The meat of the game is back again in
NCAA Football 07, with a plethora of game modes. The all-important Dynasty is back with all of its recruiting glory, as you build your program into a contender, or just try and stay on top. You can even create a brand new school; name it whatever you like, with whatever style you want. I know personally I want to create a real smash mouth team that runs 90% option, and just pound it into opponents. However, you must always be aware of the limitations of your playbook and personnel. It is awesome if you can run it down their throats for 4 quarters, controlling the clock, momentum (more on this later…), but if you get behind, you are pretty much screwed. Remember, as a run-oriented team, you don’t recruit the Dan Marino’s of the world; you try and get a Michael Vick type, a blazer who can run all over the opposing team. Likewise, you don’t have sticky-handed receivers or running backs.
And speaking of bringing in new players, you have to constantly manage week-to-week visits by top prospects. Make sure to bring in the “Pipeline” recruits as well, usually regional talent from certain schools who can act as a feeder once you establish a rapport with said institution. In other words, the more kids you have coming from a certain area, the more likely others are to follow. To help evaluate your talent, the new Spring game allows for some dynamic views of your athletes as well as the ability to see who will red shirt for the coming season - not everyone can play after all. Adding to this are the cool little mini-games via the Spring Drills. This and more is all up to you, as you try and guide your program to greatness.
Another neat new feature is the “Campus Legend” mode, where you take your post-HS persona and enroll in a (hopefully) prestigious university, with dreams of winning championships, and a possible NFL future. After you get all the usual business out of the way (position, height/weight, major etc.), you move onto the skills department, as the real substance of this particular mode. Pay attention to your major though; the harder it is, the more your power ratings will go up, especially in the mind department obviously. Along the way, you can choose to party hard or become a library bookworm; either way, you can’t really screw your career up that much. As long as you put in a few nights a week cramming for midterms, and be sure to practice certain athletic skills, you should be a Hall-of-Famer in no time flat. So in the end, this mode is more gimmicky than anything, and I would really just stick with the main Dynasty mode for most of your jollies. You aren’t even locked into your respective persona on the field either - so what is the point really for role-playing value?
Now onto the stuff that really matters - the gridiron action! Several glorious additions are found right off the bat. First, the momentum meter (something borrowed from earlier college basketball games) makes its debut. Any big play, be it a huge tackle or great trick play, will boost the meter in - or against - your favor. As this builds, the respective team will get a bonus to attributes and seem to pull off more and more big plays. But a simple interception for a touchdown could shift the entire momentum back. This feature really adds more drama to the games, and helps to emulate the true psychological impact that athletes go through.
The right-analog stick also seems to get more attention, by allowing for some great flexibility in juke moves, as well as massive hits on D. If you want to really break someone’s ankles, you need to just lay into the stick left or right, pierroting around the defender. Or, if you want to ring someone’s bell, you better square your shoulders and pull hard on that stick to lay the hurt! You might even get lucky and pop the ball out of his unconscious hands. Also worthy of note is the easy transition by your QB to scrambling (simply hit the X button), instead of the cumbersome system of pulling down the icons and running for your life.
Also new to this year is the increased “tweakability” of your team, from calling a host of line shifts, blitz packages and stunts on D, to a series of hot routes and audibles on O. You can even see who is flustered or shaken, or even the big impact players are on either side, emblazoned with a glowing white circle beneath them. Needless to say, staring down the field at a pair of stud middle linebackers doesn’t help the morale of your tiny scat back. Even the special teams get more options, such as increased chances and measures for blocking kicks, as well as using dual analog sticks for kicking accuracy and power, not unlike the free-throw system in ESPN 2K6.
Up to 8 players can battle online as well, adding further to the mayhem. A matchmaking service allows for some quick and fun times. Luckily, if you don’t have access to online play (or even some buddies) you can be tested by the stout A.I.
