NCAA Football 11
Score: 86% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: EA Sports Developer: Tiburon Media: Blu-ray/1 Players: 1 - 4; 2 (Online) Genre: Sports (Football)
Graphics & Sound: When it comes to EA's football franchises, NCAA Football has always been my favorite. I like pro ball, but I live for college football. Unfortunately, the past few years haven't been that kind. NCAA Football always makes a decent showing, but has always felt like Madden's hand-me-downs. The last two years were particularly disturbing thanks to a noticeable lack of college atmosphere. NCAA Football 11 changes -- mostly -- everything. NCAA 11's oozes "college football." The new ESPN-focused presentation adds an authentic feel to everything. I can't remember the last time I actually sat through pre-game introductions because I wanted to, but found myself listening and watching everything. The only bad part about the package is the commentary. Corso is out of the booth, leaving Nessler and Herbstreit to pick up the slack. Losing Corso isn't a major deal (I like the change), but commentary needs a lot of work. It still feels stilted and stiff. Madden is getting an upgrade this year, and it's probably time for NCAA to see a similar change. On the field, antics looks as great as ever. The lighting system is completely reworked, as are many of the smaller details like player faces. Animation is slick thanks to EA's locomotion technology. There are still a few bumps, but animation transitions are smooth and without the obvious jerkiness that has plagued the series for years.
Gameplay: NCAA Football 11 retains the same modes and features as last year's game. The lack of new ways to play may come as a disappointment to long-time fans used to yearly additions. Then again, that's been one of the problems all along. Rather than tossing in a new mode that would more than likely disappear next year, EA made NCAA 11's gameplay a core focus. Dynasty Mode is a big deal for players and EA has taken note. New to Dynasty Mode is "Dynasty Anywhere," a sort of social network version of the game's online Dynasty Mode. While participating in an Online Dynasty, you can recruit players, check stats and perform other team-management options from your computer. Your in-game accomplishments are collected and complied with "StoryBuilder," a sort of virtual brag board you can share with others. I'll admit, I'm not completely into playing in Online Dynasty games, but it's a really cool addition for those who are. Recruiting is a little different. You still need to call and try to convince potential student athletes to join your program, but now there's more of a game to making calls. Points are rewarded based on which topics you choose to talk about while with a recruit. Additionally, as your school gains points, others will lose them. For example, discussing your school's multiple National Championships will score points for you, while subtracting them from another program vying for the recruit. It's still a bit tedious and slow, but every little bit helps. I'm a big fan of Road to Glory Mode. As much as I love playing through a season with LSU, there's something fun and incredibly personal about taking a nobody out of high school and turning him into a potential first-round NFL draft pick. Unfortunately, the mode hasn't seen as many upgrades as other parts of the game. There are a few new weekly updates and more Erin Andrews, but outside gameplay tweaks, it's really not much different than last year.
Difficulty: Play calling is easier and will help more casual fans get more out of the game. Though not as comprehensive as the changes you'll see in Madden NFL 11, I had an easier time deciding on which play to go with based on the computer's suggestions. Veterans will have little use for the option, but that's to be expected. A.I. is still very much a work in progress. Players will still make incredibly bone-headed plays, such as a player diving for the end zone way too early (this happened once). I also noticed a number of obviously missed tackles and a few "cheap" twists of fate. Shut outs are hard in real life, but there were times where inferior opposing teams had some amazing hot streak. It almost felt orchestrated to make sure I wouldn't win with a shutout. I can buy a few lucky plays, but it was uncanny. There are also a few bugs that still need to be worked out. At one point, the ball seemed to teleport 1 - 2 yards after a tackle. I also encountered an odd camera angle or two.
Game Mechanics: Unlike previous years, there's not one gameplay area that has seen the most improvements. This is probably the most well-rounded, comprehensive upgrade I've seen in a long, long time with the series. Locomotion goes much further than making things look good. With the herk-and-jerk gone, player motions feel much smoother. This is really noticeable in the running game. Player movements are controlled with the Right Stick, with the amount of stick-lean determining the amount of momentum and movement. It's a far cry from previous years and incredibly useful based on the situation. Like most areas, it's not perfect. Run blocking is still iffy and there were a few questionable tackles. Everything is different, but sometimes it doesn't feel that way. Even with a few improvements, I'm convinced passing is one issue that EA will never be able to fix. Receivers will still miss catchable passes, yet gain the Magneto-like ability to pluck uncatchable ones from mid-air. It's nothing that doesn't happen on any given Saturday, but it's really inconsistent. At least you can now throw to the sideline and have your receiver stay inbounds while reaching for the ball. Such a small change makes a big difference, particularly in close games. Clipping is still an issue on both sides of the ball. There are instances where players will run through each other or the ball will completely pass through a player's hand (or, once, his head). Thankfully, this isn't a major, game-breaking issue. It happens, but the issue rarely affects the outcome of a game. NCAA Football 11 is a major shift for the series. I was tempted to sit this year out, but man, am I glad I didn't. It's still a work in progress, but the amount of good does outweigh some of the bad. NCAA Football 11 is the football game fans have long deserved and finally received.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
Related Links: GameVortex's E3 Coverage of Madden NFL 11 PlayStation Illustrated's Review of NCAA Football 10 on PS3 GameVortex's Review of NCAA Football 10 on Xbox 360
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