NCAA Football 10 Demo Now Available, Post Your Impressions Here

[Bwnarrow3]

Re: Official NCAA Football 10 Demo Impressions

Just played a couple games on heisman.

Positives
- From what I have seen, I love the gameplay. There is no more robo-QB, interceptions are not abused like in the past, and I LOVE LOVE the new animations. I can not describe in words how much gameplay is improved this year due to the animations alone. Over the shoulder catches, one handed catches on low/high snaps from the QB etc. etc. There are a ****load of new animations.

- Elaborating more on the gameplay-the game feels so much more smoother and true to life during gameplay-especially when running. While the running animation may not be perfect, the weight and physics of the ball carrier and players controlled feel very true to life.

- I like the gameplay strategies this year. Being able to set your offense/defense to agressive balanced or conservative is a nice feature, especially when you can tell your players to emphasize holding on to the ball when you know your opponent is going for a strip.

- Like the persuit angles and the AI adapt..ive..ness(if that's even a word). One play I hit DeMarco Murray for a long screen play that busted almost for a TD but for the persuit angles by the CPU. Later that game I tried that play again only to have it stopped for a minimal gain.

- As far as presentation, this game isn't as bad as some other people think. The bands will be a nice feature, and it's also nice to hear Erin Andrews on the sideline.

- I love the ability to throw out of sacks. This should make sacks happen in a more realistic rate this year.

- Also love the frequency of injuries. While some complain it happens too much, I believe they do happen at a realistic rate because many of them are small injuries.

Negatives

- Pass rush is horrible. There's no escaping that. Too many times was Tebow sitting back there with no pressure whatsoever. Absolutely intolerable for me.

- The commentary is extremely stale. Unless they put in a college gameday show with Lee and Kirk, I say they ditch them next year for a less known crew that can spend more hours recording lines. They don't absolutely suck, but it is definatley frustrating listening to them repeat themselves over and over.

- Some clock issues. Players would run out of bounds but the clock would still run...wtf?

Overall

I really think this is a HUGE step forward from last year. Despite how much it may look like last year in some of the videos, I really think it has improved for the better. Call it 9.5 or 10, if they can improve the sliders (and mainly the pass rush) through a patch, I see this game as a definate buy for me, and I can see myself playing it all year. I really think gameplay has taken a big step forward, and if dynasty can play well, and road to glory can play well, this will be a solid game.

[cdon2k]

Re: Official NCAA Football 10 Demo Impressions

Some of these early impressions are completely WACK! The people saying this is NCAA 09.5 or Madden 09 are just wrong. The game is considerablely slower, I mean 2K slow, but there is a problem in my opinion. Even though 2K football is slower, you still have all kinds of player control. In this game it just feels like everything plays out without hardly any user input. I think it would have been perfect if they would have left the wide open gameplay in. It would have allowed you to chain moves together. Madden 10 seems like it has this by watching the vids.

This game is definetly a change from the norm and i'm pretty shocked to say the least. I'm not sure if i will buy though, but i'm definetly looking forward to Madden 10 after playing this.

Best post i've seen... I have not really thought about this aspect: EA slows the gameplay down, but there aren't as many control options/things to do as 2k during gameplay so what you're left with is a simplistic game where you do a lot of watching. Could be a problem.

[OMT]

Re: Official NCAA Football 10 Demo Impressions

Yeah, I just saw a 54 yarder hit almost to the top of the field goal net.

I'm having trouble believing this. Was it user or CPU? What team? What difficulty? Was there wind?

[Pro Bowler]

Re: Official NCAA Football 10 Demo Impressions

Then keep playing '09 or play on the low difficulty levels. Most people here will strongly disagree with you.

I'm not sure what all was considered "wide open gameplay." I only rented NCAA 09 and i do remember liking the running juke moves much better than this year. If WO gameplay means RCing, than no, but i still notice they have the strafe control for offense. I haven't tried to RC yet.

[Spam2mapS]

Re: Official NCAA Football 10 Demo Impressions

One thing I'm impressed with is that throws that were previously auto-completions for me in 09 (slants, quick hitches) do not seem to be in this demo. I was pumped to see a ball fly over the receiver's head on the slant, and the hitches actually seem to be covered.

