NCAA Football 14 (July 9, 2013) is the latest entry in Electronic Arts’ long running college football franchise. With NCAA 14 gamers can take their favorite Division I programs to gridiron glory. EA makes changes to every annual sports series it publishes and NCAA Football 14 is no exception. This year’s version includes several features as well as the inclusion of a staple only Madden NFL players previously had access to, Ultimate Team.
The good
Ultimate team, assemble! In Ultimate Team players assemble a football team from a virtual pack of trading cards. Card packs are unlocked by earning virtual coins or they can be purchased through download. Last year’s NCAA title gave gamers a chance to take Heisman greats and see what their careers would have been like if they’d of gone to different schools. This was a ton of fun and is still available, but Ultimate Team takes that concept one step further by allowing the use of former and current NFL players in EA’s college football title.
Players can now take former college football greats and put them on the same team. Imagine Peyton Manning as a CU Buff. Or better yet, how about Bo Jackson as a UC Santa Cruz Banana Slug? That’s right, even though he’s been retired for years Bo still knows football. He’s available as a free download in Ultimate Team during NCAA 14's first week of release.
New car smell. NCAA 14 is chock full of tweaks that enhance gameplay. There are 30 new Option types, improvements to the offensive and defensive Hit Stick, and an improved physics engine. These are just a few of the many upgrades players will notice, but where gamers will really dive deep is in the restructured Dynasty mode.
As players earn XP through meeting goals and signing players, they can use points on one of the 18 upgradable, multi-level abilities that span across two separate skill trees. Players can choose to use points that give a bump to their team in a game or help themselves land a coveted recruit. NCAA 14's new Dynasty features give the game an RPG-like depth that fans of the series will appreciate.
The bad
For a price Ugarte, for a price. I’ve always enjoyed Ultimate Team and I’m glad it’s finally making its NCAA debut. However, this mode does have some issues. It can take a very long time to earn coins to build the team that you want. And like many sports trading cards, Ultimate Team card packs come with plenty of duds. To expedite the process you might be tempted to purchase a pack of cards through download. This will cost you real money. While I have fun with Ultimate Team, there are times when it feels like another gaming money grab.
No guts. Road to Glory mode, where players work their way up from high school to college star, is still included but it remains unchanged. Some upgrades or improvements would have been welcome.
The verdict
The question every gamer asks themselves whenever a new EA Sports title comes out is, “Is this years version worth the money?” The answer to that question this year is a resounding, “Yes.” NCAA 14 feels like a revitalized game all around and I was constantly (and pleasantly) surprised by how fresh this title felt. This is a game packed with things to keep college football fans occupied and happy for a long time.
About the author
Gazette Media Columnist Terry Terrones is a veteran video game journalist. He has written for numerous publications including GamePro, PC World, GameZone, and Official Xbox Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/terryterrones.
NOTE: This review was originally published on gazette.com on July 8, 2013 and is republished on 2old2play with permission from the Author.
