Axis Football 2024

The best way to describe Axis Football 2024 is to set the tone for what you are getting. Most people are comparing this to Madden and it is not that. We, as gamers, need to understand that EA and the Madden team are like the hot girlfriend that has continue to cheat on you until you just had to leave while Axis Football is the girlfriend you truly need, but she doesn't stand out at first. While you are use to Madden with great graphics, we tend to forget there is a reason we have all wanted an alternative. EA will not allow the Madden team to make a game that is truly worth the price. Their excuse has been that they cannot remake the Series or their platform of the game, but the small team at Axis Games is doing it each and every year. We need to understand that this is a work in progress and we actually got a team of developers that are listening to the community and willing to work towards making a great game. So if you are someone that would pay for MUT coins in Madden; I suggest taking 20.00 and buy this game. Then play it for a while. Make some notes of why you like or don't like this game then send your feedback to the developers so that they can address it as soon as possible. I use to love Madden and truly remember when John Madden refused to put his name on the game because they were going to only put 7 players on the field instead of 11 players. It caused the devs a headache and a delay on the game release but it became what it is today. We need to get back to having real football in a game again. We don't need Madden reintroducing old features and telling the customers that it is a new concept. I am all in with Axis Games and hope that they can improve on a game that has improved over each year. I had to rant but too many people wants a great football game, but continue to buy crap and love it. Then is upset that a hard working Game Studio is trying to make what they want but are not finished with their vision yet. EA and Madden are where they want to be at: A money making machine at the expense of the consumer. Axis Games are working towards a dream: Each year improve on the vision that they had when they were just a web-based game that is now on all platforms.

I like this game...I really like it! I was a bit dubious about it before I made the purchase, I was thinking about downloading Madden 24, but when I saw that it required 100GB of my hard drive space, I started looking for an alternative. Even though Axis is a steal for the price, there was something holding me back. I'd read all the reviews, I noticed one reviewer gave it a bad review because he was having difficulty setting up the NFL mod!! Eventually I decided to go for it and I'm so glad I did because, 2 games into a new franchise and I'm having so much fun. The NFL mod was beyond easy to install and set up and I was a bit worried because I noticed the default times for each quarter was only 5 minutes, I don't like this set up because quarters this short usually means one side has possession for the entire quarter and games are so quick and unrealistic. I changed the times to 15 minute quarters expecting ridiculously high scores but I was pleasantly surprised to see realistic results in both games i've played so far. I know this game isn't as pretty as Madden to look at, but I think it outshines Madden in every other department. Once your attention is focused on the field there are some really dramatic plays and the animation is fantastic, especially when the camera is panning around, it looks very realistic at times. Another thing that I'm really impressed with is the choice of different modes. I prefer to coach the game and I love that the game allows you to do that, or you can even sit back and watch a game with no input, a lot of other sports games either make this really difficult or they just don't give you the option and I always prefer to manage rather than participate. Overall, Axis has a quality and charm that you don't get with Madden, I can see myself playing this game for a long time to come whereas I feel like i've seen everything that Madden has to offer after a couple of games. Sorry I keep comparing it to Madden, but I guess that is the benchmark which other football games will always be measured against. So if you're unsure about buying this game like I was then just go for it, you won't regret it, it's well worth the price.

In general not a horrible game. The graphics can be frustrating when it looks like a player is out of bounds and still makes a catch or players just seem to stand there as the opposition run past. But, my biggest problem with this game is when in coach mode you call a play and that is not what is run. Specifically, on kickoffs. I've played numerous games when I was ahead in the last 2 minutes of the game and the other team predictably called an onside kick - I would call for onside kick return and yet my team would always lineup all on one side (away from where the ball was going) - or Even Worse, I would try to adjust for this and call for a regular kickoff return and they would STILL lineup in an onside kick return with ALL of the players on the wrong side of the field. Very frustrating to play for an hour, be ahead by 17 points with less than 2 minutes to go, only to lose.

I wanted to like it, but I was looking for a football game that did GM or Franchise mode better than Madden and this isn't it. It's very shallow. Finances are more than easy to manage, I win the super bowl every other year just by simulating the games. The depth chart is silly and LB's, O-Line, D-Line, etc. aren't even split up by position, they're just lumped together. There's no real negotiation. It's just not remotely there for a GM mode, supremely uninspired and boring. I likely expected too much, but a good GM, Franchise, Head Coach, mode is severely lacking in the genre, so I thought I'd check it out.

I left a detailed review for Axis 2023 upon its release, therefore I'll focus on the differences in game play between the former version and the current 2024 version. Running plays are definitely closer to a true simulation in 2024. It's obvious that a lot of work went into the blocking. Also, 2024 is more of a challenge. I can no longer score 100+ points a game while averaging about 30yds per pass. The on field control feels better in 2024 as well. I really liked 2023, but this one is noticeably more polished in regards to game play. Axis Football 2024 is worth the upgrade from 2023 if you are an active player like me.