In my OD in 09, we had issues with people abusing weak coverage on the HBs and TE. I'm not going to say it's totally fixed after a little bit of time with the demo, but these receiving options do not appear to be automatic, on heisman at least.

I was as critical as anyone of the videos OS has been putting up (though I did not share my thoughts on here), but if the demo is an accurate representation of how the full game will play, I don't think the videos do it justice. I got sacked by the AI on a cover 2 with a 4 man rush. I've felt pressure several other times. I think the pass rush IS hit or miss, but I think it should be to an extent. Again, I'm not going to jump to conclusions just based on the demo, but I'm feeling a lot better having played the demo myself, than I did after watching the OS videos.

As for overall feel, it does seem to be a bit different from 09. The game looks exactly the same, but for whatever reason (animations, maybe?) if FEELs slower and more natural.

It's still not perfect, and I'm not going to lie, I am anticipating Madden MUCH more than NCAA at this point, but this demo has given me some hope. I was of the opinion that NCAA 09 with some tweaks would be a solid, playable game, and the demo leaves me thinking that this is exactly what 10 may be.

[angels28]

Re: Official NCAA Football 10 Demo Impressions

After playing the demo

Pure garbage. From the graphics to the gameplay.

Thank you, EA will not get my money.

[Behindshadows]

Re: Official NCAA Football 10 Demo Impressions

I'll take it you don't care for real life physics?

it's a video game, if I expected to get everything realistic, I'd pick up a football and running around a field with my buddies who played in College. Otherwise, it's a game and I play for fun. The game is fun...

[Brandwin]

Re: Official NCAA Football 10 Demo Impressions

This is a non-issue with a few easy slider adjustments.

Except I want to play online more than off.

[JMD]

Re: Official NCAA Football 10 Demo Impressions

I played two games and only have one complaint so far. Both games I was leading in the 4th and Fla. was using the hurry up, twice in each game my guys were caught in the back field for an offsides penalty, pretty cheap. Needs to be fixed. I still won the games but the penalties did extend the Fla. drives.

Other then that I really liked the feel of the gameplay, and loved the camera. With Madden coming out a month after this I'll only be renting NCAA. Once the NFL arrives I'll be busy with that.

[Bumble14]

Re: Official NCAA Football 10 Demo Impressions

I just spent about an hour with the demo- it's downright terrible. People keep saying that the game is NCAA 9.5, but to me it feels like 7.5- NCAA 08 played better.

I'm not quite sure what happened this year, but the animations and player feel is just off. For some reason you just do not have the control over your players as you had in 09. People can complain all they want about 09's downfalls, but there was no denying that you felt as if you had complete control over your player. The game feels very herky jerky when transitioning between moves, and the speed of the players seems to be too fast for the animations to adjust to.

Robo QB is back, there is no human pass rush unless you use the player lock, crossing routes are unstoppable, and cpu d-line men have been given superhuman speeds boosts to compensate for poor angles (I got tracked down by a DE while having a solid 5 yeard head start with Tebow on a scramble).

Here's my take on the game based on the demo- instead of actually fixing the issues in 09, EA simply went ahead and "nerfed" areas that were too powerful, and "tweaked" areas that were nerfed last year. The overall feel is extremely sloppy, and unless the final game is a huge step up, this could be the worst NCAA since 05.

I was very excited to see the positive reaction initially by the community, because as someone who loves this series more than any other game, I wanted it to be solid. I'm very sad to say that this year is looking like the very first time in 10 years I will not be standing in line at a midnight release. I am extremely disappointed with the direction this series is heading- it is becoming the 2K baseball of football games.

As much as it pains me to say, since I hate the NFL, I can't wait for Madden 10.

[fistofrage]

Re: Official NCAA Football 10 Demo Impressions

I barely made a 53 yarder with Florida's kicker with a full strength kick on AA. by barely, it just missed the bottom bar. I saw the CPU miss on too.

in '09 sliders made it ok somewhat, but that doesn't help user vs user games in online dynasty though, unless they actually made the sliders work for user vs user games in OD for NCAA 10.

