NCAA: Football 13- Should You Pick it Up?
A few days ago, EA released their newest version of their annual NCAA Football game, NCAA Football 13. NCAA Football is one of the biggest gaming series out right now. Thousands of people show up at their local Walmarts, Game-stops, etc. to pick up the newest version of NCAA football, and it was no different this time around. Some of you haven’t picked up the game and are wondering if it’s worth doling out $60 to buy this game.
Many people think that sports games are the same every year, but going from NCAA 12 to 13, that is not the case. The presentation in NCAA 13 is off the charts, I’d say it’s better than Madden. EA always drives home the ESPN experience with Reece Davis half time shows with scorecards, Erin Andrews sideline reports, and Brad Nessler and Kirk Herbstreit in game commentary. Overall, the presentation in NCAA 13 is outstanding, and it makes the game more enjoyable as well as more realistic. But, presentation is only part of the experience, sports games like all video games need to be enjoyable to play.
I believe that EA stepped up in the gameplay department from the previous years game. In NCAA 13 there are more than 400 new catch animations, 25 new pass trajectory zones, and even the ability to cancel play action after the ball has been snapped. For years players have been able to drop back 20 yards, throw across their body off their back foot and still be able to make a good play out of it. This year, that is not the case, planting your feet to throw is critical, which makes gameplay more realistic and challenging. There is a new mode that EA has introduced into NCAA 13 called Heisman Challenge. This mode lets you pick from a selection of former college football stars who had won the Heisman Trophy and put them on any team you want. This means you could put Tim Tebow on Alabama, or Desmond Howard on Ohio State, etc. I think this mode adds a lot more to the game and makes it a little more fun to play. Even though there are many new additions to the game, NCAA 13 has also stuck to traditions of past versions of the game.
As in NCAA 12 and previous years, there are online and offline Dynasty Modes in NCAA 13. You can take the control of your favorite college football team and try to build a dynasty. Or you can take your dynasty online and compete with your friends to win the national title. Road to Glory is also back where you get to create a player start playing in his senior season of high school all the way up to his final collegiate game. Now you can chose the difficulty instead of being limited to one. There are also new challenges that keep you motivated to advance your player. Reaction time is also new feature in the mode, which slows the game down so you can make the big play in the clutch.
Overall NCAA Football 13 is a great game. The gameplay tweaks put it over the top of previous versions. Adding Heisman Mode is a big reason to get this game. However, the lack of many other new additions might make the game too familiar to certain people. I’d say if Heisman Mode doesn’t attract your interest and you’re not interested in more realistic gameplay and presentation, the game is not worth spending your money on. But if you are a hard core football fan, I believe this game could provide hours of entertainment and would be worth picking up. NCAA Football 13 is now in stores available for the Xbox 360 and PS3.
