Customer Reviews

NCAA Football 11

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Well, NCAA Football was the reason I bought an XBOX 360 in the first place. I have played every incarnation of college football since Bill Walsh for the Super Nintendo. I've played through a whole season already, and here are my random thoughts.

CONS:
1. The game stutters. By that, i mean, that about every third game or so, right in the middle of the play, it will freeze, except for the sounds, and then start up again, and then freeze again. Really annoying, but it only does it for one or two plays, every third or fourth game.
2. I miss Lee Corso. He might be dumb (not as bad as Dick Vitale) but the commentary is severely lacking w/o him. For some of the commentary, my brain will finish his part, "but he just didn't catch it."
3. I wish there was a way you could control the frequency of the replays. A two yard gain does not warrant an automatic replay.
4. while the espn integration is nice, it gets old after a while, since it is pretty much the same thing, over and over.
5. Poor quality assurance. While explaining the type of offense in the loading screen, it states, "...total and control of team." Also, in the credits, it thanks Frenso State, instead of Fresno State. Adds to the rushed feel of the game.
6. The opponents (CPU) QB will sometime go to hand off the ball to the RB, but not give the ball to him, and the QB will keep running backwards for about 20 more yards.

20 July 2010
A couple of things I forgot to mention. There are also times my defensive coverage is holding up, the qb runs out of the pocket, my end comes up, goes to the line of scrimmage, and just stops. By the time i get control of him, the qb (computer) has already either passed it, or started running. annoying. another pain is the when you are on defense and you change the coverage audible (Y and then left) to blitz. EVERY DARN TIME I DO THIS, Brad Nessler has to pipe up with, "it looks like the defense is bring the blitz." once or twice is realistic, but when I'm playing someone, it's really really irritating as it is giving part of my defense away.
On a positive note, the receiver animation of him toeing the sideline to bring his feet inbounds has been changed for the better. It has better recognition of actually how close the dude is to the sideline, so if he is right on the sideline, he'll drag his foot, and then fall over, but, if he still close, but not that close, he'll drag his foot, and then stumble, but catch his balance. This is especially helpful if no one is around him and then he can take off again for a few more yards.
7. While some of the crowd shots are nice, it seems that some of the developers' girlfriends were used to model as there is a brunette with glasses and a blonde in every shot of the crowd. She will wear your school colors, but, be rooting for the home team when you are away.

PROS:
1. Graphics are awesome. From the stadium turf up to the players' uniforms. The helmets are especially realistic. It does not have the cartoony look of last year's version.
2. I like the no huddle option. Now, when you hold Y down, you actually get the whole play book instead of just running the same play again.
3. they put all the refs back on the field. Granted, you can run thru them, but it's still a nice touch.
4 The Alamo Bowl is finally placed in the Alamodome. The past few years, it was OUTSIDE.
5. a lot of the animations have been improved. Especially, the QB throwing motion.
6. First ncaa football game in a long time that is quite enjoyable to play.

Random thoughts: Right now, School Showdown is offline, and it's not worth it yet to play an online dynasty until EA fixes the servers. EA is aware of the problem. It's fun to also have specific sounds play at kickoffs, turnovers, 3rd and 4th downs. I do miss the ability to create your own fan sign which was in 2003 or 2004. I'm not big into recruiting, nor the road to glory, but I enjoy playing none the less.

Improvements:
The locomotion system does make running a little more fluid, though I think its hype has been a little overstated. More importantly, the realism of things like pass completion % and kick coverage has been improved, without having to do drastic manipulation to the sliders. Also, the inside running game for you and the computer creates more space and allows for more 6-7 yard rushes, so you aren't limited to running outside to get good gains.

One nice addition is a slider which lets you set the disparity in speed between the fastest and slowest players, so you won't have to cuss over Defensive Tackles chasing down your QB from behind anymore.

The AI does a nicer job in pass coverage, and the logic of its offensive playcalling is much improved. Having your opponent's offense retain the personality of its real-life team, and not just its formations, (ex. Georgia Tech option) was long-overdue.

