NCAA Football 13 Review (360/PS3)

[KingV2k3]

Nice read!

I was planning on just sticking with '12 (with Purplepower's upcoming / re-rated rosters for the '13 season) for my football fix...

Well, at least until I make my annual "post patch" Madden decision...

After reading this, I mos def sticking to that plan!

Thanks for the detailed insight, Chris!

[aslowe12]

I really like the fact a recruit doesn't automatically have 10 schools listed and you just have to hope no one pn that list offers in the 3-4 weeks it could to break in the top 10. Now if you are one of the first to show interest you almost feel like faith you put in a kid early on really pays off. I like the gem and bust feature as well, i had a low 4* star qb go from 70 to 77 and is my qb of the future. But i a lso got the 6th rated tackle drop from a 77 to a 71with iffy strength so he may struggle in the sec but its nice to have those wildcards. Even got a couple 3's in the 66-70 range so chances for the all important glue guys needed that build depth and solid starters down the road. So my favorite additions to this point are in the details. Nice receiver/ db interactions as well make for a nice change in game. I dont know if my controllers giving out pr a glitch in the way I'm running under the ball but have noticed a few times when i try to user catch my reciever wont reach for the ball. Seems to happen more when i try to adjust my angle/path to the ball. Overall plays much like the old versions an update in presentation would make for a nice improvement. Do like the score updates.

[TimLawNYC]

From reviews so far, it just doesn't sound like this is enough of an on-field improvement over last year to waste my time with it. Plus, we all know, based on history, that crippling, game-killing bugs are likely to be discovered over the next few weeks, for which we will wait either months or forever to receive fixes.

I've always preferred the college video games to the pros. This is the first year since probably 1992 that I have not purchased an NCAA football game, though I've been on the fence the last few years. Shame on you, EA, for ruining this once-great franchise.

[BDawg35]

Excellent well-balanced review. Just got my copy because NCAA and Madden are all I play. We'll see how it plays.

[LucianoJJ]

This review made me consider hunting down a used copy of NCAA 11 and the Phil Steele preview from that season. I appreciate Chris' objectivity. He really covers the inconsistencies of the game. He was out front when it was obviously that NCAA 12 was a mess. I also agree with his blog about the presentation of NCAA 13. We've come to realize we can't depend on a series of patches to perfect a game. It's not even a given that these games improve with the passage of time. After two days I am not ready to trade in my copy, but Chris brings up a lot of good points on where the series needs work.

[thuglove2005]

nice review my man this game is fair

[MeloJello]

Damn i havent played NCAA football since Reggie bush was on the cover. Use to love ncaa football on the last gen now that love is gone. Hey so im guessing there is still features and modes still missing from the last gen like training camp and spring scrimmage.

[XBox_Roughneck]

Quote: Originally Posted by misterkrabz

I couldn't agree more about your impressions of playing defense. The whole experience on defense is an exercise in frustration for me because you simply do not have precise control of the man your are manually controlling and he simply does not respond to user input on the controller in a slpit second fashion (which is needed to make quick plays on the ball).

at #36..

That's one of the reasons I still enjoy Madden 08 on the PC so much. Playing defense in that game is actually fun because I feel I'm really in control of my defenders. The more and more EA starts to rely on animations, the less control it feels I have over what my defender is doing.

I'm currently on a year later cycle with my NCAA football purchases and I'm glad decided to go that route 3 years ago. I'll be picking up '12 in 9 days and after that my next NCAA purchase will be on a next gen console.

Kinda disappointed in how, in this generation, to improve the "look" of it's football games EA sports had to take a lot of the "control" away from the player.