Preview: NCAA Football 13 aiming for the Heisman

NCAA Football 13 is being released on July 10th, and some of the changes in store for this year’s version seem to be polarizing fans of the series. Reports from E3 last week – where EA presented the game in action and allowed attendees to play a demo – showed a game that’s more fluid on offense and more precise on defense, but only marginally improved beyond gameplay.

While college football prides itself as being a team-focused sport, a new mode called “The Heisman Challenge” focuses attention squarely on your pursuit of the BCS’s most illustrious individual prize. You’ll pick from 16 past Heisman winners and recreate the highlights of their playing careers.

In a manner of speaking, the Heisman mode detracts from NCAA’s vivid and lush atmospheric presentation if only because your focus isn’t on the arena, team, or the complex playbook of your favorite bowl contender. You’re being taken back to an era of pure dominance, where each player that you control doesn’t just beat the competition; you completely obliterate them. The mode requires you to match the statistics of those Heisman players, an option that could turn away players if it’s not handled correctly.

For example, Barry Sander’s stellar career at Oklahoma State is undoubtedly exciting to play through, yet bursting through the offensive line is only so exciting as you do it time and time again. The mode’s similarity to Tiger Woods’ career mode in Tiger Woods 13 is evident, as EA adds longevity to the experience with interviews and behind-the-scenes glimpses of each Heisman winner’s career. However, part of my issue with Tiger Woods 13 stemmed from the disjointedness of Tiger mode. EA sought to create a complete experience, but having to manually select moments from Tiger’s life betrayed the immersive element that makes great stories so memorable. Imagine if The Godfather’s commentary mode was how you watched it for the first time; you’d be ruined knowing exactly what was coming each time. Sure, you’d still view it, but the knowledge of what was next and having to pick a scene each time would ruin your experience. While exciting, Heisman mode feels like it might be too easy during games (seriously – Sanders is incredibly quick) and not involving enough beyond them.

However, I think where the mode might truly come into its own is in the freedom it offers with the actual Heisman character’s career. Not a fan of OKU? That’s fine – feel free to move Mr. Sanders to whatever college that you prefer. While some people might think this ruins the integrity of the Heisman, if it’s in the game, it’s there for you to do with it as you will.

Another new feature that promises to improve Heisman mode is the reaction time feature, a feature recognizable from action games and an interpretation of “being in the zone.” When activated, you can use a rechargeable meter to slow the world around you, allowing you to see the open running lanes in the defense and zip through them. The mode’s benefit obviously promises to make the Heisman experience more than a quick run-through, but one that you come back to again and again.

On top of the new mode, passing has also been improved, as receivers and defensive backs seem far more lively and realistic in fighting for route space and ball control. Combined with improved defensive reactions, offensive/defensive line interactions, and new tackling physics similar to the improvements we saw in last year’s Madden, NCAA Football 13 promises to be a memorable experience, even with a few growing pains along the way. Every Heisman winner gets better with age, right?

NCAA Football 13 releases July 10th for PS3 and Xbox 360, and you can bet it’s in the game.