NCAA 12 review

I've been going on minimal sleep for 2 weeks now.  4, maybe 5 hours is all that I'll get.  The reason: EA Sport's NCAA football 12 is locked and loaded into my Xbox.  Every year it's the same damn thing; the game comes out, and I'm booked for hundreds of hours of recruiting, offensive game planning, and generally forcing CU to play the way I wish they could.

In reality, CU will undoubtedly struggle this year.  A new coach, a completely new system, a brutal schedule, and a roster bereft of large quantities of all-conference talent will almost surely lead to yet another losing season (if not much, much worse).  We all know who we would like to blame for this, but that's not the point.  What is the point is this: in the video game world, I can change this.  In the blink of an eye (5-10 hours of gameplay) I can take the Buffs from a 2-star program, seemingly hopelessly severed from a once sterling past, to a national powerhouse.  Give me a few "seasons" and Buff Nation will have it all back: Heisman winners, national championships, and year-on-year contention.  It's the magic of gaming.

It's because of this that I can't turn away from the series.  Frustration about a silly matter like CU only "deserving" 2-stars isn't enough to keep me from plopping down $60 of yearly tithing to EA Sports.  I'm helplessly shoveling money in their direction for a fix.  I desperately want real-life victories, and, sparing a stunning turn of events, the only place I will get them in any number this season will be on the virtual gridiron.  It may be the very definition of addiction when you boil it down, yet I don't care in the slightest.

What follows is my analysis of this year's edition of the series that is my personal master of puppets.  While I may be addicted, that doesn't mean that I don't still have opinions on what EA managed to screw up this year.  But it's not all bad.  In fact, there's a lot of good to this year's edition, and I'm sure I'll happily get more than $60 worth of entertainment out of it

Sweet, but fake, Tyler cover stolen from this guy.

Jump below the fold for a trip into virtual dynasty building...



Critics often complain that sports games are barely changed from year to year.  Outside of a few tweaks and a boost in graphics, they moan that it's simply an excuse to get $60 for a roster update.  I wold disagree as almost always the games impart a different gaming experience for veteran gamers.  The devil's in the details, and details are what sports simulation is all about.

Sure, this year's new features list includes "authentic gameday traditions" which essentially is a pre-game video package of mascots doing what they do (seeing Ralphie for the first time game me chills, however).  But the whole of the tweaks create a changing field of play that I have to adjust to on a yearly basis.

I watched "Ralphie" take the field the first few times, but now I just skip through it

I'm going to take a look at the changes in each of the major ways to experience the game (on-field and mode), and how they make the game better or worse than previous iterations.  I'll also point out any major glitches I've encountered so far.


Gameplay

Most of the tweaks in actual gameplay are typically subtle.  A little AI check here, a little tweak on how a linebacker reacts to a slant there. While they are all essentially minor tweaks, they add up to major changes in gameplay which can either result in players throwing their controllers in frustration, or sitting back with a confident grin on their faces.

The big, eye catching change trumped by the EA staff this year was the elimination of "suction tackles."  In previous iterations of the series, if a ball carrier (or blocker) went anywhere near a defender, they would be "sucked into" the defenders grasp.  This has been limited to near extinction by changing the way players interact with each other (what EA terms "enhanced tracking") and waiting until actual contact before a tackling/block animation is triggered.  The bottom line result is that it's easier to run between the tackles and possible to blow by or cut back against solo defenders on the outside (if you time it right).

I love this change.  This makes a small, quick back like Speedy flat deadly with inside runs.  Additionally, quarterback option runs up the middle are possible again, as tweaks had taken them absolutely out-of-play last year.  This also helps a mobile QB (pocket mobile vs speed) avoid would-be sackers to keep plays alive that extra second more.  It also makes the endings of plays seem more realistic.  Gone are the days when a RB is sucked into a slower DT pursuing from behind.  The downside?  Blockers, from O-line to fullbacks, have developed a case of the "stupids," and many times I've found myself staring in befuddled amazement as virtual Ryan Miller obligingly watches a DT run right by him to blow up my QB.  Fullbacks are even worse, as oftentimes they seem more interested in blocking the safety sitting 15-yards down field than the linebacker sprinting towards my running back.

Good job, 71. 

Additional changes affect the way defensive players react in the passing game.  Look for the return of "mutant linebackers" who seemingly come out of nowhere to deflect passes; essentially defying the laws of physics to do so.  (This can be safely countered by using a deft touch on passes)  Additionally, CB's will actually jump on seam and slant routes, making fools of QB's locked into money plays that would "always" work last year.  However, these same DB's can now be beaten over the top, and are prone to losing wideouts in zone coverage, often at the worst time possible.