OK so you can miss a 53 yarder, but even if you put kicking down to 0, 45 yards and in are going to be automatic for you. I am not even sure it was possible to miss right or left last year.

If the kicking system is the same, it will be the same automatic FG's.

Why was the 3 button system removed from the last gen? When you had a bad kicker, the meter went nuts and it was hard to get a good kick away.

A money fg kicker from 45 yards to 53 yards should be a rarity no a commonplace.

[renatus]

Re: Official NCAA Football 10 Demo Impressions

- As far as presentation, this game isn't as bad as some other people think. The bands will be a nice feature, and it's also nice to hear Erin Andrews on the sideline.

Yes i love the bands but the thing for me is that´s just not enough.Lack of presentation might be my biggest gripe w 10. I wasnt in love w 09´s gameplay but assuming it´s a lot better this year presentation is really the only thing it can make me choose Madden.

Not having team entrances this year after the devs had threads on ncaastrategies asking ppl for them still baffles me. Not enought time to get them in? Were deemed expendable? i just would like to know ..

ps...cant wait to get my hands on this..c mon PSN hurry up

[Tengo Juego]

Re: Official NCAA Football 10 Demo Impressions

Positives
- From what I have seen, I love the gameplay. There is no more robo-QB, interceptions are not abused like in the past, and I LOVE LOVE the new animations. I can not describe in words how much gameplay is improved this year due to the animations alone. Over the shoulder catches, one handed catches on low/high snaps from the QB etc. etc. There are a ****load of new animations.

- Elaborating more on the gameplay-the game feels so much more smoother and true to life during gameplay-especially when running. While the running animation may not be perfect, the weight and physics of the ball carrier and players controlled feel very true to life.

I wish I could enjoy these things like you do. But I cant lie to myself like that.

NCAA will be a time passer, along with Bigs 2 and FNR4, until Madden for me.

[sportzbro]

Re: Official NCAA Football 10 Demo Impressions

Alright.. I just got done playing as Florida in my first go around with the demo. (Heisman)

Good

-Right off the bat I noticed that the crowd is a hell of a lot louder this year. It sounds like I could be in the stadium

-Lighting looks fantastic, colors are more vibrant, it looks crisp and has that new feel (of course)

-Bowl endzones, nets, and camera flashes are all nice touches (camera flashes must be toned down though for regular season games)

-New animations are great - errant passes, over the shoulder catches, new tackles, throwing while being hit are all cool to see

-Stat banners (like on TV) have finally made it back... Score bug looks really slick (I love the font and modern theme they used)

-Band at beginning was cool, but I'd rather see them at half time for next year since we should be getting some type of pregame warm ups

-Game planning is an interesting addition, and I wish I could have more time to mess with it (same goes for "link" plays...not so sure about this addition yet) I used the aggressive settings for offense and committed several turnovers.. I'll have to set it a different way and see if this changes

-The injury system along with the decision to either play/sit them is great

-Finally nice to see penalties called

-Mix & Match is my favorite addition hands down

-New camera angles are a welcomed addition, along with the bright & bold play art on the field

Bad

-Presentation is lacking big time. This is college football. This is the national championship. How is there is no National Anthem, team entrances, pregame breakdown, warm ups, or halftime show? And I thought teams usually celebrate & accept the ADT trophy after winning the title... Where is the confetti, the emotion, the pandemonium, gatorade baths, etc. These are all musts for 2011

-More presentation elements... Refs, Chain gangs, new equipment are all missing

-Players sliding, collision problems, players diving for a tackle and sliding off other teammates

-AI Running (at one point DeMarco Murray ran backwards).. Twitch running is a huge problem still. All these things have made the game feel way too fast, arcade-like, and chaotic

-Throwing animations need a lot of work. On top of this, adding throwing styles couldn't hurt

-Running animations for fast players look awful. High knees all the way again. Please adjust this for 11. The nice running animations come from the slower players.. Jermaine Greishem (spelling ?) had a nice catch and run, and it looked great since he was a slower player.. I think if the speed was tuned we also see improvement here