The graphics are slightly refined, but nothing dramatic. Dynasty has not been altered much, but Recruiting has been tweaked. Now, the phone calls to recruits bring up topics randomly, and you have to determine how you want to handle it (ex. make a strong pitch, change the topic, etc). Not sure yet how I feel about it, but first time through it feels less laborious and predictable, so I think it will be better.

Overall, it is clear EA focused more on the gameplay and less on the peripheral features, which is good. I do not play Online, but the Online Dynasty enhancements seem significant. As someone who has been playing NCAA since the old Bill Walsh College Football days on Super Nintendo, I would say this is the best of the new generation, without too many significant flaws or gaps. Even if you have NCAA 10, it's worth the purchase, because it is a much more refined and realistic game.

UPDATE AFTER 2 DYNASTY SEASONS: Hard to get a pass rush; the CPU QB always seems to dump it off right before you sack him. I've had to dial down the CPU pass rush because my QB was getting ripped 5-6 times a game, mainly because the offensive tackles will just watch the DE run by...you need to get comfortable stepping up into the pocket. Recruiting is definitely much better - harder to cheat it, and easier to recruit against another team. Don't like the playcalling...now you have to cycle through 100+ shotgun passes one at a time instead of being able to use all the buttons (now only can use "A" to select). I've gone to 6 min quarters because I've found you can't get enough plays in at the traditional 5 min quarters. The running game is definitely more realistic...my RB average 5-6 yds per carry and you can find nice seams up the middle. Overall, my initial review stands...this is a significant improvement in virtually all areas and worth the purchase.

Like many of you diehard football fans out there, each year I become really hyped up about the latest installment of EA's NCAA football title. And each year, I would try to stay optimistic that EA would make all the changes necessary to deliver a true sim college football game. Yet each year when I popped my game disc into my Xbox 360, I would walk away disappointed. This year is no different.

No, please don't get me wrong, I'm no EA hater. In fact, I've been a fan of the company for almost a decade. But I'm really beginning to wonder why the firm almost takes 2 steps backward after taking a small baby step forward. True, the new locomotion engine makes the running game fun to play, but now the passing game is broken. For example, as the IGN editor puts it, the Corners, SS, FS, and "LBs now have stone-cold hands to knock down balls." If you put the game on All-American difficulty, not only are you challenged with defensive ball knock-downs, you will constantly be challenged by the defensive rushes. Well you might ask "Isn't locomotion supposed to fix blocking issues?" The answer is no. The A.I. will just simply overpower the O-line and you'll have about 2 seconds MAX on average after each snap to get rid of the ball. It just doesn't matter if you get a good pre-snap read because 1) you have no time to throw, and 2) just as locomotion makes your receivers run faster, it also makes the DBs run faster too, so your WRs are just as covered as the previous years' versions of the game. So in many games, you won't be surprised to see your pass completion rate below 50%. If you browse the EA forum for NCAA football, you'll also find many other fans who unfortunately are experiencing the same problem.

For me, I'm the always the pass-first kind of NCAA Football Player. Therefore the broken passing game is what kills the game. Nonetheless, if you are the type of player who likes to pound the ball or run the option attack, you'll find this game to be enjoyable.

I will keep it simple. A few reviewers already commented. My beefs are the same issues I had with 10, but I will add a few. It's pretty much computer AI.

1. The interceptions. If I throw into double coverage, I deserve to be picked off. But if I throw to a receiver 15 yards down the field, I don't want a linebacker who is nowhere near the receiver pulling a Spiderman and snagging my pass mid-air. And everyone here has seen the "phantom" interception...the ball somehow spins around your receivers waist and into the hands of the defender trailing him.

2. Pass protection. If the computer is on offense, you can call a blitz and the QB can go order dinner, read a book while waiting, take out the trash, and then eat the dinner when it arrives. But we're not done. For dessert, he will hit the receiver of his choice, no matter how covered. On the flip side, if you are being blitzed, you have about one second to make a throw.

3. In any close game, the computer will turn into the Patriots on offense and the Steelers on defense. Don't be surprised if you are trying to kill time and have a 3rd and 1...and can't convert on both tries. Also, don't be surprised if the computer has a 4th and lifetime and throws an across the body pass between three of your defenders for the first down.

