NCAA Football 14 is the best NCAA Football game since NCAA Football 2006.
Matthew Coe: Fact. NCAA Football 14 is easily the best college football game we've had on XBOX 360 and PS3, making it the best NCAA Football since NCAA Football 06 on XBOX and PS2. Its taken us awhile to get here, but finally right before the next generation consoles launch this fall, we get the best game in the series. I'm gonna say that NCAA Football 14 is also the best NCAA Football game ever made on consoles. I say this because despite some defensive issues and other gripes, we've never had an NCAA game that played this well. The option/pitch/shovel game has never been represented like it has been in this years game. From a gameplay standpoint alone I'm saying NCAA 14 is the best in the series history.
Robert Kollars: Fact. I love this years title from EA and it is creeping towards becoming my favorite college title ever. If you include the new foot planting system, the new blocking schemes(that actually work this year)new option playbooks, and an AI that is competitive on offense, it is really is a great package - albeit one that still has a few issues that need to be ironed out. I have had great enjoyment though playing with multiple teams as they play true to their real-life counterparts, and the Infinity Engine 2.0 and coordinator cam have really added to the overall experience.
Bishop Tart: Fact. Coming off of NCAA Football 13, I didn't really have high hopes for '14. Thankfully, EA and Tiburon surprised me with just a better overall game. The inclusion of the Infinity Engine is great for the franchise, and the majority of the kinks have been worked out for 2.0. The new gameplay improvements and skill trees in dynasty mode make this the best NCAA Football game in quite some time. Now, let's just hope this continues into the next gen console cycle in 2014.
Dynasty mode is much better than last year.
Matthew Coe: Fiction. The mode isn't a huge improvement over last year and some have felt that the streamlined recruiting has actually taken away from the experience in NCAA Football 14. Recruiting still needs to be overhauled in my opinion with a long list of improvements that I'll save for a blog. The mode works as well as it ever has, but I don't think we got the significant presentation upgrades for dynasty mode that I was hoping for, nor did we get any changes in dynasty that make it head and shoulders above last year's mode.
Robert Kollars: Fiction. While I do believe recruiting is better, it is that way only because of the new recruiting system and coaching trees. Once you dig deep into dynasty again this year, you will notice that while the menus have changed, it is largely the same. That doesn't mean I think it is a bad mode, just slightly improved over last year. The fact is Dynasty mode is a lot of fun to play, but there is still a lot they can add to it that would take the immersion factor to a much higher level.
Bishop Tart: Fact. Adding in skill trees for coaches makes it a better dynasty mode to me. I really, really like that feature. I'm not a huge fan of the new recruiting system, but I did get a hang of it after a few weeks into my first season. All in all, dynasty mode is the main mode I play each year. That's no different with '14 and I'm really enjoying it.
The simpler recruiting is actually harder and much deeper than last year.
Matthew Coe: Fiction. Based on limited exposure to this years recruiting in NCAA Football 14 I can't say that I feel the mode is deeper or necessarily more difficult. It's a little bit different, which makes it seem tougher at first. Given time, I think we'll all adjust and find recruiting no more difficult than last year. I actually do like some of the changes in recruiting but I certainly don't feel that it's as deep as it could be or deeper than last year. I'm glad that EA Sports changed up recruiting a little, but again, it needs a major overhaul in my opinion.
Robert Kollars: Fiction. I am a big fan of the new recruiting system, but not because it's more difficult or has been completely overhauled. I love it it for the simple fact(s) that it is less time consuming, deeper, and more realistic than what it has been in the previous titles. In the past it seems like the system had been tedious for the sake of being tedious, with no real advantage. This year the recruiting system has been simplified, and yet it allows less manipulation by the user to load up on their class every year. In prior versions of this title the recruiting system became a time-consuming chore quickly, albeit a necessary one. This year it requires the user to think about point allocations, the visits they set up and the time-frame in which they do it, and recruit specifically for their team's needs. With all that being said though, it doesn't mean it's necessarily harder or extremely deeper than previous iterations, but rather a much smarter, and streamlined system for the user to work within.
Bishop Tart: Fact & Fiction. Over the years recruiting, at least to me, was something I could figure out almost instantly. With this years iteration it took me a few weeks into my first season to figure everything out. The tutorial that they have is not all that great and it was just making sure I read and understood everything that was on screen. So I think the recruiting this year is a little harder than previous years, but not really deeper.
The Spread Option is represented well in NCAA Football 14.
Matthew Coe: Fact. Having never run the spread option at a high level in real life I can only base this opinion on how it looks and feels in the game. The results are impressive. Reading your keys both pre snap and right at the snap are crucial to success, as they should be. Quick decisions are required based on those reads to run the spread option well. I love the way that NCAA Football 14 has represented the spread option. I know there is room for improvement but it would be crazy not to give EA Sports credit where credit is due. They did a fine job with the spread option.
Robert Kollars: Fact. While it may feel a bit over-powered at times, I still love the true "threat" that the option game brings to the table in NCAA 14. The better the school you play who run's it, the harder it is to stop. So it's not difficult for the sake of being difficult. Just as I hate watching my Irish play a true option team in real life because of the unpredictability of it, I feel the same way when playing NCAA 14.
Bishop Tart: Fact. Although I think it is a little too easy to run this year, the spread offense is well-represented for teams that run it. I never really had an issue executing a play when running that style of offense. The spread option is also one of the most fun to use and being able to read certain players on the defense helps.