HIGH  Greatly improved on-the-field presentation. Added features for Franchise mode

LOW Still suffers from wonky AI and bugs.

WTF Why did my center line up as a receiver?

The Axis Football franchise has had its share of ups and downs over the past few years.

2023’s incarnation was a standout featuring a new physics engine and gameplay tweaks that led to its highest score ever at GameCritics. Major setbacks plagued the 2024 campaign, including rubber-banding AI, graphical glitches, and inaccurate, repetitive commentary. After forgoing the 2025 season (a rebuilding year, if you will) wholesale changes were made to every aspect of the experience, and now Axis Football returns for 2026. 

On the field, players look even better than ever, with more detailed models including wrinkles on jerseys.  The new stadiums are lovely, giving the feeling of a real home team advantage, including new crowd chants and fans decked out in team colors. 

New animations make it much easier to see holes in a defensive line for a running back to slip through, or why a pass was broken up by a wily safety.  There are still times when it appears that a blocker can almost teleport to make a play on a ballcarrier, but the new instant replay mode often shows players behaving realistically, greatly enhancing the experience. 

New commentary has been recorded, including team-specific lines when scoring and so on.  It can still get repetitive, especially after playing a large number of games, but the new dialogue was certainly welcome.  Play calling has also been enhanced with a new create-a-play feature in case the current team playbook is too limiting.

Off the field, Axis Football 2026 still has one of the deepest franchise modes in videogame football, and as before, the player has complete control over the organization.  With a few button clicks, I can hire and fire coaches, scout future potential draft picks, and purchase upgrades for my stadium, such as luxury boxes and fitness and rehabilitation gear for my players. 

These things are key, as Axis Football makes players work to improve their teams, and the salary cap is no joke.  I often had to think long and hard about signing a stud free agent or saving the cap space for the offseason when I had to re-sign my core team.  Moments like this are exhilarating, and when I finally led my squad to the Axis Bowl Championship, I felt like I earned it with my shrewd decision-making. 

While the new modes, character models, animations, stadiums, create-a-play, and improved play-by-play are as impressive as an off-balance, one-handed grab in the end zone, Axis Football 2026 still has its share of problems that negate forward progress. 

As of the time of writing, the visuals are locked at a resolution of 1920 x 1080, even if a monitor is capable of much higher settings.  A controller and mouse tend to cancel each other out when manipulating menus, which is especially frustrating when trying to navigate settings or interact with the UI outside of on-the-field gameplay, such as accepting trades or drafting players.  Additionally, setting up a team’s 53-man roster can be more difficult than it should be — the option to place the best players on the field at all positions automatically should be included. 

On the field, the AI still struggles with basic concepts.  I’ve watched special teams’ players streak right past the return man straight into the endzone on kickoffs, allowing the ballcarrier to gain far more yards than should have been possible.  In one particularly bizarre scenario, I had a center line up as a receiver on multiple plays during a drive, eliminating a checkdown option for my QB. 

I’m also still not able to tell if the dreaded catchup AI from the 2024 campaign has returned — suspicions were raised when I noticed opposing teams coming back from serious deficits, even when my Philadelphia Express significantly outmatched them.  Since building my team of stars took six seasons’ worth of heartbreak and failure, it’s frustrating to win against obvious chumps, when I should have steamrolled them. 

The simulation mode has issues as well.  While losing one game by a point with seconds left on the clock, I ended manual play and allowed the computer to simulate the final moments.  Somehow, I wound up winning that game even though there was no possible way to do so.  (It was also snowing in Miami during that game in early October…)

While not quite matching its previous heights, Axis Football 2026 has made marked improvements over the last incarnation and shows that it’s still a title worthy of taking the field.  With the right bug fixes and continued improvement, it could once again become a solid contender in the increasingly-crowded football market.  Axis Football 2026 is worth the time and the price of admission, but there’s definitely room for this franchise to tighten things up.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is developed and published by Axis Games. It is currently available on XBO, XBX/S/PS4/PS5/PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the PC. Approximately 11 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and multiple seasons were completed. There are no multiplayer modes.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated E. The game is a realistic simulation of American Football.  Players are tackled and knocked to the ground, or may be pushed/shoved to the ground by blockers or a stiff-arm.  Injuries to players are briefly described in text form (such as Player X sustained a leg injury) and whether or not they will return to play.  There are no visual depictions of injuries.

