NCAA 12 - Unbias Review - Gotmadskillzson's Blog

Gotmadskillzson's Blog

NCAA 12 - Unbias Review

Posted on July 13, 2011 at 11:55 PM.

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SCRAMBLING QUARTERBACKS !

Yes people, scrambling QBs have come back to the NCAA series ! For the 1st time in 6 years, we have scrambling QBs in a NCAA football game. It is a thing of beauty to see.

If there was one tiny nitpick about the scrambling QBs is so far I haven't seen a spin from the pressure then scramble, type of scramble yet. For those who have played Madden 11, you will know what I am talking about. Just a minor thing.

Anyway I have played 15 full 9 minute quarter games now. Most on heisman, the rest on all american. Played with or against all the different types of offenses in the game. Standard playbooks.

Graphics

Graphically the game looks good in some areas, step back in other areas. Uniforms look really good, HDR is good, however the field......Field took a step back, kind of remains me of hmmm NCAA 10 field.

You notice it more in some stadiums at night time then you do during day games. Some of them look down right cartoony at night time. Replays however are AWESOME. This is the only time you can see the 3D grass and you see little bits of it come up in the air when a player rolls on it or slide on it.

Fog games during the day look good, fog games at night not so much. Snow and the rain, the same as last year. For some reason away uniforms don't get dirty like home uniforms do. Must be stain guard or something.

CPU AI

Zone has really improved and over all makes the defense better this year. You actually can get a challenge from the cpu right out the box. Which I must say is very rare to get a challenge right out the box without touching anything.

Passing is like real life now. Can no longer force passes over the middle or aimlessly chuck up long bombs. You will get intercepted and intercepted alot if you play that way. The strategy this year I will suggest for people is to learn how to lead the WR and know when to throw a lob and when to throw a bullet.

For those wondering, since I seen this mistake posted in the forums during the daytime on OS, you lead the WR with the LEFT STICK, not the right stick. You can lead them up, down, left, right, up left, down left, up right, down right.

You can lead them with lob passes or bullet passes. FYI, bullet passes on deep passes is a guranteed interception. Lob passes to the flats or screens will cause your player to get lit up. You will want to bullet pass on those situations, that way the ball can get there before the CBs can make a play on the ball.

For once this year, you really have to pay attention to those schools that have scrambling QBs or balanced QBs. Trust me, you will instantly find out, for they will take off this year. Which leads me to another thing, don't leave the middle of the pocket empty. They will exploit it this year.

The lame duck throws are gone this year ! This year when you grab hold to the QB, they go down. CPU are pretty good threat on kick off and punt returns as well.

However, still no punt blocks or FG blocks. Hopefully this can be patched or tuned. Punting is too automatic. There is no bad snaps or any threat from the cpu at all. FG attempts are the same way. It need to be some bad holds.

Spread teams - work from time to time. I find it is a big help playing on zero speed threshold and lowering the run defense to 25. Allows the cpu to establish running out of the shotgun or running to the outside period.

On default what happens is usually right when they about to turn the corner they get caught from behind by a linebacker or DE in the backfield. Seen this happen over and over again on levels. Zero threshold allows the fast players to be actual fast players.

Plus on zero threshold you can get sacks from safety blitzes and CB blitzs or looping linebacker blitzes. And for the passing game, when a WR is faster then the CB, he actually gets seperation. On default, the CB always was able to stay with the WR despite the fact he was 6 numbers slower.

LACK OF BROKE TACKLES

I don't know if I am too good at tackling or what. But on default tackling slider, I was able to hold every RB under 100 yards rushing, even Alabama, Oregon, Ohio St, Wisconsin on HESIMAN 9 minute quarters.

Then at the end of the game, look at the stats and they have either 0 or 1 broken tackle. That was unrealistic, too many solo tackles on the 1st hit.

So for me, for my liking, I lowered tackling slider to 10.