4. Beware of Super Sim. It's a great feature, but even a scrub team will score a TD on a kickoff return....

5. SETUP plays mean a blitz is coming so don't run that play. You will be stuffed 90% of the time.

6. In Madden the screen pass works. In NCAA? Only if you have a desire for a two yard gain, tops.

7. Your player gunning for a Heisman will be injured sometime during the season.

8. If you call Aggressive defense, beware 3rd down. Yes! We stopped them! We...great. 15 yard penalty. Face mask.

9. Challenge any fumble. The AI always errs to the side of themselves, but at least if you challenge it they will give you the ball back if you recovered it.

10. I saved my biggest pet peeve for last. No matter what defense you call, there is always one receiver all by his little lonesome on the sideline chilling two or three yards from the LOS, with no defender within a country mile. If the AI decides to throw to him, it will always be a first down as he scampers. Now you try that with your receivers who do the same...wait, did you just throw a pick? Of course you did. He's more blanketed than you are with Grandma's quilt on Christmas Eve.

I do love this game, though.

Greetings Amazonians!

All right, so I've been rocking out NCAA 11 for a few weeks now; I also play Madden NFL, ESPN NFL 2k5, and Backbreaker--so there's a broad range of experiences here. NCAA 11, if I'm correct, is developed by a different group than Madden NFL. And it shows. Before I break down my custom three-tier review, I'll compare NCAA 11 to the aforementioned games.

NCAA 11 vs. Backbreaker: if you haven't played Backbreaker, it's worth checking out the demo (available on Xbox Live). Backbreaker is all about the on-field action and physical reactions of the players. You won't see a more amazing performance of such action on the planet. But it comes with a price: Backreaker doesn't have the depth of team management, stadium atmosphere, and immersion that NCAA has; Backbreaker can become sterile, a display of physics, whereas NCAA creates a great atmosphere to pull you in.

NCAA 11 vs. ESPN 2k5: 2k5 is the golden standard of football games. It's been the game that all other games are compared to since its release. And for good reason: 2k5 got just about everything right. It's not perfect, but it's the best one to date. NCAA 11 is hard to ignore, for me. It has a better atmosphere and presentation than 2k5 (it's college, though, so that's to be expected); it also does a great job of animation. NCAA 11 isn't perfect with the animations, but neither was 2k5. I'd have to say the two titles are equal; 2k5 may have an edge in certain instances, but NCAA looks and moves better than any EA football game to date.

NCAA 11 vs. Madden NFL 11: now I've never bought and played an NCAA title--most of the time I just play demos or play at a buddy's house--but NCAA 11 really captured my attention. This is the first year I'll gladly say that Madden takes a FAR back seat to it's college cousin. NCAA 11 looks better, plays better, and is much more engrossing and fun than Madden. Madden feels sterile compared to NCAA. In every area of the game, I was far more impressed with NCAA than with Madden. The only reason to buy both would be to import your NCAA draft class to Madden--but why bother when you can just play NCAA!

Comparisons aside, here's my three-tier review!

ENVIRONMENTS (4 stars): based on the standard for 360 football games, NCAA is top notch. The stadiums, fields, players, and menus all look great: clean, crisp, and vivid. The sound design is awesome. I recommend turning down the on-field volume and cranking up the stadium/crowd volume--it really surrounds you in the environment. There are, of course, the typical awkward animations present with EA sports games. That has to do with the engine being used; there's always going to be animation glitches; but this is the first EA title where the glitches aren't so bad as to make you flinch every play. I don't think it's perfect, but for an EA football game it's the best yet.

