With the World Cup in the rear view mirror, American sports fans will soon turn their attention to a more familiar brand of football. And while the gridiron season doesn’t officially get started until September, fans can jump the snap provided they own a video game console.
Most football gamers save up their money for Madden's annual August arrival, but that's not always a bright idea. Why? Because EA's got another franchise on the roster -- and according to the critics, this year's model might make Madden look like an aging veteran.
Releasing this week for the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii, NCAA Football 11 is averaging an impressive 87 percent at Metacritic and enjoying the kind of praise usually reserved for its more famous big brother.
The big reason for its success? To print pub Game Informer, it simply runs away from the pack.
"The new locomotion running engine gives the game a powerful foundation," insists reviewer Matthew Kato in a 9/10 review, "and it drives the franchise forward by offering a fluid experience every time you touch the ball. It’s one of the key components that takes this series to the next level."
IGN's Nate Ahearn agrees, doling out an 8.5/10 while complimenting EA's efforts to make it look as good as it plays. "Animations are more fluid and true to life than they've ever been before and the game simply looks more like actual college football," he says, calling the gameplay the "best ever from the series."
Game blog Destructoid was a bit less enthralled, griping about "a handful of other glitches...from players continuing their timeout motions and not getting set for the play, to the camera being totally off-center on referees when they make calls or going through players during instant replays, to a noticeable bit of lag toward the end of some games each time after the ball is snapped.
" Still, author Brian Szabelski doesn't think those issues ruin the package, which he calls "the most realistic college football experience on videogame consoles to date" in an 8/10 review.
While it's clear that NCAA Football is a solid buy, we still wouldn't bet against Madden. But much like the muddled BCS bowl system, there can be more than one winner in this game -- and that's good news for gamers.
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