The new gameplay is a step forward, but lingering glitches and stale features are two steps back.
The new gameplay improvements are quite refreshing and go a decent way to completely change the way football games are played. The turbo button has been removed completely and is now automated, so you won't find yourself outrunning your blockers on every running play. The biggest change to coincide with this shift is the new locomotion system, which comes complete with new animations which look really great. Clipping problems are almost entirely gone because of this new system. The most impressive feature of locomotion is advanced AI when it comes to downfield blocking. It actually works now. It goes a long way to helping your running game, so you'll find yourself turning towards run plays more often than not, since it's much easier to have a yards per carry average over 4.0, as opposed to the less than 3.0 average of years before.
The game still has some difficulty problems, since the 2nd hardest difficulty is often a joke, and the hardest difficulty is a tad too difficult. There are still sliders to help balance out this problem, but the question remains, "Why couldn't Tiburon have worked out a more balanced difficulty?".
While the game is now much smoother and intuitive to play, there aren't many reasons to spend a ton of time actually playing. That is, of course, because there aren't a lot of new features. Road to Glory, where you lead one player through his collegiate career, has received no new additions whatsoever. Even Erin Andrews' cameo sequences are entirely repeats from last year. Dynasty Mode has shifted the way recruiting looks, but it still plays out the same. You spend a few hours per week 'speaking' to high school recruits in hopes they'll accept a scholarship from your college. Unfortunately, the new look doesn't actually work all that well. The feature is filled with embarrassing grammatical errors that will only make you laugh, and it still feels very menial and boring. I don't want to spend all my time sifting through pitches with a kid who wants to go to Alabama instead of Kansas.
Dynasty mode's online feature has been improved a little bit, as it's a lot easier to handle things from your PC or iPod this time around, even going so far to allow users to create their own stories to trash talk or summarize the past week. It's a neat gimmick that works well, but the thought that anybody would seriously use it is still a question.
Season Showdown mode is back, and it's just as sweet as ever. This was something that didn't need to be changed. It's still very neat to gain points for your favourite team.
As far as TeamBuilder goes, it's still very awesome. From EA's website, you can create every facet of a school, either fake or real, from their logo to stadium to roster. You can download and view any school that any user has created, and it's a very cool way to bring in your favourite Canadian or Division II school, like Saskatchewan or Montana, granted those teams have been created.
I've mentioned glitches earlier in this review, and believe me when I say that they will get on your nerves. Some are gamebreaking like the ball becoming dislodged but not being registered as a fumble, so it becomes impossible for players to pick up, and some are just annoying like the camera being on the wrong side of the field for a PAT. Problems range in extremity, and there are plenty to be had. It's a shame that the game has released in its current state. It's still fun to play, and the gamebreaking problems don't rear their ugly head too often, but they do put a blemish on an otherwise well polished game.
The new lighting and locomotion system go a long way to making this a great looking sports game. It all runs at 60 frames per second quite smoothly, hearkening back to the Playstation 2 days, and player models are very well done. The crowd looks worse somehow than it ever has before, and there is some aliasing to be found in the stadiums, but the on-the-field action looks pretty good. New introductions help out a bit with the authenticity, too. I still wish there was a soundtrack, because while we all love marching bands, it's not really something I want to listen to while I'm trying to recruit two-star quarterbacks.
NCAA Football 11 makes some great strides in its presentation and gameplay, mainly with the locomotion system, and some snazzy ESPN pop ups. It's a great football game to play with a buddy or two online or off, but it's not really something diehard college football fans are going to spend many hours on. It feels old from a gameplay mode perspective, and there are a few too many issues here and there that hold it back. If you want to play a quick game every now and then, it's a great package, but if you're a team management wizard, you'd be best off sticking to last year's game.