”Game of the Year Edition” wasn’t the right tagline for the 2012 update of last year’s AFL Live, but other than that, the $14.95 DLC accomplishes what it set out to achieve.
Check out our full review of AFL Live
A new AFL game every year isn’t going to happen. Get that out your head, people. It isn’t feasible nor necessary. All we really need is yearly roster updates, and the darned career mode. Perhaps that could be an addition with next year’s DLC, before an entirely new game next generation? But I digress, this is pointless speculation.
The “Game of the Year” update is available now for download on PS3 and Xbox 360. It will also be available with the game at retail later this month, which will see AFL Live head to Windows PC for the first time.
You get the updated 2012 AFL team rosters and fixtures, as well as the addition of Greater Western Sydney and Skoda Stadium.
For less than the cost of four maps you played three years ago in Call of Duty, you get the updated 2012 AFL team rosters and fixtures, as well as the addition of Greater Western Sydney and Skoda Stadium. Not bad, considering it’s handled by a Melbourne-based developer and only market viable in three Australian states (let’s be honest, do you know who Chris Judd is, Sydney?).
As with the original game, some of the player ratings are up for debate (poor Jay Schultz), but Big Ant allows you to amend that yourself. All teams can be reset to accurately represent the 2012 lists; then each player can be tinkered to satisfy your own beliefs of their true potential (or spudness, to use AFL forum talk).
Overpowered custom teams still dominate the online arena, and the A.I. hasn’t seen any improvements from either the DLC or its accompanying patch. It’s a little disappointing to see that the same glitches that let down the game a year ago are still present, but most gamers adapted and just accepted them.
Likewise, none of the recent draftees have commentary names, but the sound was by far one of the original release’s biggest weaknesses. Fans willing to buy the new DLC would have already made do with the limited audio options, perhaps by injecting their own music over the top of the tiresome commentary and sound effects.
The Final Verdict
The AFL Live: Game of the Year Edition DLC and retail release brings the best AFL game to date into 2012. It includes GWS, its new stadium and all of the current teams, which is all that was required to continue enjoying AFL Live during the current season. AFL fans should be satisfied; although, it looks like we’re going to have to wait until the next full release, should it happen, to fix some of the lingering problems and for that highly anticipated career mode.
By Ben Salter - Bio