NCAA Football 08 vs All-Pro Football 2K8
by 
Last week brought the release of two anticipated football titles in NCAA Football 08 and All-Pro Football 2K8. I figured it would be helpful to go through the different aspects of the games and give my thoughts on which has the advantage in each area. Anyone who is trying to decide between the two can view this as somewhat of a guide. Both of these games are generally regarded as companion titles to Madden 08 so for many it may be difficult to justify purchasing both. Continue on to read my full analysis.
Gameplay: PUSH (APF: Offense & Special Teams, NCAA: Defense)
Gameplay will always be a subjective topic so this is only my personal breakdown. APF offers full control over type of throws in the passing game and great blocking (both in the running game and the forming of a pocket). You can actually run play action in the game without getting sacked. Manual defense in NCAA is much better because of the heavy momentum and feeling of a lack of player responsiveness in APF. The new kicking mechanism in APF is a big leap forward in that area and is really well done.
Modes: NCAA Football 08
This is a no-doubter. NCAA gives the standard Play Now, Practice, and Online modes but also has the rich Dynasty mode and the very fun Campus Legend mode. APF only has the standard modes and a basic season mode. NCAA is practically 3 games wrapped into one if you're comparing it to APF.
Graphics: NCAA Football 08
I give the edge here to NCAA. The graphics in APF are decent enough to avoid hurting the overall experience though.
Online Play: All-Pro Football 2K8
This is the big win here for APF. Not everything is perfect such as auto-strafe being forced ON in ranked matches, the games going by too quickly, and the league websites having finally launched last night are of course glitchy. The most important thing is the game runs without any trace of lag. Having customized teams brought online offers a unique experience in both lineups and uniforms. Meanwhile NCAA offers a laggy, frustrating and inconsistent experience both while playing on the field as well as when selecting plays and attempting to change depth charts.
Freshness: All-Pro Football 2K8
I didn't originally intend to have this as a category but I think it is a big enough factor to address. The legends and strategy behind shaping your teams, customization of playbooks and uniforms, and the use of them in online play are all welcome additions. NCAA does present the upgrade to 60fps (on the 360), the video/screenshot feature is great, and the Campus Legend mode is finally worthwhile. Of course being gone for a few years has helped out 2K's title in this regard. But that doesn't negate it as something to consider.
Extras: NCAA Football 08
NCAA's use of the Weather Channel to present real-time weather for games is awesome. Too bad it's only utilized in Play Now games. The video clip and picture uploading feature is a fantastic addition to the game. I've probably spent more time working on things related to that then I have spent playing the actual game. NCAA Football has a demo on the 360 Marketplace and APF doesn't. APF doesn't really have any extras to speak of.
These games excel and fall short in different areas. Gameplay is going to be subjective and both at the very least are solid. If you are looking for longevity from offline play then NCAA would be the game to go with. If you enjoy online play the clear choice is All-Pro Football. If you are looking for satisfaction from both, unfortunately you'll need to combine them to get that full experience.
July 23, 2007 at 8:21 am
Agree with most your assessment except for game play. 2k8 is far more sim then any ea game. Yea the momentum is a problem but that doesn’t compare to the problems with the physics and D back issues in EA games. The combination leads to high scoring games online that takes away from the accomplishment and excitement of scoring in football. EA games have an arena feel in that department. Hopefully that changes but I doubt it
July 23, 2007 at 9:48 am
the kicking game is a big problem if you dont get a star rated kicker in APF. I have missed so many kicks and messed up kick offs on that game. I scored 70 in a guy in College, but I cant score 35 in APF… Def a sim game
July 23, 2007 at 12:19 pm
By ‘Play Now’ do you mean offline only, online only, or both…thx, love the site.
July 23, 2007 at 5:23 pm
2k8 is in my opinion the best football game to be released on either of the next generation game consols.madden is an arcade style game.2k8 feels like the real thing
July 23, 2007 at 9:30 pm
Good to see a good balanced review from you. I for the first time in a long time agree with EVERYTHING in your article. Very well written.
July 24, 2007 at 5:54 pm
I was reading a kotaku blog post and they have a link to you. But that post said you preferred APF for online play. Aside from the bashing over there, I recognized another important thing. You did award APF for online, YET you noted NCAA has better offline play and lasting power. Coughkotakuhasbiasagainsteaandfootballgamesingeneralthoseruthlessnerdscough.
July 25, 2007 at 2:52 pm
Freshness actually works in two ways- 1) APF feels fresher than NCAA, which is improved, but still working off the same engine as NCAA 07 and 2) APF will feel fresher than NCAA in 3 weeks when everyone is also playing Madden. It’s hard to see the value of having two different football games based off the same engine unless you are a big college football fan. The gameplay experience is simply too similar, and every year I end up jettisoning NCAA until right around draft time.
For a variety of reasons, I think the APF game engine does a far better job of simulating the sport of football. I enjoy NCAA, and I’m sure I’ll enjoy Madden, but 2K8 feels more like football. If the licensing was reversed and the 2K engine had both NFL and NCAA licenses while EA used their engine in a fictional setting, I’m not sure how many people would play EA’s game.
July 27, 2007 at 12:17 pm
extras: APF has real-time sports ticker giving you news on all relevant happenings in the world of sports…you can even read multi-page articles…this is always overlooked
July 28, 2007 at 2:08 pm
apf is BEAST
February 16, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Pushing on gameplay? That's ridiculous. APF2K8 has better everything, and you're right. Players move like they should (or closer to it). If you want arcadish movements to help make your defense better, then NCAA gives you that, but that does not equal better gameplay. I suggest learning the plays, and learning what area your player is meant to play instead of relying on a ridiculous speed / movement crutch to make up for a bad defense or poor defensive play calling.