Gameday 2004 has received a graphical overhaul, and while it won't exactly blow you away, it's certainly better than last season. Out of all the football games on the market, Gameday features the most complete and accurate depictions of stadiums. However, it still has an eerily plain, almost dead feeling to it. This is particularly noticeable as you look into the stands only to see the blank, emotionless crowds of fans staring back. Player models are adequate, and though recognizable, still lack a certain spirit and life found in other games.

Next to gameplay, sound is one of the more improved aspects of the game. The in-game commentary provided by Dick Enberg and Dan 'Master of the Obvious' Fouts is spot on and flows smoothly with the game -- even if it sounds a little too much like they're reading from a script at times. Soundtracks are quickly becoming a 'must have' feature in sports games, and Gameday fails to disappoint in the area. Featuring tracks from Audioslave, Fear Factory, Papa Roach and Disturbed, it's all good.

Although it has long been one of the great football franchises, the Gameday series hasn't been able to make a successful jump to next gen consoles. But, 989 should be given credit because no matter how bad each season went, they were always trying to improve. Finally, after two long years, things are finally starting to pay off. It's still not in the same league as Madden or ESPN, but the number of improvements shows that the talent and the potential is there and it's just a matter of getting all the kinks out.

All of the standard Gameday play modes, Preseason, Tournament, Practice, General Manager and Franchise are all back and still provide for an excellent experience. Last year's excellent Online mode has also returned and has been tweaked. Of particular note is the ability to use a USB headset (like the one that can be used with SOCOM) to chat in-game. This is clearly one of the best online modes offered by any of the major sports games. You can start by downloading rosters, then move on to online chat rooms to set up games, brag about that big play you made or just talk football with fellow fans. Online mode also features contests and a ticker at the bottom of the screen that keeps gamers up-to-date with scores from real-life games. It's all very, very cool. Franchise mode also benefits big time from the Online mode with the inclusion of downloadable rosters.

Play on both sides of the ball is improved, though Gameday 2004 still lacks the depth of other games. Even with some of the fancier aspects thrown in, it still feels like a simple game of pitch and catch at times. While playing a season, the AI manages to keep the game challenging without becoming too cheap, making for a fun experience.

Of all the improvements made to Gameday 2004, perhaps the most interesting comes in the game's new play-calling feature. One of the hallmark features of SOCOM was the ability to use the headset to talk to your AI controlled teammates in-game. In a show of brilliance, 989 Sports has managed to bring that same technology into GameDay. Now, instead of using the controller to pick plays, you can call them out using the headset. The voice recognition technology is still a little wobbly at times, but works well overall. It may seem silly, but it's still fun.

The passing game is one of the better sides of the offensive game plan. Getting the ball to a receiver is easy, but what he does with it when it gets there is another story. There are still a number of easy passes that are dropped due to sheer AI stupidity. Sure, you're likely to have a few of these in a real game, but it's not likely that a pro-bowl receiver like Joe Horn will drop every pass that goes his way. The running game is good, but is the one aspect of Gameday that is skewed more towards hardcore fans than your average player. This is also true when it comes to play-calling since the AI is a little too good at reading your plays and will bust up a few too many plays.

In the end, Gameday 2004 is a much improved game over its predecessors and is a big step in the right direction for the team at 989 Sports. There's still loads of room for improvement, but it's still a fun game for those wanting to give it a shot. The option to call plays with the headset is reason enough to at least rent the game.