Catching the ball won't hurt..but that linebacker taking out your legs will. |
One area where we were surprised (and we don't like these kind of surprises) was the commentary. Far from being the relatively high-quality commentary found in NFL2k1, NCAA 2k2 seems to have jumped off the Enola Gay without the benefit of a parachute where game description is concerned. It's fallen far, fast, and if this is the landing, it sure as hell ain't pretty. There are some bright points here, such as when the commentators digress into a discussion on the history of the sport and the teams on the field that day, but on the whole, many of the same type of mistakes seen in World Series 2k2 appear, such as players' grade levels being confused (analogous to the confusion of player positions in WSB2k2).
Still, it's not all bad news. One area where NCAA 2k2 really shines, however, is the interface. The game selection screen is nearly identical to those from past VC games, listing all of the gameplay modes available on a single screen, rather than forcing users to select choices from a menu, � la Madden. The same held true where the playcalling screens are concerned, making it much easier to find and select a play prior to the snap, since each formation listed five plays per screen, rather than the three per screen found in EA Sports' football games.
Getting back to those just-mentioned play modes, there are seven of them. Scrimmage (or practice), Tournament, Exhibition, Season, Legacy (or Franchise), Tutorial, and Network. These should all really be self-explanatory. Legacy Mode allows you to take control of the team of your choice and try to build them into national champions. Unfortunately, the recruiting module isn't nearly as deep as that found in NCAA 2002, meaning that whether or not you're good enough to win it all will ultimately come down to how good you are on the field -- not how good you are at recruiting (since, if you do it right, the fellas you target will usually sign with you anyway). There are some options at your disposal here; your coach is able to make 5 visits per week to highly touted recruits during the recruitment period. Like The College Years for the PC, the visits are designed to influence the recruits into signing with your school. Unlike TCY, there doesn't appear to be a law of diminishing returns. Recruits can be badgered ad infinitum, although players who idolize certain schools are far more likely to attend those schools. Following the (hopefully successful) conclusion of recruiting, you can set some "spring training" attributes, where you're given a number of points to allocate to various areas of training at each of the prime positions. Afterwards, you can cut and redshirt players, allowing you to field your best possible roster on gameday.
Nice formation, but make sure you don't trip over that yellow line. |
Still, like I said, it comes down to how you do on the field of play, and to that end, there's network play -- since playing against real, live humans exercises the strategic part of one's brain more than an (ultimately predictable) computer AI. The game plays exactly the same online as it does offline (a tidbit sure to bring much joy to the WSB2k2 faithful), with lag playing a minimal role against opponents close to home. The further away you get, the more noticeable it becomes; sadly, this isn't something that can be rectified with the broadband adaptor. Like the 32X, the Menacer, and countless other accessories marketed by Sega over the years, the broadband adaptor appears to be little more than a novelty to the North American market; something to be owned, but rarely used.
Looking back, I can't help but wonder if perhaps I've been a little too harsh on the game. For all its faults, I've enjoyed it immensely, and will continue to do so. Is that just the football fan in me jonesing for a fix? Perhaps. We'll see where NCAA 2k2 stands once I get my grubby little hands on NFL 2k2. In the meantime, what we have is an excellent first collegiate effort from Visual Concepts, albeit one that needs a LOT of polishing before the diamond in the turf is revealed. One can only hope that more such games are a part of Sega's strategy to become the top third party developer -- a goal that inevitably must infringe upon EA's turf. A lot of work remains to be done before a NCAA 2k3 will be ready for the other next-generation platforms. Here's hoping that "Every True Son" of NCAA 2k2 achieves the lofty heights that this game hints at, whispers about, but doesn't quite attain.
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