I downloaded the demo yesterday and played a few games last night. At first glance, this game seems much improved. The new locomotion system makes a huge difference; players move much more life-like and you have better control over them. They don't seem as stiff and seem to react better to the input you give them. Bravo to EA for that.
Also, the much ballyhooed improved run-blocking AI is indeed a great addition. Pulling guards actually carry out their assignment and all blockers look for someone to hit. It makes the running game seem much more realistic and enjoyable. This was another sorely needed update.
The myriad gameplay improvements are there to be seen. I was impressed with the sideline catches made by receivers, the overturned plays as a result of replay, the much more realistic passing (throwing on the run is no longer so accurate), etc. I was able to get a decent pass rush going against the CPU as well, which is a big deal.
The game also looks terrific. The presentation has been amped up quite a bit. The graphics and animations are improved and the crowd seems more into the game. It all adds up to what looks to be a terrific package. I did have one bug rear it's ugly head when I picked off a pass and returned it for a TD. The audio dropped out during the return and after the player celebrated the score the game froze. I quit the demo and restarted and still had no audio. I had to reboot the XBox in order to get the demo back to normal.
If the AI sliders work correctly when the full game is released then we are looking at a revolutionary game in the NCAA series. This series, once my absolute favorite, has grown stale over recent years, especially on the new generation of consoles. Of course no game will be perfect and I am sure this game will have some small nagging problems somewhere; they all do. But I am as excited about NCAA '11 as I have been about any game in a long while. That took a lot of doing by EA, but so far they seem to have answered the challenge.
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3 comments:
That sounds great! I'll have to download the demo and give it a whirl myself.
I couldn't agree more, man. I'm so looking forward to the retail game. The wait is almost unbearable.
Sean, have you seen the list of things that have been improved from the demo version to the retail version? Check out PastaPadre's blog for the complete list. It's incredible. I think we're gonna be really happy with this one.
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