NCAA Football 08 Reviews

• GREAT, BUT....

  
  By A1QXVJ45ZUYI0N on 2007-07-17
  Like the previous NCAA football games, this one's exceptionally fun to play, but simply built upon the previous titles. The last NCAA game I bought was NCAA 06, and frankly, there are so many similarities between the two, it left me awfully disappointed. When attempting to customize players (faces), the exact same options were available to me. When starting a new game, the exact same commentary are provided by the exact same three guys. Essentially, NCAA 08 is the what it was before, but now with features Madden got years ago. While this game is still great, I suggest trying the next gen versions so that you can fully enjoy the many new features and the graphics that they boast. If you're stuck with a last gen system, then NCAA 08 is still a great buy.
  
  New:
  - Slightly smarter AI, they don't just roll over and die for you
  - Campus Legend mode attempts to provide the player with some education via the "studying" and "tutoring" you can get in the game.
  - Two trick plays? The "Statue" and "Circus" (aka Hook and Ladder). The Hook and Ladder is almost impossible to pull off successfully during a game.
  -Better recruiting system
  -Many Madden features(a suitable hit/highlight stick, drills to increase stats, defensive hot routes, etc.)
  -Motion plays
  
  Old:
  -Commentary (word for word the exact same commentary from the past few titles)
  -Player celebrations are exactly the same from the past few titles.
  -Each game starts off the exact same way as in the previous titles
  -Everything else
  
  
  UPDATE!!
  THIS GAME IS FLAWED!!!
  When making "Promises" to recruits and players.. some promises carry on forever. Say you make a promise to player A and you fail to keep it. From then on, every year, you will have a player saying you promised him the same thing, even if you didn't really promise him anything at all. So you could have a LOLB saying you promised him the RT position.. and when you don't give it to him, he leaves. It's ridiculous cause it year after year, you will lose a prized recruit for a broken promise you never made.
  
  ALSO, the blocking AI is ridiculous. You can have line men going for safeties rather than going for people right in front of them.
  
  

• EA Ruins What Was Once a Great Game

  
  By A2S29QGVQ32TJL on 2007-07-27
  I've been playing the games of this series for years. Previously, it was not uncommon to go through a game and not have a penalty called. Now, in a bizzare reversal, I've permanently shelved this game because the playability has been destroyed by too many penalties.
  
  In the options screen, there are sliders for the penalties. When I noticed a disproportionate amount of holding penalties being called, I adjusted the slider down. I just shut the game off just now after the 8th holding penalty was called in the first quarter alone with the slider at 0%.
  
  Unbelieveable. This game gets a big, fat 1 star and two middle fingers. Hopefully, my nerdy video game dreamworld will be rebuilt by Madden 08, as the college game will serve no other purpose than to provide draft classes for my Madden Franchise.
  
  

• Still good, but pretty much the same as 07.

  
  By A206FZFK0C1OR9 on 2007-07-17
  This is a great game and I still enjoy getting the newer version every year. Over the past two years, not much has changed. I will tell you what has changed... the new stadium flyby at the beginning of the game. The spring drills, similar to the Madden drills that help you boost your player(s) ratings are now featured in the pre-season mode. The in-season recruiting mode has switched to pre-season, to give you a jump start on recruiting. If you make a great play you can go the instant replay feature and take a Polaroid of the big hit, or amazing play, then save it to your memory card by pressing L3. The home field advantage crowd noise feature has upped its pulse to over 120db (the previous game had a ceiling of 120db). The game also has a deke stick move to help the QB avoid a sack, or side-step a sack, same goes for RBs. These are a few of the new features that separate the game from previous years.
  
  If you are looking for something different, I would suggest getting the PS3 version of this game. From what I've seen the graphics and gameplay are incredible.
  
  

• Great to play against your buddies... Not Online.

  
  By AQZQW30SLX0WU on 2007-12-04
  I've always been a fan of the series and I have quite a few buddies who love to play it. We have one night every week where we sit down to play with each other.
  
  Anyways, the Dynasty mode is great, but be careful with player promises. A few major downfalls:
  
  1. Penalties. Too many of them. I've seen far too many penalties that change the outcome of games. Too many holding calls. Too much roughing the passer by the CPU players on your team.
  
  2. All-American difficulty proves to be entirely too easy and I frequently score 70+ while the computer scores 0. Move it up to Heisman and the computer will start doing the supernatural. Receivers will zip across the field to make catches. Linebackers will soar into the air do intercept your passes and your receivers will drop the ball when they are open.
  
  3.I believe that momentum plays too large of a role in this game. When your opponent's momentum bar is full, you're doomed. When it swings your way, you'll find your players doing outrageous things.
  
  4. ONLINE PLAY: Garbage. Don't expect to play an actual game of football. 95% of all online players will use a team like Oregon or West Virginia and scramble out of the pocket and throw a deep pass that will be caught regardless of coverage. Anytime you run the hurry up and try to call a hot route, you'll get a false start...EVERYTIME. During Ranked games(games which count towards your online ranking), you'll find that the difficulty is turned down to All-American rather than Heisman. Due to this, Cornerback play is ABYSMAL. Triple cover a guy and he'll catch it and run right by all three defenders. Let a runningback hit the outside corner and everyone begins taking a J shaped pursuit angle that lets the running back break the big one.
  
