360 review: NCAA Football 07 (3/10)

NCAA Football 07 is like the really hot, totally insane woman you dated in college. She always looks great, and the first couple of "dates" always turn out well, but then you start noticing the little things. Actually, it seems like she's always doing little things that annoy you. Eventually, you can't even focus on the hotness any more, because you simply can't deal with the insanity.

The worst part about it is that some of the problems have been around for years and years. EA's shown no real desire to fix recurring problems in Madden, and it looks like NCAA is getting the same treatment.

Running the triple option to the left with the fullback hitting the hole to the right of the center? Don't bother to hand off to the fullback. The QB runs a speed option instead.

Hoping that EA figured out how to make the players solid (so they don't pass through each other), but real (so you don't get "stuck" behind your blockers)? Sorry, not yet.

Wishing that taking control of a kick returner didn't sometimes make him forget where the ball was? Sorry.

The worst part about it for me is that Varsity is too easy – I won the NC with Purdue rather easily (although I was #3 in both polls, ha ha) – but All-American is hard enough that all of the problems come through.

Those little stat popups that used to be somewhat translucent? Totally opaque now, which is a problem when you're trying to figure out whom you're supposed to cover (of course, if it's the HB, he's simply going to go out into the flat where you can't see him), or if there isn't much time left on the 25-second clock.

Don't like the camera angle? Too bad. It's all you get.

Want to sub in players? Good luck. It's not nearly as intuitive as it used to be.

I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Wait, there was one other thing. I won the NC game 24-7. The one touchdown I gave up? We had a receiver bracketed, and the QB overthrew the ball, right toward the safety, who was waiting to knock it away on the goal line. I saw something funny live, though, and ran the replay. Sure enough, when the ball is just about to fly past the receiver, it makes a hard left turn (no objects in the area to deflect it), directly into the receiver's hands.

I want to like this game. I do. But there's just so many things about it that are done poorly that I just can't live with it. (I-AA directions? Still? Come on, there aren't that many schools you haven't included. At least give us the names.)

If you absolutely have to get a college game, rent this one from GameFly. I wish I had.

zlionsfan's rating: 3 false starts out of 10.