GAMEPLAY (4 stars): the controls are fantastic. There are so many options, toggles, and adjustments available that it can be a little overwhelming. For the football fanatic, this is a huge plus. Any adjustments you want to make pre-snap, pre-game, or whatever are there for the taking--if you have the dexterity! The controls for these changes are easy to use, and on-screen menus during the game help to guide you through (though you'll get to know them and do it without referencing the menus). Overall, great options and easy controls that can be a bit overwhelming at times.
On the field, the controls are great and responsive. It takes some getting used to at first. The traditional controls are a little different, and I highly recommend you practice or read through the manual before diving in. The right stick controls momentum, of sorts. Pushing forward on the RS leans your player forward (trucking, covering the ball, etc) and similar movements in other directions shift momentum in that directions. The result is a fluid transition of body motion (more so than before) but there are some imperfections in the animations and interactions--nothing to break the game, but you may notice some awkward movements. Many of the other button controls are the same. Also, sprinting is changed; you can let your player control his own sprinting and you just control the movement, or you can go to manual sprinting as it was previously. Be sure to check the system settings and tweak it to your liking. Overall, the controls are responsive but the new changes require some getting used to.

DESIGN (4 stars): the presentation of the game is top-notch. It's the closest experience to being in a college football game as possible, so far. The teams look great, and there are unique team entrances for every team and the fans wear team colors with permutations of hats, sweaters, jackets, and so on.
Team management is great; the only warning is the amount of information at your disposal. It can be a little overwhelming at first: recruiting, depth charts, redshirts, schedules, polls, stats, injuries, coaching philosophy, and many other things are all available. Take some time to go through all the options before advancing each week, otherwise you may miss something important.
You can edit players to your liking and even create your own teams! The online teambuilder is a great tool, allowing you to edit player ratings, team logos, mascots, stadiums, fields, and setting up the team program to build a custom team. There are a lot of options and seeing your custom creation on the field is rewarding.
Every team feels and plays differently: this is one of the great strengths of NCAA. Pay attention to a team's style, strengths, and weaknesses, as they matter. I had a hard time against a team that ran a no-huddle spread offense--they can really wear you down! Check your gameplan and adjust accordingly (hit X on play-calling screen to bring up your gameplan).
Recruiting is fun and fairly in-depth. It's not amazing or mind-blowing, but it'll keep you interested in finding those high school gems. You can call recruits and discuss different topics, offer scholarships, schedule campus visits, and criticize other competing schools. How the recruit responds depends on your school's program and other factors (campus lifestyle, coach experience, etc). All the factors for your school are part of building your team with the online teambuilder.

OVERALL (4 stars): while far from perfect, NCAA is the best EA football game to date. The atmosphere, team management, and overall gameplay all shine out; the controls are responsive and fun. There are a few glitches with animations and some frustrating moments, but they don't crowd out the otherwise solid gameplay. The online teambuilder and sundry options in the game give the player so many options--sometimes too many! Highly recommended football game for anyone that enjoys Madden, 2k5, or previous NCAA games.

I have managed to get two seasons in and here is my observations compared to previous versions.
* The play is much more realistic and it is really fun to see the player animations.
* Recruiting (Dynasty Mode) is changed up a little bit - and for the better.

I cannot help but point out continued glitches that I have seen.
* The scoring a touchdown by the computer and then you having to kick off.
* The QB running 30 yards backwards for no reason
* Picks are harder to get - but you better count a few fumbles a game.
* My biggest issue is the same as the last few years past. The offensive Line is non-existant - you have about 2 seconds to get the ball out - I'm tired of having my LT give up 18 sacks a year. This issue needs to be addressed

Overall - I rate this a improvement over the 10 model. I just do not understand how this gets out from EA with the bugs and obvious poor mechanics on the offensive line.

It is still college football and I enjoy it - yet I have my reservations.

I really have enjoyed playing NCAA Football 11. The controls are quick to pick up and intuitive, the game play is pretty smooth and doesn't take long to get a hang of. I love the Dynasty mode - lets you be the coach for a school, do recruiting, set schedule, customize the game plan of the team and you can either play the games or sim them. I think some sort of interaction with the team off the field would have been a cool feature, like building team unity or morale.

The Road to Glory (RTG) mode is alright. You create a custom player and start the mode by playing your last games in high school. Depending on how you play in those games, decide which scouts watch you from colleges. You only ever control your player, and the games simulate until you are on the field. During the week, you can practice to increase your player skills and your position on the depth chart. The other events during the week are all simulations and there is no way to participate. Seems like it could have been simple and fun for the players to have added mini games for those events, studying at the library (because you have to keep your grade up or you won't be allowed to play), working out at the gym or visiting the trainer. There is also, again, no option to hang out with the team or interact with them. So RTG is interesting but so far I have preferred Dynasty.

