Hello everyone! I’m going to give you my opinion on the latest video game from EA Sports, NCAA Football 2013. I was one of those who couldn’t wait for the game to come out and bought the EA Season Ticket for 25 dollars. The Ticket allows you to play many EA Sports video games 3 days early via download. Titles included last year were NCAA, Madden, FIFA, NHL and Tiger Woods. The ticket also allows the user to receive a discount when purchasing digital content in the game.
But back to the game. In my opinion, this game is the best NCAA football game I have ever played. The new animations are so crisp and realistic this year. In fact, I could just play offense all the time, as the passing attack is smooth and efficient, allowing for some pinpoint passes and some pretty amazing catches. But there’s even more to cover. So read on!
Presentation
For starters, the presentation is one of the best I’ve seen in a sports game. The pre-game festivities are unique to each team, and most teams have their own entrance. Plus, the entire game is presented to you as if you were watching College GameDay. In Dynasty mode, for example, the broadcast will pause to give you updates on other games happening that day (and often, games can have implications for your own season or BCS). Additionally, the game’s commentators are head and shoulders above Madden with Kirk Herbstreit, Brad Nessler, and Erin Andrews (stepping in with injury updates). I have to say Madden last year was one of the worst I’ve ever heard with Gus Johnson and Chris Collinsworth. Not only did the commentary lag repeatedly, but it wouldn’t make sense in most situations, like Gus Johnson freaking out with a 3-yard run. The NCAA, while not perfect, at least won’t make you vomit every time you hear the announcers speak.
Gameplay
The game features a revamped passing attack, changing the way receivers react to their quarterbacks. Like I said earlier, this is one of the cleanest and smoothest passing plays to date. Receivers no longer make catches where you’re sitting there thinking “he could have easily caught that on the run! Instead, he stopped!”. Receivers will make catches on the run if possible and attempt to make catches inbounds, rather than in the frustrating times of the past where the receiver had plenty of space but always found a way to get out of bounds. My only complaint is that receivers sometimes go out of bounds after catching the ball, even when they are in the open field and have about 5 yards of space between them and the sideline. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it has cost me quite a few touchdowns!
It doesn’t stop there. The passing offense allows the user to be able to drop the ball between coverages. You will no longer need to choose between the fly ball lob and the laser pass. The trajectory of the ball can be adjusted, allowing the quarterback to pass the ball over the linebackers, rather than the ever-frustrating “super jump interceptions” that occurred because the quarterback failed to place the ball quite high. And another nice feature, an opposing player can no longer make crazy throws while running. This game encourages the user to put their feet down (stop moving) and throw the ball. Otherwise, the ball may be knocked down or overturned, depending on how far it is thrown.
And then there is the defense. In this year’s game, the defense is referred to as “read and react.” This means that the defense must be able to SEE the ball in order to make a play on it. Gone are the days when the corner turns, locates the ball and intercepts it in less than a second. If a defensive player isn’t looking, he won’t be able to do much. And it works vice versa with receivers. The corresponding button above the receiver’s head will be grayed out if he is not chasing the ball. Although the ball can be thrown here if you want to time the cuts with the catcher, sometimes the catcher won’t catch the ball if he doesn’t see it in time.
Dynasty
Honestly, I could tell you about everything new in Dynasty, but as a simple video game fan, I have to say that not much has changed. That being said, many screening and recruiting systems have been added. New terrain and the ability to improve your school’s ratings in certain areas will keep it fresh for longtime fans, but the mode is still solid, as it was last season. The “studio” will keep you updated throughout the season while you play games. And Online Dynasty now includes mobile apps and other forms of media in order to follow online dynasties outside of gaming. One issue I have is that you can’t download your outgoing alumni to use as project projects. course for Madden this year. I really don’t know why they decided to remove this this season, but Madden will also be missing fantasy drafts in franchise mode.
Path to Glory
In this mode, not much has changed either. You can still create a player at almost any position, make the high school playoffs, and get recruited to a school. In this mode, you will increase your skills in training and camps before the start of the season, then put your talents on the field. This is still a solid mode if you’re tired of playing Dynasty.
Heisman Challenge
This mode is completely new to the series. In Heisman Challenge, you can choose from one of many past Heisman winners, place them on the team of your choice, and play full seasons in an attempt to break their old records. I was using Barry Sanders for this mode, and it’s pretty awesome. They give you a list of all the achievements you want to try to replicate, and you go out and play. For me, when you use Barry Sanders, you are on the field as much as possible, taking kickoffs and punts without almost ever leaving the field on offense. My problem with this mode and Road to Glory (at least from a running back perspective, as a quarterback you can change plays and have access to other parts of the playbook) is that you can’t at all change the game. unless you are the quarterback. They still give the running backs a ton of carries, but I think you’d give the ball to Barry Sanders at the goal line rather than taking a back dive!
This mode is very solid. You have the option to slow down the game to give yourself more reaction time. The camera stays focused on you, no matter what’s happening on the field. This can be frustrating for running backs and receivers because you can’t really see if the ball is going to be thrown to you and it can make it difficult to throw a block. Having the ability to slow down time makes this a little more bearable, but it can be frustrating and will take some getting used to.
Heisman Challenge Roster:
Marcus Allen
Doug Flutie
Eddie George
Robert Griffin
Desmond Howard
Carson Palmer
Barry Sanders
Charlie Ward
André Ware
Herschel Walker
Tim Brown (acquired by playing the demo)
Archie Griffin (demo)
Jim Plunkett (demo)
Mark Ingram (pre-order with GameStop)
Matt Leinart (GameStop)
Tim Tebow (GameStop) (ugh)
Sidenote: No, Cam Newton will not be available at this time. It may be available as future DLC, but no announcements or indications have been made to hint at it.
Conclusion
Definitely my favorite NCAA game to date in terms of overall gameplay. With a few fashions, I felt like they were in the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mindset. Heisman Challenge was a really nice addition. My words to you are:
If you like soccer games, go for this game. If you have played soccer games and just don’t like them, I doubt you will change your mind with this game. If you have never played a sports game, rent it. But my overall assessment, being an avid gamer (I currently work at GameStop), is that this is one of the best soccer games I’ve played. If you’re like me and you’re chomping at the bit for the new NFL season, this will definitely help pass the time!
–C2SAD
