While EA might have the official NFL license for regular football games, StatusPRO has a loophole to bring the NFL to a video game experience unlike any other. The company has released its second game, NFL PRO ERA II, to PlayStation VR2 along with a Meta and Steam release. StatusPRO was created by former athletes with a goal of bringing fans closer to the action on the field, and that sense of immersion is felt in these titles. There are aspects that improved with the latest game in terms of the controls and the mechanics, and while it’s still far from perfect, this sense of immersion isn’t felt anywhere else for NFL fans.
NFL PRO ERA II puts the player in the eyes of the quarterback. This is full 11-on-11 football featuring real NFL teams, NFL players and NFL stadiums that are all detailed for a VR game. For this year’s title, players will now call plays and swipe through the selection on their wrist. This also provides the opportunity to quickly look down at the play while at the line of scrimmage to double-check the receiver routes. The major aspect of what NFL PRO ERA II does to mimic real life is going through the progressions and sensing pocket pressure. Indicators do pop up on the screen the closer a defender gets to the player for a tackle.
Players will look at their receivers to indicate where to throw the ball. This does have to lock on and occasionally if there are multiple receivers, the best course of action is to shake your head in another that direction to get the highlighter to move over. It’s unfortunate there isn’t the option to either use a button to cycle to the next one, or simply point, since the other hand isn’t doing anything. Players can sprint by moving their arms and holding down the two inner buttons on the VR controllers, so if no one is open, the option to take off is there. Players can also use this to their advantage to roll out of the pocket and attempt to throw on the run, but this game doesn’t like fast motion that much. When executed fluidly, this is exhilarating to pull off, but this game takes practice because you’ll be adhering to how the game wants you to play, and not necessarily the way you think it should.
Throwing is improved from the previous game, but there’s still a lot to be desired. A good chunk will be figuring out how the game wants you to pull it off. The best thing to do is to make sure the controller is in view of the headset when the trigger is released. The ball is hiked and caught out of shotgun with the trigger or taken from under the center. The option for an automatic dropback is available, and it’s safe to say that there will need to be a good bit of space to play this game. Depending on the release arc, there are different trajectories the ball can be thrown. It’s more consistent than the first game, but there are still inconsistencies. Lining up to take the snap, surveying the defense and seeing what it presents you is fantastic, however, as it gives you an idea of what quarterbacks go through before each play. What formation they are running, are the defensive backs lined up directly on the receivers, what is this safety going to do, etc. That is simply awesome.
There are running plays and read option plays as well. All runs require putting the ball and releasing the trigger in a box for the running back. Read option plays require reading the defensive end or linebacker to see if they crash down or stay home. The game does slow down for this, but occasionally it seems like the handoff doesn’t register. Taking snaps under the center sometime will not register, either, even if the indicator is green. Players can also audible out of plays, and I’m unsure if it’s a bug, but this requires you to hit audible then select the play, but nothing really indicates that it was selected. It just goes back to the first play on the wrist rolodex. The flow of doing this is weird and takes adjustment. I also had some friends struggle with the play selection menu as the flow doesn’t make much sense and there’s only the audible noise provided if something is selected. There’s also a struggle with depth perception at times when selecting these plays.
Don’t expect any type of moves to break any tackles, even though Lamar Jackson is on the cover. You also don’t play as that teams quarterback if just selecting the team in an Exhibition game; you are the quarterback. It would be cool to have the ability to play as each team’s QB with variable stats and heights, but that isn’t the case. Also, every player on the field is the exact same proportions, which can hurt the immersion at times. When not playing QB, players will be on the sidelines where they can look at their stats on a clipboard, drink water to return stamina (even though there’s no stamina indicator so maybe this is just novelty), or in Career Mode can boost up position players with extra perks. Skipping back to action requires to select that option every single time on the wristband, even if it’s already set to the ‘on’ position. Watching the AI play is rather uninspiring, but there are good tackle and hit animations. Otherwise, all players are extremely robotic and generic, but they’re the NFL rosters going into the season. There haven’t been any roster updates and it doesn’t look like there will be.
The Career Mode will now take players through multiple seasons and can add to the Coach Confidence, which will unlock more plays to select. Stats are tracked and while there’s no real progression of improving attributes of your player, you’ll play through games in a traditional sense and accrue trophies that can be viewed in the trophy case in the locker room. The locker room has been updated and is the main hub for the game. Other game modes include a Two-Minute Drill, which is probably best for playing with friends and swapping the headset as the goal is to score as much as possible within two minutes.
StatusPRO did add an online multiplayer component this year, but good luck finding anyone to play with. Multiple tries didn’t result in a game, so the best option would be with a friend who also has a headset to do this over the internet. A new sandbox mode full of mini-games is available, as well, and can be played alone. There are four different games with goals to meet to move to the next level, but there’s something off about these mini games. Directions are provided before each mini game, but the throwing is way off. It seems like there’s a specific way of throwing the ball that the game wants you to do, but it doesn’t explain it. I figured out maybe locking onto a target, visually, for a slightly longer bit of time helped on some of these, but a ton of times the throw would come up short no matter how much juice or arc I’d put on it. It was frustrating and didn’t feel like the actual game experience seen in the main modes.
The visual and audio department for a VR sports title like this is stellar. There’s even 3D grass that is visible on the field and draw distance isn’t a major issue since everything is confined within a limited space. Aliasing becomes an issue at a distance, but other than that, the game is detailed at a wide scale. There are animation and clipping issues as my player did tend to get hung up on players if trying to run through a gap. There aren’t any specific player faces, but the eyes and faces are a bit surreal to look at. The gameplay is fluid and runs solidly on the PSVR 2. The audio also adds to the immersion as 3D sound takes full effect here and the stadiums are loud. Player chatter can be heard on the field, but tends to get repetitive and annoying. Coaches in your ear do get easily drowned out, but the audio is part of this immersion of putting the you on the field.
Closing Comments:
NFL PRO ERA II offers a solid update over the original and this one would be the one to pick up for those who missed the first one. It’s only thirty dollars on PSVR 2 and offers a type of immersion that isn’t seen anywhere else. The improved controls are certainly that, but still far from perfect. The continuous Career Mode is a surface level addition, but like much with this game with proper investment, there’s a lot more that could go into it. The fact that you can only play as a created player no matter the mode or team is both a blessing and a curse. It would be great to play with different quarterbacks of different sizes and attributes. You are playing against these players, after all. The multiplayer that was added is basically non-existent unless you have a friend who has a headset. The mini-games are more frustrating than they are fun, but the quickest way to play with friends is the Two-Minute Drill. This, and the practice mode, is the best way to get the feel for the game. NFL PRO ERA II is a must play for any football fan who has a headset to use with VR and space to play.