These tweaks are a mixed bag.  The added DB aggressiveness seems fair, as it effectively stops some easy, repeatable routes from ruining competitive play, but the mutant LB problem was an issue a few years back that I was very glad had been gotten rid of.  To see it return is disheartening as open receivers aren't really open.   Instead you can watch as a seemingly out-of-position LB jumps 5 feet in the air, and then glitch vertically, to swat a sure-fire completion to the ground.  Bullshit doesn't even come close to being an appropriate retort to those occurrences.


Mode-play

I am decidedly of an offensive mindset when it comes to virtual football.  While I'm pretty damn good at moving the ball down the field, when it comes to defending I'm essentially useless.  A few years back the series introduced a "Super Sim" feature that allowed me to skip those pesky defensive series.  This year they took that a step further by introducing the ability to play a dynasty as either the offensive or defensive coordinator.  This further enhances the end of season experience by making coaching hires interesting through a coaching carousel mini-event where teams try and snatch coaches and coordinators from each other.

Playing the role of Eric Bieniemy is awesome.  I simply allow Greg Brown to do his thing on D, and I just have to worry about finding the endzone.  It's a great addition to the series, and one I hope stays for many years.  The coaching carousel feature is interesting, but ultimately meaningless as the different coaches are only separated by playbooks and a prestige rating (which helps/hurts slightly on the recruiting trail).  Were the different coaches flying around the screen at the end of the season worth something (like boosts to QB rating, speed, defensive awareness, etc), then it would be a very interesting process to follow.  As it sits now, it's only of interest if you're looking for a new "job."



I can also create entirely customized playbooks this season.  You have to start with a base playbook, which is annoying, but from there you can add/subtract plays and formations to your hearts content.  I've created a playbook, originally based on CU's, that features power running, a useful option attack, freewheeling shotgun sets, and a west-coast style series out of the one-back.  I can use it to counter any defensive style!  This ability is slightly glitchy, however.  Should EA figure out why this is happening, and stop it, the custom playbook feature needs to stay in future seasons of the game.

EA has also afforded players the option to massively overhaul conferences either before the dynasty starts or at the end of each season.  It used to be that you had to swap team-for-team to change up conferences; now you can increase/decrease the number of teams, change BCS affiliations (lookin' at you Mountain West fans), or even dictate how conferences schedule their games.

While I haven't taken advantage of this yet, it's exciting to see a feature such as this allow for total customization of the gaming experience.  You better believe I'm going to dissolve the Big XII, and create the Pac-16 at some point.

The only other major change in mode play are tweaks to Road to Glory Mode. You can now play both sides of the ball, and recruiting and playing time decision are visibly RPG-esque.  Additionally, the high school portion of the mode has been extended, and you can even customize your high school schedule.

I've always had a love-hate relationship with this mode.  If you play as a QB then everything is fine, as you can audible out of idiotic play calls made by the automated coach, but if you play as a RB, look to have your shit rocked by dumb weak-side sweeps and poor game management.  For example, I started a career as a RB.  In the 5th game of my high school season, my coach, while up 3 points with under 4 minutes to play, called 4 straight deep passing plays instead of handing it off to his bull of a runningback (me).  Of course the 4th pass was intercepted for a TD and we went on to lose.  I just wish they'd allow some sort of veto power on play calling so that I could enjoy this mode better.


Glitches

There aren't too many that I've actually encountered. While Operation Sports has a message thread filled with problems, I've only encountered 2 of my own.

I've already mentioned the customized playbook glitch.  Sometimes when you load up a game with a custom playbook, the plays don't load properly, so the available playbook is filled with empty formations and question marks.  Try to run a play with this occurring, and all that will happen is an offensive huddle at the line of scrimmage.  Very frustrating, and resetting doesn't necessarily fix the problem.


I've also seen a lot of passes literally bounce off of receiver's facemasks instead of triggering the catch animation.  Try dealing with that shit with the game on the line on 3rd and long.


Overall 

Overall, I'm pleased with the latest installment of what I simply refer to as "NCAA."  But, as I said before the jump, I do think EA has managed to regress the series in a few areas.   Why, oh why, is "mutant LB" back?  Easy vertical routes could've been addressed in another fashion.  Additionally, RtG continues to be a frustration because of poor coach AI.

Yet you can still see a lot of innovation in this version of the game.  Videos of Ralphie and roster updates are awesome carrots to draw out my cash, but the series has longevity because of the designers continuous pursuit of experience customization.  I can create custom playbooks, custom conferences, and even stick to one side of the ball this year; I can play the game the way I want.  This, along with the prospect of changing CU's fortunes, is why I come back every year. 

If you haven't bought NCAA in a few years, I think this would be a great year to get back in the game.  The tweaks create a smooth experience, with an appropriate challenge, while mode changes are significant enough to warrant a few extra looks.

Excuse me, but I need to win a few more Heismans with Speedy.