ALL PRO FOOTBALL 2K8 – PLAYER ABILITIES DETAILED

Yes, we’re focusing on All Pro Football 2K8 yet again today. Gamespot has posted another preview of the game in which they take a closer look at the special abilities players can have in the game. If you’re a little confused as to what that means, let me explain; In addition to the usual stats all players have, the “Legendary” players all have special attributes that are used to make them play more like they did during their NFL careers. For example, a player that was king of the late-game comeback may have the “4th quarter comeback ability” – which increases all that players stats during the 4th quarter. It’s one of the little things that 2K Sports is doing to try and make the title stand out.

Now that you know what the special attributes are all about, let’s take a look at the full list of them as per Gamespot;

• Signal Stealer — Press X with our QB or defender to try to steal your opponent’s plays.
  
• Scrambler — QB is talented at throwing the ball out of the pocket.
• Rocket Arm — QB has top-flight arm strength with QB charge.
• Quick Release — QB has a quick throwing motion.
• Pocket Presence — QB is at his best when in the pocket.
• Play Fake — QB’s play action fake is great at fooling defenders.
• Pass Threat — QB’s threat of passing makes draw plays more lethal.
• Laser Arm — Pinpoint accuracy with QB charge.
• Deception — QB’s pump fakes are more likely to deceive defenders.
• Cadence — QB’s cadence is good at drawing defenders offside.
• 4th Quarter Comeback — QB is at his best when trailing in the 4th quarter.
• Strength Bonus — Player has top-notch strength for his position.
• Stamina Bonus — Player doesn’t tire easily.
• Speed Burner — Player has top-notch speed for his position.
• Secure Ball Bonus — Player is good at holding onto the football.
• Run Coverage — Player is good against the run and when pursuing ball carriers.
• Quick Feet — Player has top-notch agility for his position.
• Leadership Bonus — Player makes his teammates better.
• Hops — Player has excellent jumping ability.
• Durability Bonus — Player is resilient to injuries and very dependable.
• Acrobatic Catches — Player is able to make difficult circus catches.
• Branching Tackles — Player is good at shaking off tackles by tapping A.
• Break Away Burst — Player has an extra gear when running away from defenders.
• Bump Buster — Player is talented at beating bump and run coverage.
• Cutback Ability — Player is quick out of cuts.
• Deep Threat — Receiver is skilled at catching deep passes and draws extra attention from safeties.
• Mr. 3rd Down — Receiver is clutch in 3rd down situations.
• Possession Receiver — Receiver is particularly talented at running short routes.
• Return Specialist — Player is skilled at returning punts or kicks.
• Route God — Receiver is great route runner.
• Ankle Breaker — Player has a 2nd level charge juke move.
• Battering Ram — Player has a 2nd level charge shoulder charge.
• Spin — Defender has a 2nd level charge spin.
• Arm of Steel — Player has a 2nd level charge stiff arm.
• Stop on a Dime — Player has a 2nd level charge stop.
• Tough in the Middle — Receiver isn’t afraid to get hit on catches in the middle.
• Workhorse — Ball carrier gets better the more he gets the ball.
• Soft Hands — Player has excellent hands.
• Special Team Demon — Player is talented at covering punts or kicks.
• Magic Feet — Player has the footwork and balance to stay in bounds on sideline catches.
• Brick Wall — Player has superior pass blocking skills.
• Bulldozer — Player has superior run blocking skills.
• Stonewall — Linemen is such a stalwart that the QB is extra composed around him.
• Clutch — Player’s performance is best in all-clutch situations and games.
• Scissor Kick — Player has a scissor kick special move by using RS.
• Finesse — Player has a 2nd level spin and juke move.
• Power — Player has a 2nd level shoulder charge and stiff arm.
• Finesse and Power — Player has a 2nd level spin, juke, shoulder charge, and stiff arm.
• Ball Strip — Player is adept at forcing fumbles.
• Big Hit — Defender is particularly adept at big hit tackles with RS.
• Bull Rush — Defender has a 2nd level charge bull rush.
• Bump Master — Player is skilled at bump and run coverage.
• Closing Speed — Defender is able to cover ground quickly when closing in on the ball.
• Club — Defender has a 2nd level charge club.
• Loose Ball Magnet — Defender has a knack for recovering fumbles.
• Reach Tackle — Defender has the strength to pull down ball carriers with reach tackles.
• Rip — Defender has a 2nd level charge rip.
• Run Reader — Defender has a sixth sense that allows him to hit the hole.
• Sack Master — Defender is particularly skilled at sacking the QB.
• Wrap Up Tackler — Defender is a textbook wrap tackler.
• Coverage Bonus — Player has excellent pass coverage skills.
• Pass Rush Bonus — Player is skilled at rushing the passer.
• Run Coverage — Player is good against the run and when pursuing ball carriers.
• Ball Hawk — Defender has a keen sense of the ball on passes.
• Footsteps — Defender strikes fear in receivers and this can result in gator arms.
• Return Specialist — Player is skilled at returning punts or kicks.
• Coffin Corner — Player is good at pinning punts inside the 10-yard line.
• Kick Accuracy Bonus — Player has excellent kick accuracy.
• Kick Power Bonus — Player has excellent kick power.

For more details on player special abilities in All Pro Football 2K8, check out the full article over at Gamespot.

• All Pro Football 2K8 – Official website
• All-Pro Football 2K8 Special Abilities Spotlight – Gamespot

GEARS OF WAR PREVIEW AT PLANET XBOX 360

The kind folks over at Planet Xbox 360 have put together everything they know so far about Gears of War into one easy to swallow package for you. The article contains a wealth of information and is a perfect introduction to the game for the person who’s hasn’t been following Gears religiously over the last year.

For those of you who are as consumed with desire over Gears as I am, there’s still some new information to be had here, such as this little snippet about the weapons available to you in the game;

“Speaking of weapons, Epic has cooked up quite an exotic list for your destructing pleasure. During a few missions you’ll be able to use the Hammer of Dawn. This is a remote laser strike that is as easy as point and click. The next item on the list is the Torque Bow. This is a crossbow styled weapon that when shot will detonate in anything the arrow has plunged into. Are you tired of the rudimentary grenade throwing found in most games? The Bolo Grenades should answer that. These are sticky grenades on a sling that you twirl above your head until you have your perfect arc. Last but not least, the weapon that Epic says defines the Gears of War brand is the Lancer Rifle. This visceral beast is an assault rifle with a chainsaw as its bayonet. This allows you to shred through your opponents when they get too close.” -Planet Xbox 360

Definitely stop by Planet Xbox 360 and check the article out. Once you have, you can join me in packing for that inevitable midnight wait outside EB.