-Ball physics are practically non existent. It feels like throwing a rock

-No sense of weight with players. Everyone runs around without having to lean, balance, or slow down

-User O-Line is dominant with the CPU D-Line hardly able to get pressure on the QB. I was able to get decent pressure with my D-Line, but not as much as I would have liked. This area needs more play time to see how its been changed


Conclusion

After playing the demo, I will only be renting this game at some point down the road because there are just too many holes (again) to warrant a purchase this year. The game looks great visually, but the core flaws just kill anything that was added & are going to take away from its replayability.

After Madden comes out, this game will be a distant memory for me, but I will be looking to help with NCAA 11 as much as possible. Whats necessary for NCAA 11 to win fans back is massive gameplay fixes, tweaked animations (Run/Throw), presentation overhaul, and more of the little things (equipment, refs, etc.)


My 2 cents.

[DGuinta1]

Re: Official NCAA Football 10 Demo Impressions

Alright.. I just got done playing as Florida in my first go around with the demo. (Heisman)

Good

-Right off the bat I noticed that the crowd is a hell of a lot louder this year. It sounds like I could be in the stadium

-Lighting looks fantastic, colors are more vibrant, it looks crisp and has that new feel (of course)

-Bowl endzones, nets, and camera flashes are all nice touches (camera flashes must be toned down though for regular season games)

-New animations are great - errant passes, over the shoulder catches, new tackles, throwing while being hit are all cool to see

-Stat banners (like on TV) have finally made it back... Score bug looks really slick (I love the font and modern theme they used)

-Band at beginning was cool, but I'd rather see them at half time for next year since we should be getting some type of pregame warm ups

-Game planning is an interesting addition, and I wish I could have more time to mess with it (same goes for "link" plays) I used the aggressive settings for offense and committed several turnovers.. I'll have to a different way and see if this changes

-The injury system along with the decision to either play/sit them is great

-Finally nice to see penalties called

-Mix & Match is my favorite addition hands down

-New camera angles are a welcomed addition, along with the bright & bold play art on the field

Bad

-Presentation is lacking big time. This is college football. This is the national championship. How is there is no National Anthem, team entrances, pregame breakdown, warm ups, or halftime show? And I thought teams usually celebrate & accept the ADT trophy after winning the title... Where is the confetti, the emotion, the pandemonium, gatorade baths, etc. These are all musts for 2011

-More presentation elements... Refs, Chain gangs, new equipment are all missing

-Players sliding, collision problems, players diving for a tackle and sliding off other teammates

-AI Running (at one point DeMarco Murray ran backwards).. Twitch running is a huge problem still. All these things have made the game feel way too fast, arcade-like, and chaotic

-Throwing animations need a lot of work. On top of this, adding throwing styles couldn't hurt

-Running animations for fast players look awful. High knees all the way again. Please adjust this for 11. The nice running animations come from the slower players.. Jermaine Greishem (spelling ?) had a nice catch and run, and it looked great since he was a slower player.. I think if the speed was tuned we also see improvement here

-Ball physics are practically non existent. It feels like throwing a rock

-No sense of weight with players. Everyone runs around without having to lean, balance, or slow down

-User O-Line is dominant with the CPU D-Line hardly able to get pressure on the QB. I was able to get decent pressure with my D-Line, but not as much as I would have liked. This area needs more play time to see how its been changed


Conclusion

After playing the demo, I will only be renting this game at some point down the road because there are just too many holes (again) to warrant a purchase this year. The game looks great visually, but the core flaws just kill anything that was added & are going to take away from its replayability.

After Madden comes out, this game will be a distant memory for me, but I will be looking to help with NCAA 11 as much as possible. Whats necessary for NCAA 11 to win fans back is massive gameplay fixes, tweaked animations (Run/Throw), presentation overhaul, and more of the little things (equipment, refs, etc.)


My 2 cents.

Now that is a post! Nicely put and alot of it I agree. A fun rental until Madden10 or continuing with The Show and can't forget about Fight Night 4.