NCAA Football 14 doesn’t have that spark that makes a game great. The
gameplay is better, the load times are shorter, and the physics engine
that made Madden NFL 13 is here. But the graphics look dated, the
players seem more generic than ever, and the announcers stiffly call
matchups. Although it has changed under the hood, the overall package
feels like well-worn territory.
Still, NCAA Football 14
packs a lot to love. Developer Tiburon has gone out of it’s way to take
the much-loved Infinity Engine and make it an integral part of the
game. Sure, the helmet-rocking hits are here, but where your player is
landing his stiff arm matters in terms of where that defender is going
to go. Size, weight, impact -- it all means something in the brave new
world of on-field physics
That was the same story in Madden, but NCAA Football 14 applies it to the running game in a brand new way. Players shift their weight on the turf and make sharp, accurate cuts; it’s the death of those arcing routes you used to be forced to make, and it makes the running game far more responsive and fun. It gives you the chance to use the new combo/juke system (think of a juke and a spin at once with one right stick flick and turn) to leave defenses in the dust.
All of this is intoxicating. When I’d shake off a tackle, cut to the left, and head to the end zone, it felt great. But not every interaction is perfect. Goofy AI had my defenders out of position on key runs, and I was in control of a linebacker at one point who chased a QB down by running backwards. When this stuff happens, it’s hard not to cringe at the seams of the game showing.
Still, NCAA Football 14
packs a lot to love. Developer Tiburon has gone out of it’s way to take
the much-loved Infinity Engine and make it an integral part of the
game. Sure, the helmet-rocking hits are here, but where your player is
landing his stiff arm matters in terms of where that defender is going
to go. Size, weight, impact -- it all means something in the brave new
world of on-field physicsThat was the same story in Madden, but NCAA Football 14 applies it to the running game in a brand new way. Players shift their weight on the turf and make sharp, accurate cuts; it’s the death of those arcing routes you used to be forced to make, and it makes the running game far more responsive and fun. It gives you the chance to use the new combo/juke system (think of a juke and a spin at once with one right stick flick and turn) to leave defenses in the dust.
All of this is intoxicating. When I’d shake off a tackle, cut to the left, and head to the end zone, it felt great. But not every interaction is perfect. Goofy AI had my defenders out of position on key runs, and I was in control of a linebacker at one point who chased a QB down by running backwards. When this stuff happens, it’s hard not to cringe at the seams of the game showing.
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