EA Sports had to reinvent their football platforms because the last few installments of both NCAA and Madden have been less than spectacular. The only caveat holding them back was the lack of competition. It seemed that since there are no other licensed titles, they were at a crossroads of sorts. It’s safe to say that after this release, EA Sports is back on the wagon for their football titles. NCAA 2008 gets back to the very basics and improves the core game play and delivers a monster title.

I bought this game at launch and really wanted to cover all angles before dropping the review on you guys. I also recently purchased a 46′ Samsung LCD TV at 1080p and 15000:1 contrast, so I really wanted to see the game on the big screen before making my final decisions so I apologize for the tardiness.

Presentation and Graphics: EA Sports games have not changed their menus and I see no reason why they should. If you have played one title, you have basically memorized the layout and thats a good thing. The great think about college football is the music and fanfare and this is very apparent in the game. You can pick your favorite team and will be greeted to their fight song and a trophy hall with the banners of their rivals and an empty case where your trophies will sit after you unlock them. More on that later. The game runs at a smooth 60 fps and looks absolutely awesome on HD. Their is little to no collision detection and the uniforms, especially the helmets really shine. One of the coolest things to do is play on Boise State’s blue field which looks stunning and a nice change of pace from the usual green. There is also a Weather Channel option when on Live. if you are playing in Texas today, and its 95 degrees in Austin, that will be the temperature of the game. 4 of 5

Sound and Music: As a Notre Dame fan, albeit a huge one, I still get goose bumps every time I hear their fight song. Each team has their own distinct music and you will be greeted by it every time you are successful. The game also has some really sweet noise samples for big hits. If you really lay a smack on a player your ears will know. The announcers like all sports games get repetitive, but the tandem of Corso and Co. deliver almost Madden worthy. A few more fight songs would have been nice for the lesser known schools as well as some better cheering. 4 of 5

Gameplay: This is where the game really steps it up and it is the most apparent in the running game. Anyone who has played football games can execute a passing attack, but the real skill is balancing a running attack. The running backs play like they actually have a clue what is going on and this makes the game shine. If you have a defender beat, the back will fall forward and reach for the first down or even break the tackle. Also, the highlight stick has been vastly improved. On offense, if you juke left or right the ball carrier will so do, but will also duck under tackles or jump over them. This makes running the ball much easier and tackling that much harder. The hit stick is also improved. If you flick up towards the runner, you will deliver a bone crunching hit but if you flick down, you will take their legs out. Be careful though, because using the hit stick makes it much easier to miss. The biggest single improvement is defending the deep ball. In past games, if you had a standout receiver, a 50 yard gain was almost certain if the defense was not in a prevent defense. Now, the secondary will knock if not intercept a poorly timed throw and this makes the running game that much more important. 4.5 of 5

Multiplayer: It’s football. It’s meant to be played against your buddies. With full Live support and up to 4 players, the multiplayer facet is almost a certain home run. The mini games have returned like Tug of War, Option Attack, and Bowling. These are fun, but I really wish the Madden games were involved. 4 of 5

Lasting Appeal: The Dynasty and Campus Legend modes have been overhauled. They are deeper than ever. As a coach, you need to sell you school via sales pitches and lock down the best recruits. The Legend mode takes your high school prospect all the way to the big time. These two game modes alone will keep you playing for months. As I previously said, football is meant to be played with your friends on or offline and thats where the core of the game is. 4 of 5

Final Word: Many people believe that NCAA 2008 and its predecessors are only here to quench our appetite until Madden comes along a month later. This franchise is really coming into its own and has set the bar very high for Madden this year. Lets hope next gen football has permanently arrived.

Overall: 4.25 of 5

1 = Not worth the bandwidth.

2= Demo is enough, not worth your money.

3= Game is good, depending on the price, seriously consider picking it up.

4= Worth your money. Should provide some good times for quite awhile.

5= Buy the game. Lock your door. Pick up a case of beer. This could take all night.