NCAA Football 14 Reviews: What Top Sites Are Saying About Latest Installment

The highly anticipated release of EA Sports' NCAA Football 14 is finally upon us, and the franchise's latest installment won't disappoint. 

NCAA Football 14 offers improved physics, courtesy of the "new and improved Infinity 2 Engine," as detailed by EASports.com. With this new engine, gamers will discover more control in the running game and will surely have fun watching players bend and fold like rag dolls after big hits and pileups. 

That said, the game is not without its flaws. 

Here's what the top review sites are saying about the latest installment of EA Sports' NCAA Football.

IGN's Greg Miller

"NCAA Football 14 doesn’t have that spark that makes a game great."

Miller doesn't pull any punches as he opens his review with the above statement, but his take on this year's game isn't all doom and gloom. 

Immediately following his declaration, Miller lauds the improved gameplay and shorter load times, noting the physics engine that improved Madden 13 so dramatically. 

Of particular note in Miller's review is his love for the improved running game:

"

Players shift their weight on the turf and make sharp, accurate cuts; it’s the death of those arcing routes you used to be forced to make, and it makes the running game far more responsive and fun...All of this is intoxicating. When I’d shake off a tackle, cut to the left, and head to the end zone, it felt great.

"

This year's game isn't devoid of glitches, however, as Miller notes:

"

But not every interaction is perfect. Goofy AI had my defenders out of position on key runs, and I was in control of a linebacker at one point who chased a QB down by running backwards. When this stuff happens, it’s hard not to cringe at the seams of the game showing.

"

Miller also expressed his disappointment in the game's dated graphics and the "canned dialogue" of Brad Nessler and Kirk Herbstreit. He closes his argument by saying, "There’s a good football game here, but it’s far from an impressive package."

Final IGN review score: 7.4 out of 10

GameSpot's Tom Mc Shea

Mc Shea wasn't as kind to NCAA Football 14 as some of his peers.

He opened his review with this statement, "NCAA Football '14 is still enjoyable on the field, but conjures a strong 'been there, done that' feeling."

Mc Shea laments the franchise's turn towards "role-playing elements," in reference to the experience points earned for making big plays, writing:

"

Although this new addition does reward you for playing well, it feels like a desperate attempt to add something novel to a tired franchise. The skills system is added busywork that urges you to spend more time navigating menus than delivering wicked hits on the field.

"

Another of Mc Shea's complaints regarding this new game is the way EA Sports have removed any modicum of personality from the recruiting process. Whereas the older installments allowed gamers to interview prospects to learn about their preferences, Mc Shea feels this year's game turns players into, "raw stats."

A positive improvement, from Mc Shea's perspective, is the new "Nike Skills Trainer." It is a training tool that can help gamers understand the intricacies of the game, which Mc Shae believes will help gamers compete with online peers. 

Mc Shea concludes his review with this:

"

It's a shame that NCAA Football '14 has the same problems the franchise has been burdened with for years. The on-field action is tight and rewarding, but everything else is sloppy at best...There's little worthwhile in NCAA Football '14 you couldn't have experienced in previous games, but at least it's still fun to smash your rivals when you head onto the field.

"

Final GameSpot review score: 6.0 out of 10

GamesRadar's Richard Grisham

Grisham loved this game. He compared it favorably to Madden 13, and wrote, "NCAA 14 is a polished, well-oiled machine focused on core gameplay improvements aimed to please its most passionate fans."

Right off the bat, Grisham notes the improved gameplay—targeting the improved performance of offensive linemen specifically, which is a major selling point of this year's installment:

"

Running the ball is plenty of fun thanks to offensive linemen that pay attention to their assignments longer, giving ballcarriers more time and space to find holes...Quarterbacks will benefit from stronger pockets, too...Fans have complained for years about lackluster offensive line play, and while blocking isn’t yet perfected, EA’s focus on it definitely shows.

"

Another aspect of this year's game that tickled Grisham's fancy is the improved characteristics of Dynasty Mode. Among the things he loved is the way each head coach features "a myriad of attributes that you can improve over time based upon the success you have in your games..."

And while Mc Shea (GameStop) seemed to abhor the new recruiting method, Grisham lauds it as a time-saving measure that, "makes experimentation much easier to stomach."

Final GamesRadar review score: 90 out of 100

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