djwill13
07-01-2004, 04:37 PM
this is from another site fellas, but is still some very good info
These are based on 2 1/2 weeks with a BETA copy. 90% of gameplay was on All-American. 10 pct on Varsity and Heisman didn't seem drastically different (although the CPU had a very promising run game on Heisman). Comments apply to both platforms.
+ Overall visuals are solid, polished and the new front end and icon driven menus really have grown on me. All the dynasty stuff looks great as always and keeps you interested in the action away from the field.
+ HFA is cool. Not revolutionary or game-changing, but good 'nuff.
+ In-game dynamic player ratings are great. Get a hot QB and you can go to your depth chart and see him listed like 88 (+4) when he's an 84 by default. Stuff like that applies for all positions.
+ Inside running game is better...not exponentially but seems like blockers hold their blocks a bit smarter and seal off the inside a bit more on some runs.
+ "User this and User that" is great, but finding it really inconsistent. Like I clearly have my defender a lot of times but rarely get the user tackle designation. User catch requires you to take control and MOVE the stick before any catch animation kicks in. Very cool.
+ QB accuracy is back to more of the 2003 model. Less consistent, less accurate, unless it's one of the game's elite throwers.
+ Control overall is still great. Battle for the ball in the air between a CB/S and WR is still fun.
+ Tip Drill stuff seems in check as far as frequency so far. No probs there.
+ The new defensive sets are great and really can give the offense a variety of looks. Much needed improvement.
- Okay here's the biggie, El Grando, Mucho Problema, Game Zappah so far. Speed just isn't there. On offense, I'm seeing plays where a 92 spd WR is being tracked step for step by a 75 spd LB across the middle. 94 spd HB getting run down by 77 spd DL that started chasing from a couple yards back. This does a couple of things. For starters, it ruins some of the excitement on O, because you know that very few running plays are going over 20 yards no matter what guys you make miss. On D, you don't care as much about making the tackle because you know someone else will a couple yards later. The risk/reward of tackling, pursuit and all that is kind of handled by the weird slowness of the offense. Not slowDOWN mind you, just slow...quicksandy feeling.
- Defense, in addition to having a bit of a wacky speed advantage, seems to pursue in much more of a flocking fashion...like a big herd that just turns and runs after the ball carrier goes past them or the WR catches the ball. This hasn't been impressive looking.
- QB has ALL DAY to throw versus a lot of zones. I mean 6 to 8 seconds.
Which is fine...becauseeeeee
- The Zones are pass killers. The guys are hyperreactive on D and shut down a LOT of the short routes. With work you can get the short game going, but forget about the YAC fun (as stated before). Haven't tried to cheese too much with QB taking off running, but the guess is that it'd be effective but not to the extent it was last year (D gets to ya faster).
- Thanks to the slower WRs/RBs, crazy D tracking, and great zones...you can expect your share of 6 of 24 passing performances. RBs out of the backfield just get completely SHADOWED by even below avg. linebackers, so those routes are low reward. Streaks still work and can still go the distance. A lot of games so far degenerate into "who will hit the streak in the 4th quarter?"
- Agile running system. Blech. Weird leg-shuffling, leaning, cuts that really serve little purpose than let the D (already fast enough) catch up to you. Sure you can make a guy miss here and there but the lost ground is a big cost.
- Dynasty suffers a bit because the CPU offense, on All-American at least, is PATHETIC. QB Draws every 10th play or so, terrible running, streaky passing at best. Need to try Heisman more.
These are based on 2 1/2 weeks with a BETA copy. 90% of gameplay was on All-American. 10 pct on Varsity and Heisman didn't seem drastically different (although the CPU had a very promising run game on Heisman). Comments apply to both platforms.
+ Overall visuals are solid, polished and the new front end and icon driven menus really have grown on me. All the dynasty stuff looks great as always and keeps you interested in the action away from the field.
+ HFA is cool. Not revolutionary or game-changing, but good 'nuff.
+ In-game dynamic player ratings are great. Get a hot QB and you can go to your depth chart and see him listed like 88 (+4) when he's an 84 by default. Stuff like that applies for all positions.
+ Inside running game is better...not exponentially but seems like blockers hold their blocks a bit smarter and seal off the inside a bit more on some runs.
+ "User this and User that" is great, but finding it really inconsistent. Like I clearly have my defender a lot of times but rarely get the user tackle designation. User catch requires you to take control and MOVE the stick before any catch animation kicks in. Very cool.
+ QB accuracy is back to more of the 2003 model. Less consistent, less accurate, unless it's one of the game's elite throwers.
+ Control overall is still great. Battle for the ball in the air between a CB/S and WR is still fun.
+ Tip Drill stuff seems in check as far as frequency so far. No probs there.
+ The new defensive sets are great and really can give the offense a variety of looks. Much needed improvement.
- Okay here's the biggie, El Grando, Mucho Problema, Game Zappah so far. Speed just isn't there. On offense, I'm seeing plays where a 92 spd WR is being tracked step for step by a 75 spd LB across the middle. 94 spd HB getting run down by 77 spd DL that started chasing from a couple yards back. This does a couple of things. For starters, it ruins some of the excitement on O, because you know that very few running plays are going over 20 yards no matter what guys you make miss. On D, you don't care as much about making the tackle because you know someone else will a couple yards later. The risk/reward of tackling, pursuit and all that is kind of handled by the weird slowness of the offense. Not slowDOWN mind you, just slow...quicksandy feeling.
- Defense, in addition to having a bit of a wacky speed advantage, seems to pursue in much more of a flocking fashion...like a big herd that just turns and runs after the ball carrier goes past them or the WR catches the ball. This hasn't been impressive looking.
- QB has ALL DAY to throw versus a lot of zones. I mean 6 to 8 seconds.
Which is fine...becauseeeeee
- The Zones are pass killers. The guys are hyperreactive on D and shut down a LOT of the short routes. With work you can get the short game going, but forget about the YAC fun (as stated before). Haven't tried to cheese too much with QB taking off running, but the guess is that it'd be effective but not to the extent it was last year (D gets to ya faster).
- Thanks to the slower WRs/RBs, crazy D tracking, and great zones...you can expect your share of 6 of 24 passing performances. RBs out of the backfield just get completely SHADOWED by even below avg. linebackers, so those routes are low reward. Streaks still work and can still go the distance. A lot of games so far degenerate into "who will hit the streak in the 4th quarter?"
- Agile running system. Blech. Weird leg-shuffling, leaning, cuts that really serve little purpose than let the D (already fast enough) catch up to you. Sure you can make a guy miss here and there but the lost ground is a big cost.
- Dynasty suffers a bit because the CPU offense, on All-American at least, is PATHETIC. QB Draws every 10th play or so, terrible running, streaky passing at best. Need to try Heisman more.