NCAA Football 07

Bigger and better than ever, NCAA 2007 is the hands-down greatest college football game ever. Believe the hype.

In keeping with the EA tradition of college football excellence, this latest entry in the stellar NCAA Football franchise trumps its lauded predecessors with the best presentation and gameplay and most enjoyable game modes to date. With a host of new must-have features and some of the best school spirit in any sports game, NCAA 2007 is every bit the college champ fans have come to expect.

The Best Get Better
Without fail, the NCAA Football series has remained fresh and relevant throughout its long history, mainly by enhancing each subsequent sequel with a set of clever new features. This year's new additions include an assortment of expected updates (like over100 new offensive and defensive formations) as well as a few substantial and surprising upgrades. The all-new gameplay mechanics like slide protection and "Jump the Snap" have a noticeable impact on your performance, allowing you to quickly shift your offensive line's protection to pick up stunts and fire off the line of scrimmage for better defensive pass rushing, respectively. Perhaps the biggest change is the new analogue kicking control system, which gives you a better sense of accuracy and finesse when attempting a critical field goal. The enjoyable new Campus Legend mode builds on last year's Heisman Mode by allowing you to select a major for your customized blue-chip freshman and select his daily activities (practice, study, socializing) from your dorm room calendar. Though still rather simplistic, this new student athlete mode helps flush out the realism of college athletic life as you balance your multiple priorities while working to become an sports legend. Also new to the series is the handy momentum meter that tracks tide-tuning plays and shows which team is playing at the top of their game (similar to an Impact Player being "in the zone").

Winning Legacy
Considering the technical limitations of the Playstation 2, NCAA 2007 is damn close to being a perfect game. Graphically, the game still manages to outperform last year's title, with updated character models and sharper on-field visuals, though it still suffers from a few bland and clunky character animations (most noticeable in the crowd close-ups and visually weak ESPN gameday introductions). The thundering audio boasts the usual set of booming marching tunes and top-notch commentary, although Lee Corso's ultra-annoying observations wear thin rather quickly. Even the AI seems to have undergone a few tweaks, as last year's unreliable pass blocking and pass coverage have been improved along with the increased difficulty in scoring on kickoff and punt returns. Not surprisingly, NCAA 2007 is a no-brainer buy for college football fans, and well worth a look from even the most casual of sports gamers.

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