This allows for more consective hit tackles. Because this what is going to happen:

Big backs will be able to break tackles, scat backs would get stood upright and another defender will just bush whack them. Plus weak tackle attempts from an angle that isn't head on will no longer cause a RB to fall, instead he will get spun around and stumble. Depending on his ratings he will regain his balance and keep running. Lower ratings and they will stumble forward for 2 or 3 more yards before falling on their face.

NO SUCTION

No suction is great. This year you will have just to trust yourself and run forward through the line. I know at 1st glance your natural reaction will be to go the other way, but this year you can run through some tiny cracks between people.

Also you can do some very good, Barry Sanders like stop and go runs. I mean you can literally just stop and a defender will go right passed you with out stretched hands.

The highlight stick doesn't seem to work all that well this year IMO. I do better jukes with the left stick, go figure. Spin move works pretty darn good too because of no suction. You can run into the back or side of a defender and spin away.

RUN BLOCKING IMPROVED

Run blocking has greatly improved. Linemen and WRs do a much better job of blocking until the play is over this year. Last year they would follow you about 8 yards and stop. This year they go all the way to the end zone with you.

You will notice this a lot on kick off and punt returns. This year it is possible on both to return it for a TD. Gunners no longer run like they Osain Bolt and be in your face as soon as you catch the ball. And for once your players actually block for you on returns.

POOR SOUND

Sound department was sleep at the wheel for NCAA 12. Crowds aren't loud and sound like you standing outside the stadium instead of on the field. They sound distant and shallow. Same thing with the bands. If it wasn't for them showing it, I wouldn't have known it was a band there. You don't hear the drums or the tubas or nothing.

GAME SOUNDS LACK BASS !!!!!!!!

Tackles sound weak like you tapped a pencil on a desk. When you are at these big stadiums, it doesn't like it. When you do a big play, it doesn't sound like it. And the commentary is still weak as ever. I did hear about 7 new lines so far.

Anybody play College Hoops 2K8 ? If you haven't I suggest you go to gamestop and buy it used. That is how a band and crowd suppose to sound. When they playing the drums, you can feel and hear it. When they cheering loudly, you can feel it and hear it. They have BASS, NCAA 12 doesn't.

GAME TRACKS

Game tracks is a nice addition. On average I see 3 a game, the most I have seen was 5 a game. They are neat and help make up for the rather bland commentary.

OTHER STUFF

Coaching carosuel, is a good start. However coaches progress way too quick. Gets to the point where as little as 2 years in, you see way too many A rated coaches.

Dynasty, playing as a defensive or offensive coordinator is fun and challenging. I just wish they added the feature of if you were the head coach, you could hire or fire your staff. College hoops had this many years ago.

Custom playbooks, self explanatory. Currently there is a bug with it though that causes the game to freeze. But then again for me anyway the game froze twice on me in just play now games.

Coach mode: thing of beauty. I must say broadcast cam REALLY make the game look very good. This will no doubt add a lot replay value to NCAA 12 for those who don't want to play dynasty or for the days you feeling tired and want to play the game with the least amount of movement.

CONCLUSION

Definitely worth buying ! Besides the poor sound and commentary, this game is a must buy for any college football sports fan.

Don't matter if you a diehard or casual fan. They have something for everybody.

I haven't had so much fun with a NCAA game since NCAA 06.

Comments

# 1 carnalnirvana @ Jul 14

the review i was waiting for....thx bro. i was going to wait for madden because i hate not having the zoom cam in ncaa but from your impressions and this review i owe ncaa a try.......

# 2 Gotmadskillzson @ Jul 14

Man, heisman is no joke this year. You REALLY got to be on your game. You will turn bald this year, because if you caught slipping they will make you pay.

QB scrambling is LEGIT. Terrell Pryor scrambled on me 9 times for 98 yards in the 1st quarter ALONE. Seems to be the higher the Ball Carrier Vision, the more they scramble. He has the highest in the game with 90. 2 more have it at 88 and the rest of the scramblers is at 85 or below.

The only downside to heisman is the long FG attempts they do, but other then that, it is down right gorgeous. The AI runs super smart on Heisman, human like sometimes that it is eerie to see them weaving in and out on runs, cutting back, juking, spinning.