Game:

NCAA Football 12 (2011)

Duration: 4:11

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8

Full review: http://www.megabearsfan.net/post/2011/09/29/NCAA-Football-12-review.aspx

One would have thought that the removal of suction and warping from NCAA Football 12 would have made it much more fun to play as a defensive player in Road To Glory. Eh, not so much. There are still significant problems that really hurt the enjoyment factor of this game when playing as a defensive linemen. I actually highly recommend that people try playing as a defensive linemen, because doing so will expose many of the flaws with offensive and defensive line play. This video will highlight some examples.

I start by showing a decent play that highlights some of the improvements with the game engine. The addition of consecutive-hit tackling has made it much easier to get your player involved in a play, even if initial contact has already been made. This helps Road To Glory from a defensive standpoint tremendously.

But suction is not gone. Warping is not gone. Tumbleweeds are not gone.

Since Road To Glory scores you based on trackable stats (tackles, sacks, interceptions, etc) rather than whether or not you do your job (fill a gap, cover a zone, shut down a receiver, containing the outside run, etc), the mode doesn't work for defense. But football - and defense - especially is a TEAM activity. The fact that getting ahead in this mode means that YOU have to be the one making every tackle and every interception means that the game actively encourages the player to ignore his assignment and put himself out of position.

I hope in future years, the folks at EA can come up with a system that tracks the more "intangible" elements of playing football, so that the game can reward you for actually doing your assigned job, even if it means the other team never sends the ball in your direction.