NCAA Football 07

"Great football title, if only a little shallow"

Graphics - 9
First off, the graphics in this game are amazing. From the incredibly detailed stadiums, to little scuffs and dirt spots on helmets and jerseys, to the way a running back grits his teeth in pain when a linebacker delivers a crushing hit, the graphics in this game are top notch, however, there are a few gripes. As in all of EA's sports games, there are some clipping issues such as hands going through shoulders and balls, and players sometimes glitching into or through each other after a play, but due to the new animations of the players many of these will go unnoticed. Also there are some slight frame rate issues that I have noticed. These only seem to happen only when the camera pans around the stadium but it does seem like something that should be fixed next year. The replica stadiums look fantastic but if your school is not one of them prepare to be slightly disappointed. While playing as UCF and going from a perfectly replicated Swamp in Gainesville to playing in a stadium that looks nothing like the Orlando Citrus Bowl is pretty discouraging. Hopefully next year all the stadiums will be included and accurately represented.

Sound-8
The sound in this game is very well done, but could be better. The lack of stadium pulse and swelling noise from the crowd should have been included but the actual sound of the entire stadium screaming and the schools chants are very impressive. The play-by-play commentary by Lee Corso and associates is well done, but after a while you begin to hear the same one liners over and over as well as the same commentary from previous games. The on-field sound is where I believe the game shines the most. The crunch of shoulder pads colliding and the grunts of players really brings you onto the field and the sounds of the stadium only make the experience more enjoyable.

Gameplay-8
Now, this is the most important aspect of any game, and while there are some features missing, the core football of this game is very well done. The menus are easy to navigate and the on-field controls are very well done. The offensive impact stick is very responsive as are the other controls. On defense, the hit stick seems to be slightly off but the other controls are very quick and responsive. The new mini-games are fun such as tug-of-war and Bowling but seem to be a slight distraction from the missing features. The new animations bring a whole new level of realism to the gameplay. My only gripes are the stripped features. Most noticeable, the SI magazine, Race for the Heisman or Campus Legend modes. Also, some of the modes seem shallow and could have been done much better, such as create a player.
Pros
+ Great Graphics
+ Amazing sound during gameplay
+ Very responsive controls
+ A great game if you're looking for pure football
+ New minigames such as Tug of War and Bowling

Cons
- Graphical Glitches such as clipping, jaggies, and framerate drops
- Some commentary gets repetitive and the lack of stadium pulse is disappointing
- Stadiums that were not accurately represented leave much to be desired
- Loss of features in the current gen games such as Campus Legend and Race for the Heisman
- No division 1-AA team names. Ex. Villanova is called 1-AA East.

Overall-8
If you are looking for a game of to play FOOTBALL then this is your game, the new animations, graphics, stadiums, plays and controls help make this one of the best on field football games to date and THE best football game on the 360, but if you are the kind of football gamer that likes to play lots of different modes and enjoyed Race for the Heisman and other modes than the current gen version would probably be better for you.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/26/06