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game does not offer subtitles. The game is playable without sound, as there are visual representations of all in-game activities.  However, there are no subtitles for any commentary or player chatter (snap counts, etc.).  While the game does provide a quick summary of the previous play (tackle for loss, rushing gain of 17 yards and so on) so much of the experience is lost.

Remappable Controls: No, this game’s controls are not remappable.

The post Axis Football 2026 appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH More options on offense with greatly improved blocking AI and animations.

LOW “Appropriately challenging play experience” steers too close to “rubber banding”

WTF Why is my beloved Philadelphia Express ALWAYS terrible?

Every year around this time, I get excited for football season.  I love the precision of an elite quarterback bulleting a pass between defenders to a streaking receiver and the relentless pursuit of a linebacker as they close in for a tackle or sack.  Coaching matchups resembling chess masters vying for position on a board is fascinating, as are offensive linemen adjusting on the fly to create a hole for a crafty running back to slip through.  For the past several seasons, the NFL has not been the object of my affection, though, but rather Axis Football.  Unfortunately, a major design issue heavily limits my enjoyment of this year’s outing, Axis Football 2024. 

Let’s start with the good. 

Once again, Axis offers the deepest franchise mode available apart from straight management sims.  Prospective GMs can manage everything from the intensity of practices to the conditions of the seating in their home stadiums.  2024 also allows players to customize the size of their league prior to starting a franchise and a handy team activity menu tracking signings, drafts, trades and more, so a coach can know what their opponents are up to and try to keep pace.  Along with these changes, coaches can now edit their individual playbooks, and with designed QB runs and dozens of new defensive formations and plays to choose from, the customization options have never been better.

On the field, several welcome changes have been added, with an incredible focus on blocking.  Over 75 (!!!) new blocking interactions have been introduced, and the results are fantastic.  Instead of watching linemen slamming into one another, blocking animations more accurately depict the creation of running lanes or the absolute destruction of an offensive line by defenders.  Teammates will now rush to pick up blocks downfield, allowing a receiver or runner to eke out a few more yards, or completely clear the path to the end zone.  Ball carriers now have some physics on their side, as their momentum allows them to surge ahead despite being hit or bounce off of a tackler completely, opening up the field for potential big gains. 

Axis Football 2024’s UI has been enhanced as well, showing previous plays called to help determine what calls have been effective.  It also now shows how many yards were gained (or lost) on the previous play rather than having to wait for the next down and distance to be announced.  Little details like pro-style lineup displays during the first possession of a game add to the immersion factor, and the new stadiums added this year are a treat for the eyes.  Axis creates more representative schedules this go around, meaning dealing with fewer snowy fields in early October, for instance, and this year it’s possible to save a game in progress and return to it later for those times when life interferes with football, perish the thought. 

Not all the grass is greener on Axis Football 2024’s lush fields, however. 

Perhaps to provide an “Any Given Sunday” feel where even bad teams are capable of beating better rivals if everything falls the right way, Axis 2024 has added an adaptive difficulty mode.  While this can lead to more exciting outcomes in lieu of potentially one-sided beatdowns, this feature feels more like the unfair rubber banding that something like Mario Kart has made infamous. 

Here’s one of many examples — I led my stalwart Philadelphia Express down the field late in the game to take a two-score lead.  This should be considered an achievement in itself as the Express is filled to the brim with sub-par players.  When the opposing team takes possession, they’re suddenly able to make tremendous gains, breaking numerous tackles or avoiding the defense completely, gobbling up dozens of yards in a few plays for a quick TD.  With time left on the clock, I get the ball back, only to be pummeled by a defense that I had skillfully dissected earlier.  Those same linebackers are suddenly able to shred my linemen, moving faster than I’ve seen them move all game to nail a running back or sack my QB for a huge loss, forcing me to punt.  With time running out, they punch in a TD. 

