NCAA Football 11 hasn't made any defining leaps over the previous years in any specific category, but what has been tweaked and retooled this year really shows that this year is not a cookie cutter title. All the key elements you may have hoped that EA addressed over last year have been taken into consideration and then some.
Starting with the game play, you can expect this year to play more responsive and solid than last year. This includes the running game that uses a new locomotion physics engine that will have explosive first steps and the ability to stop the run on a dime feeling as genuine as you would hope for an on field experience. Adding the new dual stick controls will give gamers the ease of juking, high stepping, and mowing over defenders with just a flick of the sticks and the precise timing in execution. New and smarter A.I. for players and even coaches, including subs, assignments, and sideline catches will correctly pace your games and enable to keep the clock running at your determination. While you can adjust the game's speed, the default setting feels fast and is perfectly set to feel like an actual experience, although you may wish to increase the game clock past 5 minute quarters for stat purposes. Without a doubt, the biggest change to the game play comes in the form of authentic team play books, so now you have to gear up for each team in a different manner as some may be defensive juggernauts, some may be offense machines, and even teams who love to use the no huddle will keep you on your toes from week to week ensuring that no two teams will play alike.
Graphics and presentation have gotten a nice boost this year, with a big part in thanks to ESPN and the use of their screen wipes, replays, and announcing teams. You will be treated with pre game run outs specific to certain team rituals, ESPN tickers, Sports Center Radio updates, ESPN Game of the Week lobbies, ESPN Instant Classic games taken straight from your most competitive outcomes, ESPN on Demand for streaming videos, conferences, and articles, and even an ESPN Dynasty Channel where your teams' dynasty can be uploaded and compared with other gamers around the world.
A new graphical upgrade including new animations, lighting, self shadowing for each player, new skin types, new skies for each particular time of day setting, tons of new Mascots, and lastly newly updated stadiums and added stadiums for schools have been taken into account this year as well.
You want depth, well this year you have two huge game play options that will take you deep into 2011. First off the Dynasty Mode, featuring Dynasty Anywhere that allows you to participate in an online Dynasty mode where you can recruit online, playing full schedules, being part of custom conferences, and view worldwide stats and leader boards at anytime. What's more a website dedicate to the online Dynasty will create a story builder that may have your team's dynasty on the front page. You have the option to play in a private dynasty as well, but honestly, where's the fun playing against a bunch of CPU teams right?
Road to Glory mode puts you in a single player career from High School to graduating as a senior, then in Madden 11 having the ability to draft your creation to play in the pros with the big boys. This mode hasn't gotten the face lift as the rest of the game, but new features such as weekly updates and FMV from Erin Andrews, and highlight reels from previous games and full year highlights make this shine a little brighter this season. I hope that EA will have more "hands on" options for between game activities besides practice in future integrations of the series, but for now, it provides a quick and enjoyable career mode nonetheless.
From the opening kickoff, throughout the season of play you will easily be able to see the subtle yet important changes made to this year's NCAA game. While it may never see the limelight of what the Madden franchise tastes, it's good to know that EA still cares greatly about this title, and if you do as well, you will be more than happy with NCAA Football 11. By far it represents the sport authentically and will provide any fan of NCAA Football with many seasons of excitement.
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