NCAA Football 10 News Post

NCAA Football 10 Review

12:00 AM - July 14, 2009 by RaychelSnr

If I told you Michael Myers and Halloween have a lot in common with EA Sports NCAA Football, you’d probably tell me I was crazy.

However, at a closer glance, they are more alike than you may realize. Both series have resorted to the same philosophy of not straying too far off of the formula which worked to originally elevate each franchise. Unfortunately, that philosophy of sticking close to an established formula tends to have a limited lifespan before a series becomes stale, and NCAA Football is dangerously close to that point.

The approach to the NCAA Football series has been relatively the same since NCAA Football 99, with only incremental improvements each year building on top of the previous package. However, just as with Halloween, the core tenets of the series have remained the same to solid financial success. But just as with Halloween, the same act seems to be getting tired.

NCAA Football 10 isn’t a bad game by any means, but the game represents only a marginal upgrade over last year's title overall, which leaves you wondering if we'll ever see a truly great NCAA Football anytime soon.

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Game: NCAA Football 10Reader Score: 6.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Wii / Xbox 360Votes for game: 61 - View All

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Member Comments

# 101 TreyIM2 @ 07/15/09 01:29 AM

I picked up the PS3 version and I agree that the gameplay is pretty good. It's just a fun game and, again, this comes from a person who thoroughly enjoyed the gameplay of Madden 09 even with all the glitches. I looked at it more as a step in the right direction as EA got used to current gen consoles. NCAA 10 plays like a Madden 09.5 and I do understand that most things in the same year's Madden don't make it to NCAA til the following year. I didn't buy NCAA 09, just played the demo several times over.
As for NCAA 10, I LOVE the tipped passes. The drama it creates is amazing for such a seemingly minute thing. Putting pressure on QBs that contribute to ducks being throw - WONDERFUL! The increased animations for manually breaking tackles, defensive tackles (shoestring tackles are HOT). over the shoulder animations (completing an over the shoulder catch going out of bounds during a two minute offense or in the corner of the endzone for a TD - PRICELESS!!), yada, etc, yada.

I could go on and on. I love this game, already, and I am not even a big college football head. This will push me to follow the collegiate football season even more, now. I look forward to the HUGE improvement to the presentation and such because now that Madden 10 puts it to use, it WILL be utilized for NCAA 11, mark these words.

# 102 TreyIM2 @ 07/15/09 01:42 AM

I think too many people are putting too much into the extras so you are not comprehending the review bottomline score. The gameplay is pretty darn good and that's the building block for next year's NCAA. Presentation gets repetitive and tired after a while and to be honest, is that what people are buying the game for? I would hope not. The gameplay is the essential part of the game and that's what makes this game so good NOT presentation.See how boring the presentation will get in Madden 10, over time and after a while, u really won't even pay attention to it. I honestly thought this was the reason why EA minimized the presentation to the fullest because it takes up programming and space and at the end of the day, gameplay is the most important aspect of the game, just like any video game.
I say an 8.0 is good but I would even go higher because as much as I like good presentation ala 2K5, that doesn't make or break a football game for me. I would give it an 8.7 because the gameplay is actually a 9.3ish to me, alone but it definitely could use better presentation and audio, at times, which sets the score back. And honestly, since I don't really care about the presentation in a college football game, I'd give it that 9.3, at the end of the day. The game play is great fun and well done.

# 103 coogrfan @ 07/15/09 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pro Bowler


	Entertainment Value: The game is fun to play when you are playing pigskin, if you can stomach the fact the game doesn't capture college football all that well. Dynasty mode could feel old and tired for many, and this will probably go on the shelf for many once Madden drops. The only thing that is fun about this game is that's it's a game about football. It's like a porno with a good looking chick except she's a tranny and an amputee. But hey, it's still porno.

"I'm have no idea what that means, sir, but it seems very negative to me"

# 104 fistofrage @ 07/15/09 11:01 AM

After playing the game last night, I really don't see how this game can garner more than a 6.

Sliders - Broken same as last year. If you had a student and told him if he corrected his paper, he could still get an A-, but instead just turns in the same paper, what would you dock him? -2

Rosters - Completey bungled. -1 to -2

Presentation including sound or lack there of. -1

Other annoying things:
FG's inside of 50 yards are all chipshots
Lots of visual clipping going on.
2d sprite crowd is rock bottom. Should have just left out the fans on the field behind some enzones, looks like Super Nintendo graphics.
Gameplay its honestly no better than 2006 or 2007 on the last gen. I mean we're applauding them for the AI throwing the deep ball? For the AI not calling the QB choice play over and over again? Yes this is the best iteration on next gen, but still 2 or 3 years away from being where it needs to be.

Chris did a great job with the write-up, score just doesn't match.

# 105 teebee @ 07/15/09 01:41 PM

Teams like Utah, what is that some sort of backhanded compliment?

# 106 jyoung @ 07/15/09 01:44 PM

Quote:


	The only thing that is fun about this game is that's it's a game about football. It's like a porno with a good looking chick except she's a tranny and an amputee. But hey, it's still porno.

Should have put that in the official review.

# 107 Von Dozier @ 07/15/09 01:51 PM

That is the longest review I've ever seen in my life

# 108 bkfount @ 07/15/09 02:06 PM

Quote:


	The AI does still abandon the run a bit too soon if it falls behind, and overall it does call too many passing plays instead of running plays for some teams, including Georgia Tech. However, the playcalling is the best I’ve seen it yet in the series. Don't be fooled though, it still needs some serious work.