Is this an exciting finish to a ballgame that I’d be happy I paid to see?  Absolutely.  Is it an enjoyable gameplay experience?  Nope.  I thought perhaps I was being overly dramatic because the Express are chumps, and I should be losing these games, but then I tried exhibition matches with the best team in the league playing the worst and got similar results with the best receiver in the league failing to get open and the worst quarterback lookling like Patrick Mahomes or Jalen Hurts.  These WTF catch-ups are so overtly artificial, and it’s frustrating. 

Less bothersome but still issues are things like the commentary, though it’s better-edited than in years past.  There are fewer completely incorrect observations by the commentator, but the play-by-play constantly describes passes going past the first down marker when they are clearly only thrown a yard or two past the line of scrimmage.  Also, it’s still not possible to make trades during a draft to try to improve upon an upcoming pick, which limits one’s ability to improve a team. Additionally, there are still instances of players running incorrect routes, kick returners snapping into position, or field goal attempts sailing through the back wall of a stadium, never to be seen again.

If there was an option to limit or remove the adaptive difficulty, I could live with the other minor issues and call Axis Football 2024 a triumph and a must-play sports title.  As it stands, however, I can’t rate this year’s effort as high as I’d like to thanks to the incredible frustration of being impossibly steamrolled by a computer-controlled opponent who’s gaming the system in its favor. Where’s the ref?

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is developed and published by Axis Games. It is currently available on PC and PS5. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the PC. Approximately 12 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and multiple games and seasons were completed. There are no multiplayer modes.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated E. This game is a realistic depiction of professional American Football featuring blocks and tackling similar to an NFL broadcast. Injuries are described in text between plays and in status screens, but injured players are not shown on the field, and there is no blood.

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game does not offer subtitles. While playable without sound, the in-game commentary is lost. Audio cues for turnovers are accompanied by a brief slow motion effect to alert the player. This game is not fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: No, this game’s controls are not remappable.

The post Axis Football 2024 appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH Juking a corner out of his cleats on the way to a 37-yard TD.

LOW Watching my human-controlled DT jump offsides for the 9^th time because of a glitch.

WTF Why are my blockers rushing downfield to catch a punt?

I enjoy football, but watching NFL games is problematic for me for a number of reasons. I also don’t like feeding the Madden maw, and I love the idea of taking a team of fictional nobodies and turning them into gridiron legends. All of those things make me love Axis Football 2019 from Axis Games.

Unfortunately, this love comes at a steep cost — frustrations abound, the presentation is lacking, the controls are sometimes glitchy, and the AI is… odd.   But, despite its many, many foibles, I can’t help but keep coming back to it for my PC football fix.

On the field, Axis Football 2019 should feel immediately familiar to anyone who’s ever played a Madden or similar.  By first selecting a play based on formation (or using the “Ask Mike” feature to pick one) and then controlling players directly, one has complete control over the action. 

When running, the back has the ability to juke, spin, or dive, while the QB has several options for how the ball can be thrown. Players can choose standard icon passing, or use the “Aimed” passing where the right stick controls the direction of the throw while the length of the button press determines the velocity, allowing the QB to toss quick bullet strikes or lead a receiver with a high pass. 

On defense, the selected player has access to power and finesse moves to shake blockers.  All players have access to a limited speed burst, perfect for gaining a quick step or two on opponents. 

Overall, Axis plays a pretty decent brand of football.  Finding a way to sneak an RB through the defensive line via a well-timed block is challenging, as is being able to cycle through check downs in order to spot a receiver who may just have slipped past the coverage. I like the realism of the Aimed passing, but I often find myself unable to get a pass off before being smoked by a DB. 

Defense is more of a mixed bag.  Switching to the closest defender to the ball is easy enough and my run defense is usually stifling, but pass coverage seems to elude me.  While I often have trouble locating an open receiver when I’m on offense, the AI seems to carve me up regularly.  All in all, though, I find the outcomes fairly realistic, and games at the Pro level are competitive.

Unfortunately, like recent Eagles receivers, AF2019 makes a fair number of missteps. For example, the opposing team will often decline penalties that would have been beneficial for them to accept, especially on short yardage offsides calls that would give them the automatic first down.  Then again, the AI may be taking pity on me as I frequently encounter a glitch where I lose control of my defensive lineman who decides to run randomly around the field, blithely crossing the line of scrimmage. 

