Still waiting for the true, next step in the sports video game genre.
NCAA Football 12 is EA Sports latest installment in their college football franchise. There are some minor tweaks, additions, and improvements, but the game falls short of bringing something fresh to the table. NCAA Football 12 is just a new coat of paint over top last year's game; this time the color is a slightly different shade from before.
The addition of the various college traditions and ceremonies was a nice atmospheric touch, but it does nothing for the game-play. You can notice the subtle changes in the tackling system along with the slight graphical improvement, but again, it does nothing to improve the gaming experience.
A couple things I did like were the additions of coach contracts and goals in the Dynasty mode. It does give a sense of urgency to play well and have strong recruiting class, especially when you're in the coaching hot seat. I'm still not a fan of the recruiting system, but it'll have to do.
I also like the "Iron Man" high school athlete option. It is fairly common for a star high school football player to play both offense and defense. It gives you more options and opportunities to play other positions that you would have otherwise not tried.
All in all, NCAA Football 12 is a solid game, but its nothing revolutionary by any means. If you have been of fan of previous titles, then you will enjoy this one. Hopefully, in future versions, they will put even more effort into the Dynasty mode. That's where the bread and butter is, and I think it has the proper components to be something special.