| Posted : Friday, July 20 2007 / 7:05 AM |
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Forum Impressions : Rebel
Here are some NCAA 08 impressions from staff member Rebel.
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Managing Editor/Owner
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Here are some NCAA 08 impressions from staff member, Rebel.
honestly haven't seen any more fumbles in this game than in last year's. In the demo I saw a ton, but... int he full game, not that many, and I'm playing it how I usually do. I think that you are penalized more for using the highlite stick in traffic.
I think that the game generally has a decent atmosphere... not so much with the crowd noise/reaction, but the stadium feels more like the stadium than it did in past games, and I think that's an improvement from '07.
I didn't like the recruiting system at first, but I've adjusted to it and come to see that it is pretty far superior to year's past... you don't just "throw the barn" at a guy you like, you have to work him and it makes it fun. IT's tedious in Pre Season and in Week 1 to have to assign all these players, test the waters with phone calls, and so on, but after week 1, it really opens up and doesn't seem tedius at all... really seems like a lot of fun. HAving the players visit campus and do certain tasks is as close as you can get to the real thing without it feeling like work, it's still fun... I work in Admissions and while I'm usually on the backend, I often do stuff with recruits, and so on, and having to pick up on a comment somebody makes -- "My father really likes collegiate football history..." is a good tip to take the family out to dinner with the coaches, etc... It really adds a lot IMO. I didn't like it at first glance, but the recruiting gets a bit +++ in my book now.
Graphics look good, I think. New animations are awesome, gang tackling totally changes the gameplay. Hit stick 2.0 is nice, but not as responsive as they advertised... a lot of the time, you still go for a "low tackling" and it's the same animation as always. Also, like in year's past, a missed hit stick takes you completely out of the play... I had thought that the hit stick would simply be the new tackle button... tackle high or low, rather than still being the "deliver a punishing hit...... high or low..." button. Good improvement there.
DB play is great. I like it to be harder and you can still catch a bad DB playing poorly. In the past, when DB play was spot on..... you'd get hit 1 milisecond after barely glancing the ball, and it made it totally unrealistic... those moments are gone, but you still get tackled on tipped balls, which is realistic and done well. It's balanced just right.
Running feels great, IMo... I get the bulk of my yardage on 4 - 8 yard runs, but don't ever feel like it's IMPOSSIBLE to bounce a big run... in fact, the opposite, I feel like at any given play... if the cards fall right, it could be a touchdown. In past years (though not last year so much), you could get 16 - 24 yard gains pretty mcuh at will, but breaking a 65 yard run was all but impossible. This year... you get those 16 yard scampers occassionally, you also get 3 - 4 yard gains, you get stopped cold, and you -- every once in a while -- have a huge 60 yard run breaking a couple tackles, manuevering past the secondary, and getting a key block from your WR to spring you.
Finally your teamates block well. FINALLY. They rarely miss a key block now... and if a guy blows you up, it's usually because it was just inevitable... the guy had to chose to take one guy, and the other guy nailed ya.
Franchise mode is great. ESPN.com feels good, still a challenge, lots of stories, lots of little side pieces to it... and the ability to take pictures and have those on the ESPN.com cover is much appreciated... adds to the realism of the game, that the photo you take of your game winning FG will be the one on the ESPN.com cover for that week.
Online play was flawless yesterday for me and Matty. Of course, we live within 10 miles of one another on fiber optic lines.... but it was really perfect not a single problem, and full 60fps the whole time.
60fps is bombs... just flows great.
I have other cons... but most have been stated. Atmosphere can use a boost, presentation, add some more phrases (although I still think they're good)... add the 1-AA teams, add create a team (totally overhall it, nothing that's just a 2002 ripoff), add coop, add live Opponent... the fact that's missing is very disapointing could have totally changed the game if they kept that mode from Madden. Make the mini games online MP.
I have other feelings... but that captures most of it for now.
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