Tackling occasionally runs afoul of the rules of physics and players worm their way out of obvious hits, while some defenders seem to merely need to be in the vicinity of the ballcarrier to bring him down.  Some hits seem absolutely brutal and realistic, while some players ragdoll and spasm hilariously after even minor hits.  The ball itself seems to be provided by Tom Brady as it joyfully rolls or bounces to the other end zone after a drop or incompletion. 

I’ve also seen blockers race downfield to step in front of their own kickoff/punt returners and then slowly lumber back the other way, and every interception is stopped almost immediately by the receiver who failed to reel in the pass.  No pick-sixes here.  No fair catches, either.  It’s odd, because the game on the gridiron can be irritating, but it’s also oddly entertaining. 

Axis Football 2019 offers an extremely robust Franchise mode.  Players have the ability to hire 16 different coaches and scouts and these staff members can gain bonuses that aid the team on the field, so it’s important to hire and keep talented people in the front office. 

Between games, I can set on-field practice intensity, build and maintain my facilities which will improve team morale, scout colleges for future drafts, and watch the trade and free agent market to see if I can acquire more talent.  The game does a good job of letting me know my team’s strengths, weaknesses, and areas of need, although it severely limits the amount of scouting I can do in each region of the country by only allowing me 3 points, meaning I can only scout three players, or one multiple times. 

Each scouting point improves the accuracy of the report generated for each player, so it’s vital to guess correctly when determining what players to watch.  During the off-season, I need to re-sign players and coaches, and conduct my draft.  AF2019 allows me to automatically attempt to re-up contracts but all drafting has to be done manually, which can sometimes become tedious, especially in later rounds.  Also, I wish the randomization of player names was a bit better, as I once drafted a younger version of my starting kicker as well as a few other position players.

Interestingly, Axis forgoes the standard NFL-league format for an approach more similar to English football.  There are three tiers of teams, each with their own standings and championship.  Winners of the 2^nd and 3^rd tier trophies get to play the lowest ranking team in the tier above.  The winner is promoted and the loser is regulated.  I like this system, even though it makes accurately modding an NFL season impossible, should I want to do so.  However, the game does keep fairly detailed season stats, providing power rankings, and an eye on each league’s players of the week.  I wish career stats were tracked, though, as it would be cool to watch players progress, eventually retiring and potentially being elected to a hall of fame of some kind.

Like the Patriots in 2007, Axis Football 2019 isn’t perfect, but I enjoy it for what it is. So long as prospective players bring a lot of patience, the on-the-field play and deep franchise mode should keep them coming back for more. Second tier championship, here I come!

Disclosures: This game is developed and published by Axis Games. It is currently available on PC, Xbox One, and PS4.  This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the PC. Approximately 7 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was not completed, although I did finish four franchise seasons. The only multiplayer mode is local co-op, which I was unable to try (my kids are not football fans).

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated E.  No content descriptors were provided by the ESRB.  This game is a simulation of American Professional Football.  Players tackle and hit one another during each play.  Players are injured during the course of games, but the injuries are not depicted graphically.  Commentary alludes to occasional consumption of alcohol.  If parents allow children to watch the NFL on television, they’re going to have no issues with this title. 

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available in the options.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: No play-by-play commentary or game analysis is available to players via text.  While the play-by-play and sideline reporting are not critical to success on the field, the lack of these features lessens the “big game” atmosphere the game tries to emulate. There are no options to change fonts, and no subtitles are available.  This game is not fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: Certain functions are remappable. The game allows players to choose between three different passing modes.  The first is “icon” passing similar to Madden titles where each eligible receiver is highlighted by a corresponding face or shoulder button.  Pressing the corresponding button throws to that receiver.  Aimed passing allows the player to manually direct where a pass will be thrown using the right stick.  Pressing the right bumper throws a lob pass while holding the button down throws a bullet pass.  Pressing the right stick throws the ball away.  There is an option for “Stick Push” passing, but I am unclear as to what this does.  It is not explained, and pushing/clicking the thumb sticks seems to have no effect. 

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