NCAA Football 13 Demo Review

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By at June 8, 2012 | 10:00 AM | Print

NCAA Football 13 Demo Review
NCAA Football 13 Demo Review NCAA Football 13 Demo Review

- Heisman Challenge

I’m welcomed to the mode by Robert Griffin III telling me about his favorite moment from Baylor’s storybook 2012 season. While I like him, I didn’t come for idle chitchat.

At first, it seemed lame to be able to play as Heisman Trophy winners. Even more Tim Tebow to love as he beats Florida State 223-0! (Someone’s got to take down that record, right?)

Well, I could do that upon the game’s release. However, it could just as likely be Michigan, Texas or Oregon that Tebow terrifies as you’ll get to place any of the Heisman trophy winners at any, yes any, school.

Barry Sanders at Nebraska? Eric Crouch as a Sooner? Tebow as a Missouri Tiger seems funny for some reason.

While you don’t get to play as The Best-Known Backup in the demo, you do get to control RG3 while wearing the colors provided by one of six schools: Alabama, Kansas State, LSU, Oregon, Southern California or his actual alma mater, Baylor.

For the purpose of the review, I chose to keep things authentic…to begin with.

Playing as Griffin is much like playing as Brock McHardcheese, the quarterback you created in NCAA Football 12, but there was a function whose presence seemed irritating until I understood just what it was and why I should care.

Introducing Reaction Time:


(A clip of my gameplay from the near future) 

By holding down a button, you can slow down time not unlike The Matrix or the hundred other video games that have copied Bullet Time thus far. The feature is slick, though and you only have 15 seconds of precious slo-mo to use over a given period, so you must choose wisely.

Your Reaction Time does reload throughout the course of the game, so if you’re having difficulty getting your Heisman winner his stats, no problem.

This addition underscores the fact that the mode is all about you, Golden Boy (or Girl). You’re going to have that special season and not even idiotic concepts like time and space are going to stop you.

While playing as Griffin was fun, since EA Sports offered me the ability to play as BizzaroG3, who am I to refuse?

The end of this round with the demo featured him in Eugene, Oregon running speed option and zone reads with DeAnthony Thomas and the Ducks.

- In Conclusion

The demo is, in a word, fun. I truly felt immersed in the game and for someone who hasn’t seen live action since last January, it was an oasis.

I’ll continue to play, not just because I want to unlock all of the Heisman heroes, but because it’s genuinely enjoyable.

I was somewhat sad once that oasis turned into a mirage after the power button chirped off, but if this is only a sliver of what EA Sports has in store, July 10 can’t get here soon enough.

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  • funk

    NCAA is a gimmick.  Are you seriously telling me that the pre-game rituals(where  experienced players skip over) made the gameplay that more gratifying?  The menu, playbooks(except 1 hail mary modification), commentary are all the same.

    As far as the game play, the only changes are slight changes with the fluidity of the players when you control them.  Sure they implemented new “animations”, but that’s is all they are.  The Reaction Time is a development that gets really old fast and just makes the game way to easy.

    I don’t understand how you are so hype about Matt Barkley adjusting his facemask BEFORE he snaps the ball.  

    Feels like a mirror image of NCAA 12 with subtle changes in player movement.  How does the EA Team take 1 year development to change the roster, add animations, and a slow-motion feature in the Heisman mode?

    • http://twitter.com/eightlaces Brandon Cavanaugh

      - Honestly, I did enjoy the pregame rituals and am glad to see them expanded. Maybe that’s a lack of legitimate action for several months, but it made the experience that much more enjoyable.

      After several games, the enjoyment usually dies down, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy seeing rivals like Nebraska and Oklahoma take the field against each other.

      - Yes, gameplay changes aren’t mind-bogglingly different, but the fluidity makes a difference to me. Reaction Time does cheapen the Heisman experience somewhat, but I think it’s geared towards newer players of the franchise.

      It is what it is and strictly looking at it from a sense of blind fun, I enjoyed it.

      - Regarding Barkley’s facemask adjustment, as I said, I appreciate little things like that.

      - While I think you may find there to be a few more changes, subtle yet noticeable, this is a valid question and honestly, I’m going to try to find out.

      • funk

        Thanks for the honest reply.  Sorry if I came off as a hot-head after reading your reply, I just get really obsessed with NCAA.  Ever since NCAA 06, I’ve sadly poured countless hours into dynasties and matchups.  I think I finally outgrew this game.

        • http://twitter.com/eightlaces Brandon Cavanaugh

          No apologize necessary. Trust me, I know what you mean about obsessing. I mean, I commented on Matt Barkley adjusting his facemask as a positive, so clearly I’m watching closely, no?

          Much like you, I’ve lost several days to the harsh mistress that is EA’s NCAA Football. Unless it pulls a Madden 12, I won’t stop buying any time soon.

          • Question?

            i played the dynasty mode with Baylor, beating K-State and did not receive any verification that I had unlocked a Legendary Heisman player of old. However this is on PS3 and I was not connected to the internet upon winning the game. Do I have to be connected to the internet in order to get these locked characters, or can I connect later to get the locked players after beating all the games?

          • http://twitter.com/eightlaces Brandon Cavanaugh

            While I was connected to PSN at the time, I didn’t get the impression that you need to be connected to be unlocked. 

            That’s what I took away from this as well: http://www.maddengurus.com/ncaa-13-heisman-mode-details

  • Hawkzilla

    RG3 isn’t Baylors QB in the OD game on the demo… he is in the NFL this year, got drafted #2… if you didn’t notice.

    You can only play as RG3 in Heisman mode.