NCAA Football 07: Next-gen Leap or Derivative Rerelease?

The college gridiron is a sacred field of blood and glory. Yes, this is an overly used clichÃ?© in a world now full of underhanded recruiting tactics, steroids, and off-season arrests. But there still remains something overtly hallowed about a chilly November football game, when no matter where the star player is from or how much money he’s getting from the alumni or how fast he can run his forty yard dash there is still the human element at play.

It’s a human consecration, a testament to the brutal play of the game and man’s will to survive. That being said, it’s hard to imagine how a video game franchise for an aging previous generation system could possibly simulate such an atmosphere. But let’s be realistic here; this is a game and is not expected to be an accurate representation of actual football. What matters is that the newest iteration in EA Sports’ long-running football series is uncompromisingly fun.

Presentation
Obviously, the first thing a player will notice is the interface and graphics of the game itself. And for this, the Xbox certainly does not disappoint. It’s sad to notice that the aging Microsoft system seems to be at the end of its graphical rope; the models and details remain little better than last year’s title. But the new, realistic animations that EA implements make up for it in a big way.

As someone who has played football for six or seven years, I can personally say that the tackling, jumping, and other related movements have improved much over previous years. There is a stunningly natural nature to the way a running back flings his would-be tackler to the turf. Wide receivers make spectacular leaping catches and one-handed grabs. Linebackers punish foes with wildly big hits. However, it is this improvement that makes the rest of the game seem drab and downright fake.

Gameplay
The gameplay portion of the NCAA 07 is curiously filled with new features compared with previous years’ new releases. Such things as the Madden-ported “hit stick,” the Arena football kicking system, or the badass 3rd person camera mode that focuses on the return men during special teams action add new dimensions that help beat back what could have been stale, derivative play.

However, the animations of the players seem so real, that one would expect them to act in a realistic fashion as well. Not so. EA certainly retains its spotty AI from years’ past. The deep ball is overly dominant; wide receivers catch long passes in superhuman fashion when among three or four defenders.

Slow tight ends make boneheaded cuts up field when the quarterback scrambles. Linemen scramble past bull-rushing defensive ends to block non-threatening defensive backs dropped back in pass coverage. While this is mostly apparent in player versus player type games, it certainly can be an atmosphere killer when the game is on the line and your star safety watches a ball bounce off his facemask.

But what remains, despite this, is the overwhelming addictiveness of the gameplay. Game planning, executing insane runs with the juke stick, or crushing a wide receiver on a crossing pattern never get old, and mostly trump the bad artificial intelligence.

Features

There is really only one new mode in NCAA 07: the Campus Legend mode. Campus Legend allows the player to guide a student-athlete through four years of football at a top-notch school. You must attend classes and take tests to keep your GPA up, and also make time for practice and football to improve your attributes.

While the school aspect of the mode is certainly a welcome diversion, the mode is mostly a spruced up version of last year’s Race for the Hiesman mode. The Dynasty mode also includes new content that add to what is the highlight of the entire game.

Recruit during the season, manage your team’s discipline, and play in the spring games all add to the atmosphere and immersive-ness of the mode. However, all of these new modes and improvements don’t hold a candle to what would seem to be the best and certainly most expansive upgrade: the new playbooks. Each 1A team has its own unique playbook not only tailored to their specific style of play, but with unique plays run only by that team, which makes for a truly great customizing experience.

Conclusion
While spotty AI, which is characteristic of the series, remains a problem, and derivative and uncreative gameplay bores those who have a history with any EA Sports football game, the bottom line is that NCAA 07 extremely fun and addictive to play. For those who are still hanging on to their old copy of 06, a trial run from your local Blockbuster or Hastings is certainly a better alternative than dropping another $50. The blood and glory of the college atmosphere is not for everyone, after all.