  All in all, NCAA 08 is a great game. But the terrible online play drops my rating drastically. It's a good game to sit around and play with friends or run through a dynasty. EA Sports has got to sit down and tinker with the gameplay for online mode, otherwise it will always be a cheese-fest.
  
  -Randy
  
  

• not what is advertised

  
  By A2GY5WQF2NAA2Q on 2007-07-23
  This game is better than the previous versions, but (a huge but)this game is not what was advertised.
  
  The ps3 version was advertise, with all the recruiting additions, and this version is the same old thing.
  
  I wish I would have know this because I would have bought the ps3 and the ps3 version of the game, but now I feel lied too, so I won't buy the ps3.
  
  Still this is a good game that is better.
  
  
• Lots of fun!!
  By AR3HRTP414V4R on 2007-08-23
  I'm not a big online gamer, in fact I don't get too much time to devote to any games, however the time I have had to try out this year's installment of the NCAA 08 has been a joy. Usually I am not a big "extras" fan, but the additions of the "Shrine" and other extras are nice additions.
  the gameplay is realistic and fun. Really enjoy pitting tiny schools against the likes of USC etc.
  Highly recommend this one.
  
  
• great game
  By A3DJAJJGSFDW2U on 2007-11-01
  I really have enjoyed playing this game. The graphics has definitely gotten better and I like to create players and try to with the Heisman with them.
  
  
• Great.
  By ALDBX3TXM8U8E on 2008-01-01
  My 10 year old and his dad have played this game non-stop since they got it. I can't give you all the details because I have not played it, but it has entertained them for hours and is definitely his favorite playstation game.
  
  
• Disappointing
  By AXIJWMR21SM8B on 2008-01-07
  I love some of the aspects of this game, but unfortunately, the negatives far outweigh the positives for me.
  
  1. They got rid of the option to create your own team. This was my favorite feature, building my own team and trying to build it up from scratch.
  
  2. The cameras. Maybe it's me....but it's very difficult to follow what's going on. I understand the idea of the on-the-field perspective, but why is there no other option? When I am (as a MLB), supposed to be covering a back out of the backfield, the camera will stay on the ball in the QB's hand...my MLB is off-screen somewhere, following a reciever who is off-screen somwhere....it probably works great if you only play the QB position, but sucks as a defender.
  
  3. The controls. If I do nothing, the computer will direct my player around the field based on the play call. If I move him one direction, the computer will move him back into positino as soon as possible. For example, let's say the play is a blitz for my MLB. If I try to drop back into zone coverage, as soon as I stop directing my player, he resumes blitzing. Eventually I gave up and just let the computer run him, and I did nothing. Not much fun.
  
  I haven't tried playing as a QB, maybe the game plays awesome that way, but personally, I'll go back to '07.
  
  
• Great Game for the College Football Fan
  By A2DR1W8VCTY4V9 on 2008-06-06
  Having played a few hundred games of NCAA Football 08, I feel qualified to write a review.
  I love this game, and it is fun! I play it almost every day. I have been a college football fan since 1967 (O.J. Simpson was a junior at USC that year). Yes, I am old. These games sure beat what was available back then!
  I agree with the other reviews, this game has its bugs and glitches, and the AI can be frustratingly stupid. But, it doesn't ruin the game that much. I lowered the scale on penalties down to 10%, and interceptions to zero for both sides (no adjust for fumbles). The complaint of to many penalties and turnovers can be fixed reasonably.
  The game controls do have a much more positive feel than the Madden NFL games.
  There is good attention to detail. The uniforms, helmet logos are well done. The stadiums pretty much look like the real stadiums. The computer keeps track of your stats for you. The ESPN crew is a good touch, if not for repeating the same phrases game to game, and Lee Corso's comments can get annoying (you can turn them off).
  The game manual is just about worthless, it explains only basic game controls. You have to figure things out over time as you play the game.
  It's also easy to cheat, by adjusting game settings or player ratings in your favor, and playing the bonus pennants, you can take a "rag bag" program like New Mexico State or Baylor in the DYNASTY mode, and have them playing for the national championship in a few seasons.
  I have had a lot of fun in the CAMPUS LEGEND mode by making a DT 7 feet tall and 415 lbs. Actually, you can make any player you choose 7 feet tall and 415 lbs. (not very realistic). It doesn't mean they are harder to tackle or block though. Making them tall makes them better at going up for passes or knocking down the ball.
  It also helps playing this game to have a good prior knowledge of formations and plays.
  If you love college football this is a great game. I'd give it 5 stars if not for the annoying glitches and bugs that EA Sports doesn't seem to want to fix each year.
  
  

• NCAA Football 08: Prima Official Game Guide (Ncaa Football)
• PlayStation: The Official Magazine (1-year)
• Electronic Gaming Monthly
• Play

• Madden NFL 08
• NCAA March Madness 08
• NBA Live 08
• PlayStation 2 Memory Card (8MB)
• NASCAR 2008