily reach 40+ each game for both sides. * Game controls are not very obvious, especially on defense. It seems like players mostly control movement and speed but tackle style is more up to the AI. While this isn't horrible, it makes playing defense feel very passive. * Because of how one-dimensional the games feel, I ended up just using coach mode all the time. I'd like to see improvement to make the game feel more realistic and balanced. Then I'd be more inclined to play with my XBox controller.

better than madden

I don't get why these Axis games get so much hype around them, they're just as bad if not worse than the more recent Madden games. The A.I. and mechanics of the game are janky. I throw the ball to the intended target and they just sit there and either don't turn to catch where they're supposed to, or the do stupid ♥♥♥♥ like run out of bounds, the teams are all janky as well, the stats feel misleading for the teams, I tested this by making 1 team the worst you can make them stat wise C-Offense C-Defense C-Overall, and then I made a team B+ B+ B+ and both teams played just about the same. These games are garbage and I'm not going to jump on the "Hype" because the game "Isn't a Madden NFL game", that shouldn't matter. A game be it an official NFL game or not should be better. Both Axis and Madden NFL are on my "NEVER TOUCHING EVER AGAIN" list.

SOLID GAMEPLAY CAREER MODE IS AMAZING

Doesn't recognise controller and M&KB doesn't work in menus.......save your money.

Good game