conquest23's Full Review: NCAA Football 10 for Xbox 360
As a long time football fan and Madden gamer, I recognize that for quite some time NCAA Football really just served as a “Madden” for people who enjoyed college football. While I don’t purchase NCAA every year like I do with Madden, there has been a 3 year gap since I played NCAA 08. Obviously there are marketed improvements and the game is solid and wholly entertaining. There are a few things however, that could make it truly great and further distance itself from the Madden shadow while developing an identity of it own. Before I start, just a little disclaimer, I don’t play the Road to Glory mode; I’m really just an old fashioned exhibition and franchise mode player and as such I will only review that which I am knowledgeable.
GRAPHICS: 9.0 The graphics really are great. Considering the sheer amount of content that has to be put into the game (over 100 college teams compared to, say, 32 NFL teams) the accuracy of the uniforms, and the plenty of alternates are stellar. The stadiums are carefully detailed as well, truly representing the stadium of the school and not just a generic one with the logo in the center. Everything from the jumbotrons, to the end zones, to even the field goal posts, look and feel like the environment you would see on TV or experience in person. The player models are good too, granted they are a bit more generic but that may be due in large part to the fact that the players aren’t technically supposed to represent any real players but I think we all know how that goes. Haven’t experienced any frame rate issues and a nice array of tackle and juke animations simply add to the overall presentation of the game. The only thing about the graphics that appears glitchy doesn’t even occur while you’re playing the game, but rather during the halftime and end of game highlights. For some reason, the ball in the replays does not rotate when the quarterback throws it making for some very brick-like analogies. (Don’t worry though, your favorite play isn’t affected in the regular instant replays triggered by the player.)
SOUND: 8.0 I am unusually harsh on the sound in NCAA Football 10 simply because I feel that the potential to really elevate the game lies in this arena. College football games are LOUD and I mean REALLY LOUD. Sadly, very rarely have I come across a situation in which the opposing crowd was exceptionally loud and the controller was shaking. There was much more of this in the previous versions of NCAA and I am disappointed that it has been removed. Also, and this has been a problem forever really, the crowd often doesn’t really respond correctly to what is happening down on the field. I’ll give a few examples: On 1st and 2nd down they are really just a boring dull white noise factor even if the opposing team is backed up on their own 1 yard line (a situation in which one would expect the fans to be going nuts), or on just big plays in general, the enthusiasm really just isn’t all there. The sound in college football is also significant because it greatly distinguishes teams from each other in the form of fight songs etc. Speaking of bands, and this should probably be in graphics but I’d like to see the bands in the stadium so that the music they play isn’t coming from a phantom source no one can see. Anyway, again considering amount of content, the detailed way in which each fight song is including feels truly special as are other team specific chants and songs (Florida State for instance has the “Garnet and Gold chant and of course the “Warchant”) The trio of announcers are good, nothing special, nothing really changed here from previous games.
GAMEPLAY: 8.5 NCAA Football 10 returns with its solid gameplay mechanics. AI has been improved somewhat, but the defensive backs still struggle at times. Too often, in a zone defensive scheme, the defenders will just stand in one place creating some frustrating gaps in coverage. I haven’t come across too many “guarantee” plays that the computer simply cannot cover as it seems to adapt its play calling if you overdo it. This can work to your advantage however, thanks to the new “Setup” play call. Basically, there are certain plays that are linked to one another because they resemble each other. For instance, running a HB Dive will help setup a PA Drag or something along those lines. This is a certainly a welcome addition (it’s about time that the AI gets fooled on play action) and though it can definitely be improved, it carries a lot of potential for future releases. Franchise mode hasn’t changed much over the years. It’s a good thing that the AI can simulate recruiting and the like for you because I probably wouldn’t have the patience to do it myself. The recruiting really just consists of calling players, doling out scholarships etc. I don’t mean to disparage it of course and I wouldn’t want to see it taken out as recruiting is an integral piece of college football. I’m saying it’s not for me, but I suggest you give it a shot and judge for yourself; often a mix of player operations sprinkled in with letting the CPU do most of the mundane stuff (who wants to spend their time recruiting a 1-star ATH player) strikes a good balance. New to the exhibition mode and season games are the family controls. These are a series of ways to make the game easier than it would be on “Freshman” difficulty by reducing the number of buttons required to play the game. I’d imagine it could be fun and expand the user base to older people, possibly alma maters of the schools in the game, or youngsters (it’s never too early to start indoctrinating) although I wouldn’t recommend it if you want to be able to compete online or with your friends. The best way is still to suck it up, play a couple of really terrible games, and just learn the more complex controls. But like I said, for those that really aren’t planning on playing often and would like to pick up and play immediately, the new “Family” Mode is another welcome addition.
OVERALL: 8.5 Aside from my few complaints, NCAA Football 10 is another solid release that will be enjoyed by an college football fan. On sort of a miscellaneous note, one really cool thing added this year is the EA Sports Locker. As most people know, games dealing with college athletics can not include the real names of the players because they are not professionals getting paid (at least their not supposed to :O ) But thanks to the dedicated fan base, and this EA Sports Locker, people have taken the time to give the correct names to every player on the team. Some have altered their ratings but others only change the names. Using the Locker, people can download other people’s rosters so long as they are connected to the internet. (There are also ways to download them off the internet and transfer them onto the Xbox360, but that information can be found on google.) Some of the rosters cost $5, but anyone can find one that fixes the names for free online. What is really nice, is that the announcers pronounce their names in game adding greatly to the realism (hearing the Tim Tebow just got sacked is much more gratifying than hearing Number 15 did.) Please comment on what you liked and what you didn't. I take feedback seriously and if you think I'm missing something or you see a mistake I'll typically have it fixed within the day.
Thank you!
PS: This has got to be the worst title for a review I've ever come up with. Trust me I'll be thinking of a new one.
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