Critiquing Consoles: An In Depth Look at NCAA Football 13

Opinion

College football fans across the nation rejoiced on July 10th with the release of EA Sports’ latest installment of their NCAA Football series. With the game’s release comes the highly anticipated debate between the always feuding fanbases of XBox 360 and PS3 players. Fortunately, two gamers who find themselves on the opposite sides of the spectrum agreed with each other long enough to sit down and write articles on the newest game from their own point of view. NCAA Football 13 PS3 Perspective
By Zack Godfrey

Ok NCAA and EA Sports fans, it is here. NCAA Football 13 was released last Tuesday, July 10, 2012. The game features a variety of new features from more realistic pass-catching abilities, to better crowd noises, online dynasty updates, and finally, my personal favorite, Rivalry Trophies.

For some fans, like myself, the pump-fake button throws off my game slightly, as they changed it to L1 and put the fourth receiver as R1. When I say slightly, I will pump-fake twice before I realize that the receiver I am trying to throw to is now R1.

Receivers will now reach out and catch the ball without it just suctioning into their bodies. This gives the game a more realistic feel to it, instead of just having the mindset that this is just a video game you are playing to pass the time.

After reading a few articles, greatly anticipating the release of this game, I came to realize that the creators never really put much effort into crowd and play-by-play announcer voices. But, EA Sports stepped it up slightly and the crowd noise sounds a little crisper and the play-by-play guys are more conversational.

Online Dynasty features a new recruiting aspect that allows players to figure out if a recruit will help or hurt your team in the long run. If you scout them fully, you will either find a GEM or a BUST. Also, if a school only has one favorite, you are more likely to land in his top five than be on the outside looking in. (As I found out while recruiting a 4 star player with Vanderbilt and became #2 on his list after him having no interest in me at all).

Finally to my favorite part, the Rivalry Trophies, I have wanted this aspect implemented in the game for the longest time. This, to me, gives the game the most authentic feel out of all the other add-ins. There is nothing better than seeing a team fight so hard to finally achieve that trophy that they so greatly covet. Now you can emulate that feeling if you did not like the way a game turned out in real life, or you can drive that team that you love to hate in the ground and rub it in their face every season by raising that rivalry trophy high over your head, and “singing Rocky Top all night long after we beat Florida.”

I give this game a final rating of 8.5/10. Simply for the fact that there are still ways to better improve this game that we all love.

The Xbox 360 Perspective
By Jordan Hill

Let me just start by saying that I’m a huge fan of the NCAA Football creators because for the longest time they were able to make the exact same game but update the year and player on the cover and make millions, but this year’s game doesn’t fit this mold to me. The game designers have made several notable tweaks for this year’s edition of the game, most notably including a Heisman mode that has resulted in some interesting game play with the stars of yesteryear as well as several hilarious commercials like this one.

Another very nice touch from EA Sports comes the Upset Alert feature that can pop up from time to time during your game like it does during actual broadcasts on ESPN’s family of networks, as College Football Final’s own Rece Davis provides insight on which top tier team is closing in on a surprising loss.

While this is the first NCAA Football game I’ve bought for Xbox 360 after giving up on PS3, I strongly assume that this is the most superior of the games made for this system since it was created seven years ago. It is a very addictive game for those who live for Saturdays down on campus, and although Madden doesn’t come out until August 28th, my assumption is that this game will trump it.

Score: 8.5/10. Calling this game “perfect” would definitely be irresponsible, but there really isn’t a whole lot to complain about besides new Sun Belt member South Alabama being left out of the game.

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