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Old 08-05-2010, 03:57 PM   #3
Card-me
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Re: Backbreaker Greathouse (Patch version) Impressions

Patch is amazing. Obviously could be a little better, but I think any more would require a new game. I'd say they need to save something for BB2 anyway.

But the passing game has been given new life. The camera is pretty good, but still gives you that sense of urgency and isn't a God-cam. You actually have time to get off a pass most of the time, but they didn't overdo and you'll still get sacked, though it's usually only when they blitz, which is more realistic.

The running game has improved ten-fold since you no longer crumble when hitting your own players. I still maintain that they physics for the running backs are a little off since jukes look wrong (they take way too long and there's no real weight-shift cut). But the interactions more than make up for that. See my video of the action here:


I absolutely love that they've added new plays. Thank God, cause I was getting tired of never having more than 3 receivers, and there are now 4 and 5 wide sets. I would have liked to see more plays added to the existing formations, though. The new defensive formations, though, are a godsend and make playing defense an even better affair. Love, too, that the punters can actually punt.

The CPU AI is better at not turning it over, but they're still not incredibly great. I played a game against the Titans and they barely tried to run it, and only completed 2/14 with 1 INT. On the flipside, they did have like 50 yards, so they made the most out of those two completions.

Without a doubt, my favorite part is the variety of the ball interactions. More players can fumble now (I actually fumbled on a punt return while trying to spin and getting hit by another player). The interceptions have been turned way down (in the aforementioned game they had 1 and I had 1), but you see a lot of more realistic drops and incompletions now. Accuracy has been greatly improved, but now you'll see a lot of guys drop the ball if they get hit while trying to making the catch, which looks fantastic.

Overall, the game is a big improvement, and looks to go back up to the top of my rotation after having not touched it in weeks. Obviously it still lacks a Franchise mode, so I'll still be playing NCAA 11, but in terms of gameplay, I'd say this very nearly takes the cake with what I've seen so far. Just a massive improvement on a foundation that had a lot of potential, but was largely overhyped by a few passionate people. This game is now worth the hype. If they can add a Franchise and make at least as many improvements on the game as the patch made, BB2 could be an instant classic.
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