NCAA Football 08 for Xbox 360 early reviews
By aDub | July 18th, 2007 | 4,491 views | Category: Xbox 360 | No Comments »
For those looking for more information on NCAA Football 08 may find the following early Xbox 360 reviews from GamesDaily & 1up of interest.
GamesDaily gave an 80 (out of 100) with this to say:
NCAA Football 08 does for EA’s vaunted franchise what Carson Palmer did for USC a few years ago — it ushers in a return to glory. Forget about the new “Lead By Example” feature on the back of the box. NCAA 08 is all about a reworked gameplay engine that finally looks and feels right on next-gen consoles. Throw in a deeper Dynasty mode, the superb Campus Legend mode — good enough to be on its own disc — and even a partnership with the Weather Channel, and you have one of the most enjoyable football games to play over the past few years.
1up’s review rated NCAA Football 08 an 85 (out of 100) and here is what they said:
From the very first snap, you’ll notice this game runs a whole lot faster and smoother than last year’s edition, thanks to the necessary bump to 60 frames per second. This improved framerate also has another interesting effect — you’re able to see many more of the subtle-yet-sweet animations, such as ball carriers putting their hand on the ground to regain balance or juking under a defender who’s suddenly left hugging air. Aside from speeding things up, developer EA Tiburon has smartly retooled many key facets of gameplay. Run blocking is vastly improved, as it’s finally possible to get some positive yardage on sweeps — plus, those fatties on the offensive line now open some actual running holes between the tackles. The defensive A.I. also steps it up, especially in the secondary. In years past, the deep ball was always a defensive back’s Achilles’ heel. That’s not the case anymore — unless you spot a breakdown in coverage or catch them offguard with a pump fake, these defensive speed demons will stick to wideouts like stink on s***. Defenders are pretty smart between the hash marks, too; toss an errant pass over the middle, and more often than not, someone will step in to intercept it. But you won’t always want to rely on the A.I. for making plays, simply because the refined hit stick makes it much more fun to knock the snot out of the opposition. Seriously, it’s supremely satisfying sending a receiver head over feet with a perfectly timed flick of the right analog stick. And now that 08 lets you save highlights, you can continually relive these thrilling, heavy-hitting moments and even send the clips to your fellow sportos.
08 also excels away from the gridiron. The new recruiting system (which gives you 10 simulated hours a week to call prospects, feel out their likes and dislikes, and then pitch them on stuff like campus life and playing time) even had this documented Dynasty hater completely hooked. Unlike in previous installments, the recruiting here never feels overwhelming, and 08’s simple-yet-effective feedback system (a smiling/frowning football — yes, I know it sounds corny, but it works) lets you know right away whether you should keep pursuing a blue-chipper or invest your time elsewhere. The ego-driven Campus Legend mode finally finds its way into the 360 version, and unlike Madden NFL 07’s horrific Superstar mode, you can actually play using these position-specific camera angles. This year’s mode also comes with another neat twist, as you start your career competing in your home state’s high school playoffs (hmm, seems like some folks at EA are fans of Friday Night Lights). Obviously, the better you perform, the more schools will be beating down your door with scholarship offers. While those two modes thrive in 08, it’s somewhat disappointing that the developers didn’t add any new minigames (Bowling, Option Dash, and Tug-O-War return) to the mix.
So does anything taint this revitalized gridiron? Yep, and it starts online. Once again, the NCAA series (along with EA’s Madden 08, which we’ll review next month) are severely slackin’ in this area. Sure, the online matchups run pretty much without a hitch — but, man, what do we gotta do for an online Dynasty mode across the Internet? C’mon, EA: It’s about time you made it possible for a bunch of online friends to join up and battle it out for the BCS crown and recruits. 08 sports some other head-scratchers, including a play-call screen that covers up instant replays (lame) and an utter lack of alternate uniforms (even lamer, especially since EA has said that it won’t be offering them via download). These are small gripes for sure, but two that EA really needs to address in next year’s game.
Before we wrap things up, you may have noticed that I’m only talking about the 360 version here. Well, that’s because EA refused to send us the PS3 edition, which I’ve confirmed only runs at 30 frames per second (so expect this one to move a bit slower). With that being said, if you own both systems, you’d be a fool not to choose the Microsoft route when picking up a copy of 08.
Senior quarterback Matt Ryan battled ankle and foot problems last season, yet still managed to throw for nearly 3,000 yards and 15 touchdowns. The first half of the schedule is fairly friendly, with only one road game (against Georgia Tech). Unfortunately, it could mean a rough second half for Boston College, with difficult road games against the likes of Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, and Clemson.
Last years undefeated Boise State will go into this season minus their starting quarterback and four of their top receivers. The schedule includes tough out-of-conference away games against Washington and Hawaii.
#22 TCU Horned Frogs (11-2)
This year’s team has the advantage of bringing back 14 starters from last year, making it one of the most experienced Florida State teams in the past decade. They’ll need all of that experience and talent to find success in a tough schedule that features games against Alabama, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Florida, and Boston College.
With an experienced team that features 10 returning starters on offense, and home games against Washington, Notre Dame, Cal, and Oregon form the heart of the home schedule, and then there’s that season-ending rivalry game against USC, where the Trojans will be looking for payback.
#18 Georgia Bulldogs (9-4)
This year, the Nittany Lions could take a big step towards securing at least 10 of those needed wins thanks to a favorable home schedule and a talent base that includes eight returning starters on offense. The defense will be younger this time around, with six starters returning.
#16 California Golden Bears (10-3)
It was announced that Erik Ainge would assume starting duties for the Vols, but surgery for a torn meniscus leaves the athlete’s 2007 status a bit uncertain at this point.
#14 Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-5)
2007 will be another tough schedule in conference, as well as some difficult contests in the out-of-conference schedule (watch out for that USF game on September 8).
#12 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-1)
#10 Arkansas Razorbacks (10-4)
An outstanding linebacking duo of Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi will form the backbone of a tough Hokie defense will be returning as seniors leading this years linebacking corps that be significantly short on experience.
#8 Oklahoma Sooners (11-3)
Two tough games on the road (Penn State and Ohio State), plus a showdown with Michigan on November 10, will define Wisconsin’s success in 2007, and the team will need stellar performances from the likes of quarterback Tyler Donovan and corner Jack Ikegwuonu if they hope to top the success of last year.
#6 West Virginia Mountaineers (11-2)
The Longhorns face TCU, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech at home–their toughest road game should prove to be the Aggies and, after last year’s defeat, the Longhorns will be looking to travel to College Station with revenge on their minds.
#4 Florida Gators (13-1)
The loss of #1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell will be one of the most difficult hurdles the Tigers will need to overcome in their 2007 season, but senior Matt Flynn has a good deal of experience behind center. The other obstacle, of course, is the brutal heart of the SEC schedule, which will see the Tigers facing South Carolina, Florida, Auburn, and Arkansas, all within the cacophonous confines of Death Valley.
#2 Michigan Wolverines (11-2)
Losing big-name talent like Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith will mean quarterback John David Booty will be searching for a few new go-to receivers. While there won’t be any shortage of touchdowns scored by the offense, the Trojans’ most potent weapon might be its defense–with 10 returning starters and a defensively minded head coach in Carroll who takes pride in stopping his opponents cold. The Trojans will need that defense at optimum strength when playing some tough games on the road, including their September 15 contest against Nebraska. Later in the season, the showdown with Cal could prove–as it has in the past–to be a game with multiple implications–Pac 10, Rose Bowl, perhaps even the national title too.