NCAA Football 14 Demo Impressions - RaychelSnr's Blog

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RaychelSnr's Blog

NCAA Football 14 Demo Impressions Stuck

Posted on June 18, 2013 at 09:56 PM.

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Last year, I went after NCAA Football 13 for so many reasons. Using tech that was going to be antiquated in just a month's time last July, we received a college football gaming experience that was stale, uninspired, and a little too much like its predecessor. Many were saying the future of the NCAA series was in question with such a poor effort

The NCAA team was dealt a bad hand last season, no doubt. This year it appears the NCAA team is out on a mission to prove the critics (ahem people like me) wrong about the fate of the franchise.

NCAA, after all, had given us so many great things this generation. No one else did career modes like NCAA did, especially when NCAA Football went online with its dynasty mode. There was innovation, freshness, and new experiences around every corner this generation.

So enter NCAA Football 14, and its newly released demo. I have played through every matchup on the demo and have come away thinking that this could be the best playing NCAA Football ever -- and I couldn't be happier.

NCAA might have taken a year off, but the series has recaptured a bit of that old magic it seems with what appears to be a potentially huge step forward for the franchise.

The new camera angles inject an artificial and perhaps surface level only sense of freshness. I played a half with the old classic camera angle before switching to the new coordinator camera. The new angle made the game 'feel' better, newer, and honestly it was as if I opened my eyes to a new way of playing football games and exclaimed this is how it should have been the whole time.

Seeing the entire field allows for easier reads of the field, but with enough of a zoom to still be able to make the correct moves. You instantly get a better vantage point with which to make plays when switching to the coordinator camera. The running game in particular seems much more robust. I was able to hit more cutback holes and find more open space than I feel I ever have thanks to having the more top-down, zoomed out view.

The option game feels great as well. I don't like the game's need to hold your hand every time you play the option, but I suppose that's a design decision that most consumers of NCAA will like -- I just wish, and perhaps I'm missing this, there was a way to remove that visual hand holding detail from the game if I so desired.

The Infinity Engine 2.0 delivers as promised it appears. There are minor quirks still, but nowhere near the level of Madden NFL 13's crazy Infinity Engine quirks last season. Also, while zig-zag running isn't eliminated completely, I feel the in-game physics are much better than last year. Runners have more weight to them, the motion reminds me of FIFA a bit as I control the players, that's a good thing.

The new playcalling option, of calling plays by personell is a GREAT move. However, I have one gripe: when going back I expect every time to go back to the formations of the set I was just within, not to have the whole menu reset to the first default personell setting. I'd go from a 2 RB personell formations and by hitting B in the formation individual playcall screen I'd go back to the first play selection where it is 5WR formations. I'm sure that's a minor oversight that'll be fixed, perhaps by release!

The line play IS better. It really is. Pulling guards, lead blockers, they all hit their assignments correctly on run plays. A vast improvement over what we've had before. Pass blocking still seems pretty 'ok' but not exceptional. Blitzers are picked up reasonably well. The pass blocking still needs some work, but I can see a few areas where it has seemed to improve. I do wish there was more fluidity down in the trenches -- I'm hoping next-gen solves that in the next year or two.

Another gripe: On defense the audible selections are not on screen. I can't see what I'm picking when I try to hot route defenders. Why EA feels the need to provide on screen assistance for option plays but not this is beyond me. I'd really like to know what all my possibilities are, be it changing the DL's alignment or just hot routing a CB on defense.

Texas A&M faked a punt! The AI seems much more reasonable this year and (dare I say it) more human/unpredictable. I like that in a computer programmed opponent (insert winky face here).

Final Thoughts

Here's the deal, NCAA Football 14 isn't going to change your mind if you have your mind made up already. This is still EA football, it feels like it and plays like it. It is refined, it is better, it might even be the best version of EA football yet -- but it is still that style of football.

To me, this represents our greatest hope yet that the magic of NCAA 2006 is alive and well in this installment of NCAA and we will soon be playing one of the finest versions of this series ever. There is a lot more to look through, but the early returns are overwhelmingly positive.

Comments

# 1 SamoanSteelerFromAus @ Jun 18

I've never played an NCAA game cause I live in Australia and we don't get them here, but after reading this coupled with my distaste for the last handful of Madden games, I'll be picking it up online this time round. I've read a few of your posts before and your likes/dislikes sound very similar to what I think about EA football so it's safe to say I trust your opinions quite well. I'm all about gameplay and from what i've heard over the years Im under the assumption NCAA plays better than madden so why not give this installment a go I say. Good read.

# 2 tarek @ Jun 18

For aussies with a PS3, do yourself a favor and import NCAA and MLB The Show. You won't regret it at all.

# 3 khaliib @ Jun 18

If this is an indication of the fun/challenge there will be, I can't wait/hope the offline Dynasty adds to what is officially a "WOW" factor to me.

Recruiting may be the funnest ever on the series because it's no longer about getting the fastest guy because finally, other attributes/characteristics could be considered depending on what you're trying to do on the field.

Want to run an Up-tempo, better get players with "High Stamina" ratings.

Want to do pound-n-ground, better get big backs and a some hogs up front.

All in all, the type of players play a role.

Finally, the AI is challenging without making a single slider adjustment, so there still remains room for gamers to tweak the AI to give a greater challenge.

Looking forward to a challenging Dynasty Mode for the 1st time ever on this Gen-Console!!!

# 4 SamoanSteelerFromAus @ Jun 18

@Tarek
Thanks for the tip mate, the show was next on my radar!

# 5 Yukon46 @ Jun 18

I totally agree with you on the "Coord Cam"... it feels really, really good !
I an now starting to think I am a little more than worried that after playing sooo many games (that I plan to play) in NCAA 14 ... I might have a hard time enjoying Madden if they dont get this "Cam" angle into Madden 14 !

I switched to all the other Cams in the NCAA Demo for a game each... and I dont see me ever using any other view but Coord Cam again !

# 6 mando49ers1982 @ Jun 18

is there a way to see the different weather options??

# 7 MAGboyswifT27 @ Jun 18

Where's my post?

# 8 MAGboyswifT27 @ Jun 18

Sorry that last post was a test run.. Good post btw!

# 9 mando49ers1982 @ Jun 18

1 D-Line guy from Oregon just could not be blocked. Line play still needs a little work and seems they hold longer for the cpu offense.

# 10 ps3veron @ Jun 19

Love it! Best demo for a football game ever! The engine feels refined, the cadences are better than Madden, the lighting is amazing, the tackling, I could go on and on!

I always favored NCAA more than MADDEN and I am proud of the product this year! The drills alone are worth the price tag, addiction!