Anyone familiar with this series will remember the first release by EA and how annoying it was once your friend figured out a certain play that worked every time. Well be prepared to deal with that nuance again because long bombs and ridiculous passes are back alive and kicking. The passing game is just much too easy and gives the game a very arcade type feel to it, which is the opposite of the more sim-like experience that most gamers are looking for with NCAA. Assuming EA knew that the passing system was easy it might explain why the running game is so difficult. Trying to take one of the best running backs in the game (Kenny Irons) to the outside is about as hard as something gets in a football game. One of the achievements for this game is to get a high yardage rushing game with one player; 75 rushes up the middle later and those points were mine for the taking! Up the difficulty setting one or two notches and the game balances out a bit more but it is still something that I can only hope will be fixed for next year’s release. There is also a “Momentum Meter” that fluctuates depending on your gameplay (fumble, big run, sack), which actually makes an impact on the game and how well your computer counterparts perform. All of that being said NCAA Football 2007 is still one hell of a fun game to actually sit down and play, with a friend or by yourself.
Graphically EA did a fine job with NCAA 2007, although after seeing some screenshots of the next Madden title I feel we college fans got a bit shafted. Player models look amazing and their animations are fluid and realistic looking. This is a much more polished looking game than Madden 2006 when it was released at the Xbox 360 launch. Some new player animations will make you smile, pulling a Bo Jackson and diving over the top on the one-yard line is something that just can’t be beat. All weather effects are present and looking good, the rain in particular looks better than ever. As EA did with the FIFA series, the grass in NCAA 2007 looks as real as I think we are going to get. The one thing that really stands out this year in the graphical department are the stadiums, I know what your thinking, boring right? If you have ever been to a college football game you know that the environment and the atmosphere are everything that makes the games so special to attend. EA really made me proud this year and sent people out on location to college football stadiums around the country and literally rebuilt them stone for stone inside the virtual world of NCAA 2007. I never missed a home game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL the four years I was a student there. This is the first game ever that brings back the feeling of being inside for a home game, hearing the roar of the crowd. The crowd this year is also most impressive. Did I mention how stellar everything looks in high-definition? If not let me assure you that once you play a NCAA game in high-def you will never be able to go back to a standard television. NCAA Football 2007 is easily the best-looking sports game out on the Xbox 360 right now; take that to the bank Corso!
