While not all too revolutionary, the engine for NCAA is grand, supplying a good amount of sick animations, crazy crowd atmosphere, and all the little nuances you’d expect out of a football game. If I could change one thing about EA’s football franchises, it would be the head proportion compared to the rest of the body. To quote So I Married and Axe Murderer, “Look at the size of his head, it’s like an orange on a toothpick!” Seriously, after 4 years in the business, you’d figure that the geometry of the head vs. body would be accurate by now. Otherwise, the game looks brilliant. NCAA makes use of some fantastic dramatic lighting, including real-time reflections off helmets, proportionate shadowing, and more. You’ll even notice that the time of day changes as the game goes on…now that’s detail! More on the detailed end of things is the progressively dirty uniforms and field deterioration. EA has this technology down, and it’s odd that no other developer has even come close to this simulation. The ball physics look strikingly accurate, whether it’s a bullet pass or lofty shot to the end zone, the ball just looks alive. EA didn’t skimp on the animations either. The player models move smoothly creating some of the coolest one-handed catches, wrap tackles, and bone crunching sacks in video games. In the Xbox and Game Cube versions I played, there is a bit of frame rate issues, especially in rain. It’s not distracting, just a tad bit annoying. The PS2 version runs great, with little to no hiccups, so I figure it’s mainly an aliasing issue with the other system’s hardware. Frame rate aside, the Xbox does look the best visually as everything is smooth and the textures are bump mapped ever so slightly. Lastly, EA has done a splendid job in creating that awesome college atmosphere. From the crowd cut scenes, complete with create-a-sign feature, to the shaking of the game camera before a kickoff, which symbolizes the emotion of the crowd, and even the onside activities such as cheerleaders, marching bands, etc, college comes to virtual life in NCAA Football 2005.

Audio also has that Midas touch. You have some brilliant play by play that follows the action very closely, and even supplies some useful information about the team’s history and accomplishments. The roar of the crowd couldn’t have been more important or better implemented than in this year’s NCAA. With the help of your excited fans and classmates, you’ll want to succeed and beat down your opposition and school rivals. This even holds true when you are down in a game, and you need a momentum boost, just call on the crowd to get you and your team back in the game again. NCAA Football 2005 utilizes Dolby Digital, which captures all the hits, grunts, groans, and all the on field sounds you know and love. It’s like having a microphone on the field! A nice audio package blends perfectly with the visuals.

Fans of EA Sports know why they are the leaders in sports video game entertainment, as they deliver the goods in solid, realistic entertainment, without taking the fun out of the game. NCAA Football 2005 allows that spirit to live on, as they have made a brilliant representation of the sport, while still making it actively exciting for fans to play. On default, I did notice that the A.I. will make some dumb mistakes on offence and defense, but with the friendly help of provided sliders, you can customize the game so it plays perfectly to your particular standards. Once you have the game set up to your liking, the game plays brilliantly. Play calling is familiar, easy, and will allow you know learn more about the sport than you may have wanted to. The passing game has really been tweaked this year, as it seems the A.I. has a better learning tendency than in year’s past. Sure, you may pull off that deep bomb early in the game, but the chances of you going deep again with success in now minimal, as the team will look for that play from that point on. This goes for every other offence and defensive choice you make, so it would be wise to randomize your playbook to keep the A.I. at bay. That’s not to say you will never experience blowouts, but it will only happen typically when you are facing a team that outclasses you, or that you outclass.

NCAA has a number of robust features that will keep you playing until next season and beyond. There are an outstanding number of teams to choose from, so finding your favorite won’t be tough here. The Dynasty mode returns with all the grueling day-to-day activities a coach and player must endure. Depending on how well you can micromanage your team will lead to your success or demise. If playing the CPU is not your gig, try your skills on line through the PS2 or on Xbox Live. Both offer fantastic online action and tournaments that will once and for all end all the quibbling that you and your friends have when it come s to who is the best of the best.

Overall, it may be the only game in town, but if there were competition, I’m sure that they would still take the second place crown as EA not only knows college sports, but as they say repeatedly…EA Sports, it’s in the game.