13 Sep 2024 update I contacted the developer about the issues with trading and simulation. The developer claims that, in the 2026 version, these issues were addressed. AI teams offer trades and the simulation engine takes into account the quality of your players. I do not recommend the 2024 version but will be giving the 2026 version a try. 8 Sep 2024 update I still do not recommend this game if you are going to Simulate or Spectate games. This update addresses why. If they fix these issues, then my evaluation will be more positive. Due to Steam limits on the length of a review, I had to delete my initial review that identified 31 issues with the game. Developer does make improvements but there are still major issues - particularly with Spectate and Simulate modes. Issues: There are so many that I will just address the most serious. 1. Trades. No trading block. To identify trades you must cycle through each team, then each position. With 32 teams, that is 310 screens to view. Oh, only 5 players are displayed at once. You have to scroll down to view more. When a trade is rejected, there is no option to get a counter offer. No indication of whether you are close or far apart. Slow, painful, awful. 2. You can never have more than 53 players on the Active Roster and 15 on the Practice Squad. You can only trade players that are on the Active Roster. You can not release players from the Active Roster. When you draft players, if there is no room on the Active Roster, they go on the Practice Squad - unless its full. In which case you can't draft players. Every now and then one of your players will disappear from the Active Roster. He is still there (maybe?) because he is counted against the 53 active players. If you go to the trading block and view the position, he shows up there. When you don't have the minimum number of players for a position (for example 6 DBs), the player who fills in is counted against the Active Roster TWICE. Once for his actual position and once for filling in at an alternate position. So you may have only 50 players on the roster but it will show 53 and you can NOT add a player at the position where you are short players because your roster is "full". 3. Simulation and spectate modes are terrible! Massively awful implementation of play results. The opponent is nearly unstoppable in the last two minutes of the half and the last half of the 4-th quarter. Examples in spectate mode: A+ QB throws 3 interceptions and A+ RB fumbles away the ball. One interception in the last 2 minutes of the half. Two interceptions and a lost fumble in the last 6 minutes of the 4-th quarter. Happens all the time. Opponent's offense becomes awesome in the last two minutes of the half and in the 4-th quarter when trailing! Multiple 30, 40, 50 yard completions by C+ QBs. 80 yard runs by their mediocre C+/B- RBs. 4. To demonstrate how awful the game play implementation is, I set ALL my DL, LB and DB players to 99 in speed, awareness, and all attributes from block shedding to fitness inclusive. Every one A+. Then Simulated every game in a 16 game season. My Defense was Overall 11-th best Pass 11-th best Rush 17-th best The top two teams against the pass: Indianapolis 2765 yards allowed dl c+ c+ c+ c+ c c lb c+ c+ c+ c+ c c c db a- b- c+ c+ c+ c+ c c- Nebraska 3097 yards allowed dl b c+ c+ c+ c+ c lb b- b- c+ c+ c+ c c db a- b+ b b- c+ c+ c+ c my A+ team 3452 yards allowed The top two teams against the rush: Arizona 1169 yards allowed dl c+ c+ c+ c c c- lb c+ c+ c+ c c c- c- d+ db a- b- c+ c+ c+ c c c- Nebraska 1199 yards allowed dl b c+ c+ c+ c+ c lb b- b- c+ c+ c+ c c db a- b+ b b- c+ c+ c+ c my A+ team 1536 yards allowed

This review should be a thumbs down I'll be honest, but I think what Axis is doing is still a breath of fresh air for an experience. I played a bit of franchise mode after making a team, I played on pro difficulty and completed 5 games, this is my experience and why I feel so mixed. The player controls are weird in the game, the pre play movements are jumpy on defense, and it feels weird running where you want sometimes on offense. Passing feels like a chore in the game, the coverage the AI does is disgusting while you're constantly under pressure, compared to on defense your lineman don't really do anything. Pros - Amazing team creator and franchise mode - Injuries and proper roster changes - AI actually calling timeouts so you stop running down the clock (This is MASSIVE even if its small) - Clunky, but nice animations for the engine - Massive diversity for playbooks to fit any roster Cons - No defense controls, can't shed blocks, dive, swim move, nothing. It feels doomed when you block - After your defender is broken off a tackle you lose control and they wont follow the movement you choose - swapping players in play doesn't swap to the closest - breaking tackles breaks the AI and they won't tackle half the time even with 4 guys - You'll bee 3rd & 4, gain 5 yards, and it'll be 4th & 1. Can also run out of bounds and it will not stop the clock sometimes - Player speed is weird, you can have a full 99 character get GAPPED by a d tier player for no reason - Opponent will block WR from catching the ball, Player AI will run past the opponent allow them a free catch - AI seems to phase through each other if too many are blocked by a single player, causing WEIRD interactions Kinda Con - half time the teams don't swap sides, so you're always kicking with or against wind - UI should say what the wind is when selecting your kick, not after - Need a more polished system for specifying a bullet - normal - or lob pass. Air time is too long Axis is a breath of fresh air compared to madden, but a lot of little things adds up to a frustrating experience on a lot of plays. I want this to succeed, Axis feels like it could become the proper backbreaker we never received with a proper camera, but physics engine. I hope they take a year off and really work on gameplay a little more to get it more polished with a lot of testing if possible.