I got an HDMI cable shortly after having this game. It looks really good in HD. If you don't have an HD cable or tv, don't worry - the game still looks pretty good. The stadiums all look really good. There is always good game noise: player sounds, crowds, stadium announcers. The commentators are pretty good, but repeat themselves a lot which can get annoying. I still haven't found a good balance to put penalties on. Sometimes no penalties are called when they should, or the refs call everything. You can tweak how often the penalties are called but until you play through some games it is hard to figure out where you want it to be.

There are various degrees of difficulty that the game can be played on and even a really simple single button mode to make playing with amateur players easy and enjoyable.

All in all, I really like this game - probably better than my Madden 11. There are some things I think they didn't add but should have but overall this is definitely a game that I would recommend for anyone looking to get/play a football game.

NCAA Football 2011 is a worthless broken game thanks to the greedy folks at Ea sports. New games are purposely shipped with missing components so they can be patched in later online. While this maybe fine and dandy for first time online buyers this leaves out anyone who doesn't pay for online service out in the cold. I believe that when you buy a game it should be a complete product, not a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces so they nickel and dime. Boycott them! Its the only way they will learn.

Like many, I have been a HUGE fan of all things EA for some time.

Although the Madden franchise has taken a serious nose dive since they got their exclusive license. The college football games have been getting better every year - until now.

It may just be the way I play, but I think I am pretty typical, so it stands to reason others may find the same problems.

1. $$$$$ Nickel and dimed to death. It isnt enough for EA to get my 60 bucks for their game. They want another 10 bucks to create your own team. They want even more money if you want to see your players get more than MINIMUM IPREOVEMENT from season to season in dynasty mode.

2. Playcalling A - They took out the recent plays. I like the convenience of it. I run through my 6 or 9 plays I like to run, and they are setup for the recent plays. That is gone.

3. Playcalling B - The coaches choice plays are in no way related to your team. I use a spread offense, and it never fails that my coaches choices are loaded with option plays. My QB isnt a scrambler, he is a pocket passer, and SLOW. Who the hell is the coach that calls an option with a lead-footed pocket passer who is running a spread offense? My money says that genius doesnt keep his job very long.

4. Recruiting is worse than ever. The random generated topic selector is the worst "feature" ever implemented. If you are a coach calling a prospect, you never lead with your teams weakest subject to pitch. This game does it quite frequently. I do like that the topics are segmented now, 10 minute increments keep you from getting that recruit who babbles forever and wastes half an hour+ on something he ends up not ever caring about. But that one thing does not make up for the fact that you cannot select your topics with any regularity.
It also seems like it is gauged against you for high star recruits. Example - If I am going after some 4 or 5 star recruits, they will invariably not care about anything that my school (home made UND Fighting Sioux) has B to A+. Nothing but least and lows seem to come up for me.
Also, they have the scoring system. You can be in second place, -1 point to the 1st place school recruiting this kid. You can get on the phone, run up your score 300 points, while detracting the 1st place school 60-100 points, and still be in second place, -1. I get the potentail reality of this, sometimes no matter what you tell a recruit, he wants to go somewhere else. But if that is the thing they are basing this off, make the scoring system reflect that, so you arent pouring drinks into some girl who is going home with someone else, so to speak.

5. Gameplay is about the same as 10, play calling notwithstanding. Coaches poll and BCS selecting seems even more friendly to users in this. The coaches poll and BCS will jump you right in if you schedule top shelf schools and proceed to thump them regularly - so that is good.

All in all, never should have spent the money. I will play it some, get the what use I can out of it, and go back to 10. I cant imaginne 12 will be any better, but I might rent and see. I wish I would have rented 11, could have saved me some money.

EA continues to simply repackage their games and have people spend 60 dollars every year. The pinnacle of this series was the 2006 version. Since that time, EA has removed great features that were once in the game. To make matters worse, when they give us "new" features, they are simply features that were once in the game and had previously been removed.