NCAA Football 07

"Frustrating and Dissappointing all the same time!"

This game can be summed up with one word: Frustrating.

I've played through all of the last 4 NCAA games and I've been playing madden for quite a while now, so I'm not an EA football game hater. If I am biased, I would probably be biased towards LIKING this game.

The graphics in this game are terrible. They could've just (in layman's terms) taken madden 06 (which had very good graphics) and just put in all the college teams. It wouldn't be that hard, seeing as these 2 games are made by EA. But as in all EA games, they got really lazy when it came to actually making the game, and the graphics are terrible (as is expected when any hyped EA game is released.). The players are all really short, and really blocky. The faces they generate because of the NCAA rules involving likeness and appearance are hilarious. Why? you ask. Because every player looks exactly the same, except for skin tones. At least give us a variety!

The gameplay is just like the graphics: sub-par. The players all seem really sluggish, and its impossible to run the ball. Even the linemen from UT and USC can't even open up a hole. The only way to run the ball consistently is by running waaaaay outside, and just hope that your linemen get in somebody's way. The only way I can get 100yds rushing is by setting the game to easy (junior-varsity) and setting the AI for my team really high and the opponent's either really low, or just keep it at 50%. The passing is OK, but not much else. The Campus Legend drills are the worst ever in all of mini-game history. The drills have you doing things like covering a receiver (if you're player is a DB) whose only route is "get open". So this guy will run back and forth back and forth and then from no where the ball appears and you have a second to react before he catches it. On the running back drills, your fullback will run right past the Linebacker and block a safety. Well, that would be nice if the linebacker just fell over and played dead, but no! He runs right through the hole, and my only option is to hope the stiff arm works. The gameplay is so bad, after 3 days of giving the benefit of the doubt, I actually returned this game.

The sound is OK. There really isn't much in any football game to make it GREAT. You have your usual grunts and moans, the roar of the fans, and the fight songs, but thats it. The commentary is good. Its 2006, every game has good commentary. For sound, I'd give it an 8/10.

As for the cover player Reggie Bush, I don't understand why on earth EA insists upon putting a drafted player on the cover. In order to actually play with reggie, you have use the 2004 USC trojans, and then he looks skinny, and your lineman can't block. In the an exhibition game, Reggie Bush got stopped 3 times in a row in the backfield against Grambling State. THATS how hard it is to rush in this game! Not even Reggie bush can gain a yard against a school whose band sells more tickets than their football team.

My only advice for NCAA Football 2007 is this: Save you 50 dollars, and wait until Madden 2007 comes out.

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 07/24/06