A solid Football game that shows a lot of promise. In my opinion its better than Madden if you are a Franchise oriented player, especially considering value for the price of the game. Axis Football 2024 as Improved tremendously over the last versions. I will start of with the negatives and then lay out all the positive the team at Axis is doing well. Negatives: - Clunky and vanilla animations - Some controls could be improved (passing, and passing defense) - adding to the controls, there is a lack of "explanation" on the in game controls - Cant user more than one team in Franchise - Graphics nowhere near new gen madden - PVP is only available in split screen Positives: - Low price point - Huge improvement in game-play from previous versions - TONS of customisation available from; editing rosters, creating custom teams, custom uniforms and custom playbooks. - Note on custom teams and uniforms; Axis as already made presets of colors that match all the NFL, College, Semi-Pro, Olympic teams and more..... - Deep Franchise Mode with tons of features (Draft board, Team morale, Staff management, Stadium upgrades and more) - Good variety of ways to play the game (Coach only, Simulation, User games) Final Verdict 7/10 Video Review: https://youtu.be/E2c0bhBfEWo

[b]Axis Football 2024 straddles two sides of the sports-game market, and unfortunately is not strong enough in either of these to be an incredible game, but is probably good enough for many to enjoy enough to get their money’s worth, and worth supporting for what it stands for in the greater American Football game marketplace. The best way to enjoy Axis Football is to set your align your expectations, and also probably be [i]slightly[/i] more in love with the simulation side of things than the gameplay side.[/b] You’re not going to see me grandstand for games that aren’t that great just because of what they [i]mean[/i] often. But games that are direct competitors with EA Sports and 2K Sports are another story. These companies have effectively committed predatory pricing tactics, by blitzing the market year over year with ridiculous funding behind them, to where they’re the only competitor left, and then the products have deteriorated over time with no good alternatives for players now that they own 90% marketshare. I won’t lie to you and say I’ve played the absolute most recent titles of Madden, EAFC, and 2K, but I’ve played ones recent [i]enough[/i] to have seen this deterioration with my own eyes. Anyway, to get to Axis Football, the game straddles the line between simulation game (a la Football Manager) and realistic action sports (a la Madden). Let’s start with how the game stacks up to the latter. The game holds no candle to madden in terms of atmosphere. Stadiums are bland and relatively lifeless, sound effects are not terrible, but woven into the gameplay very choppily, and the same goes for announcers. But that’s really not stuff you find critically important if the moment-to-moment gameplay is crisp and satisfying. The good news is the gameplay itself is impressive in some regards. Some animations are pretty incredible, presnap options are outstanding (although I would love to directional switch presnap instead of just scroll through), and the relative weight of the ball and actions feels [i]mostly[/i] fine (although players can turn on a dime and it’s WAYY too silly). That said, playing defense is [i]overly difficult[/i] compared to offense, and running the ball is [b]much[/b] easier than passing, like piss easy. There’s also no touch/bullet pass option, which is a major shortcoming imo. The player you control does not auto-move until otherwise directed on defense, and the inability to have a catch button makes defending passes awkward. It does not feel like pass catches or drops or breakups are actually affected by the animations and players themselves. Rather, they are simulated and the outcome is determined regardless of how the actual play goes, if that makes sense. Otherwise, receivers drop far too many passes that defenders never even get a hand in. There is no instant replay feature, no challenge feature, and no referees announcing penalties. I think what Axis has built stands up to Madden nicely given the number of years they’re working with, and the funding compared to a company like EA Sports. That said, many of the above are shortcomings when compared to Madden, not highlights. Customers must be asked to be generous toward Axis given these shortcomings, even considering the lower price point. Not too many will be, as evidenced by this game’s very limited popularity still after how many versions. So how about the simulation side of the game? Playbook design is pretty outstanding, as well as coaching the game (although I would LOVE to have a top-down X’s and O’s view of the play-by-play). Franchise incorporates interesting options like European promotion and relegation as well as a team creator, player scouting, and facilities management. These are all great. However, there’s not much player-GM interaction (players asking for more playing time, contract renegotiations, injuries), and you can’t trade draft picks or picks + players and cash options. You can’t offer signing bonuses or contract incentives, etc. I know many of these don’t really match how the NFL works, but there are a plethora of options already in the game, and they could simply add these as choices. I think many of these create a richer sports game GM experience than a strictly 1-to-1 NFL GM recreation would offer. My ultimate recommendation to Axis Football for the 2026 version [u](they have skipped 2025, a noble choice, and I respect them for doing something EA will never)[/u] is to commit harder to the simulation/GM options, at least for the time being, as I think this is their standout point, at least in the American Football game space, and [i][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h19anH4MdE&t=206] “If we try to play like the Yankees in here, we will lose to the Yankees out there.”[/url][/i] I recommend this to football fans, sports simulation fans, and anyone tired of buying deteriorating EA/2K crap. [b]7/10[/b]

This is it. I have tried every single non-EA football game, searching desperately for a game with adequately smooth play, high creativity capacity, and solid coaching that has serviceable graphics. If you love team creation, league variance, coaching, and arcade style play-ability coupled with significant strategic and play calling challenges, then this is your next download.