I actually had the opposite problem mentioned in the review. Bama was still running up the middle when down by 2 scores in the 4th quarter. It didn't seem right at all. I was even calling plays expecting them to pass more.

# 109 russwg1970 @ 07/15/09 04:38 PM

Why does everybody care so much about presentation? Those people whining about the presentation sounds like a bunch of women complaining about a brocken nail. When did everybody start caring about presentation so much? Not sure when that transition occured. I've also seen a few comments about how last gen had better gameplay... Yeah it was so much fun to be able to drop back 20 yards and heave the ball deep down field to a speedy receiver. Great times for sure!

The gameplay has improved, no doubt about it and to me that IS saying something. Not sure I have ever seen a bigger improvement in gameplay. Sure, it's not a full on a completely realistic simulation, but I have never seen ANY video football game that is. If you looking for that stick with a statistically based text football simulation (Action PC! Football). I play and enjoy both(text & videogame), but I also realize the inhearent limitations a videogame has in regards to entertainment and realism and ALL the variables associated with creating realism.

NCAA 10 does a good job of replecating a football game, while keeping the game entertaining and realistic enough (again who cares about presentation.. geezzz... it's descent enough). The game does have some issues, no doubt about that either (sliders). Guys, the game is NEVER going to be perfect. Presentation seems to be the big complaint this year, next year it will be something else. Part of the probelm is that so little was expected of last, last gen systems (ex. Genesis), but with each system generation the expectations jump out of the roof. Now with the next gen systems, some people are expecting the unatainable.

# 110 NELL86 @ 07/15/09 05:36 PM

NCAA 10 is garbage gameplay sucks presentation sucks to many fumbles to many injuries the game wack cant wait for madden

# 111 Rebel10 @ 07/15/09 06:04 PM

Quote:


	You are no longer the coach. You never were the AD. You can go elsewhere -- Road to Glory -- to be the player. Dynasty mode is suffering from an identity crisis.

Great comment here, couldn't agree more.

Great, indepth review. Although, if I can be a stickler, you could cut out all of the analogies ... other game reviewers (IGN, TXB, etc) do it, but that's because they simply can't write.

# 112 JAYMO76 @ 07/15/09 06:41 PM

The game is fair.... it's a solid C or C+. Basically it's a game we have played year after year with a few upgrades. It's the best on next gen and probably 6.5-7 is a fair rating. The sad thing is I ranked ncaa 06 like a 9.5. How the mighy have fallen...

# 113 WolfpackJk @ 07/15/09 07:01 PM

the gameplay isnt better than APF 2k8 IMO. NCAA 10 gameplay must be better than any EA football game ever put out but its no way near better than IMO the best football simulation on next gen(APF 2k8 by the way)

i agree with some you that the tone of the review doesnt warrant a 8.

# 114 Rocky @ 07/15/09 07:15 PM

The main problem here is that the standard is NCAA 2009. If it marginally improves over the previous version, than the game is going to get AT LEAST an 8. The same was true for NCAA 09 and 08.

Is gameplay really where it needs to be? IMO, absolutely not. They seriously need to make an effort to overhaul lineplay, they seriously need to make an effort to implement a realistic physics and footplanting system, they seriously need to put the blocking schemes of the flexbone and spread option in the game, they seriously need to implement proper run defense (instead of the "break block/don't break block" system they have now). I think you get the point.

# 115 Big Phil 330 @ 07/15/09 07:39 PM

Chris I enjoyed the review. I been playing NCAA for a couple years now and the same as madden. I lost interest in Madden about two years ago. I felt that EA went in the wrong direction a little bit. I know many people will disagree with me and that is fine. Its honestly bull**** that we as gamers spend $60 a year on this game to find it not up to standards. As a gamer and a lover of football and basketball... When can we honestly see a real improved sports game from EA. They are the largest gaming provider for sports, so why is this so hard to do every year?

# 116 Sabin @ 07/15/09 08:02 PM

Nice review, thanks.

Will let this one pass buy, maybe 2011 will be better, but im not getting my hopes up.

# 117 fistofrage @ 07/15/09 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rondoman


	Who cares what the standard is? That is the dumbest comment I have heard in awhile. MLB 2k9 sucks. So, if 2k10 is marginally better it deserves at least an 8 cuz the last version sucked so bad? That's the dumbest reasoning ever heard. What happened to scoring games based on realism? That it is supposed to be a representation of actual college football? To say it deserves an 8 because it improved on 09 is garbage.

Thats MMChris's logic though. He stated that he took last years score into consideration. And because I believe that OS inflated scores in the past, he had to give it a good score because its marginally better than 2009. Had they rated 2008 4.5 and 2009 a 5 like it deserved, they would have had the ability to rate this a 6 or 6.5 where it belongs.

So unless this series gets worse and lord we all hope it doesn't, it will have at minimum an 8 going forward based on the stated criteria.

# 118 43Chargers4Now @ 07/15/09 08:41 PM

Great review. At least dynasty mode is good

# 119 Culpepper11 @ 07/15/09 08:46 PM

The NCAA series won't be improved to next gen standards if you keep buying the game every year.

Profit is the only thing EA cares about.

Send a message like me. I will not buy this game. I am glad I did this based on the reviews/info on this fourm.

I hope more people follow this scenario next year.

# 120 lvsolja09 @ 07/16/09 08:12 AM

DEFINATELY NEED TO KILL THIS EXCLUSIVE LICENSE

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