Earlier I posted my general experience and thoughts on things more related directly to the gameplay. Now in part two of my hands-on with NCAA Football 09 I’ll detail some of the new features that have been added. There are some big ones that should be really well received and others that will greatly enhance the overall gameplay experience.
After getting a significant amount of time with NCAA Football 09 I’ve compiled my initial thoughts on the game and details on features. The games were played on All-American difficulty and five minute quarters and I took part mostly in head-to-head. You can check over at NCAA Strategies and PSU for more hands-on details as well.
Because of the vast amount of info there is to lay out I’ve broken it into two parts the second of which can be found here. Part one goes over things that relate more to the gameplay and part two will concentrate more on the new features (homefield, online dynasty, ect). Keep in mind that this is an early build still very much a work in progress and that some of the issues mentioned can be improved on or fixed by release time and hopefully the feedback will help lead to that happening.
IGN has posted up four new gameplay clips from NCAA Football 09. These offer easily the best representation of the game so far, although I didn’t really see any “wow” moments in these like were witnessed first hand. Don’t forget both parts of my hands-on with NCAA 09 will be coming tonight at midnight eastern. Make sure to check out the videos in high-res by clicking here.
This morning’s press release announcing Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 included some details of what to expect this year. Tiger Woods’ personal coach Hank Haney will assist gamers and contribute to dynamic personalized gameplay along with enhancements to Gamernet and online play. The game will be releasing on Tuesday August 26th.
Looking to drive the ball long and straight? Trying to nail the pin with the approach shot? An all-new addition to this year’s game, Haney will assist gamers as they hit the links and try to advance their career to win the FedExCup. In Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09, a player’s skill level is dynamic, constantly adjusting throughout the round just as it would during a real afternoon out on the links. Following each round, Haney will deliver customized feedback on a player’s performance. This feedback system allows all gamers, rookies or PGA TOUR pros, to compete and enjoy the game at any level.
This seems to be a trend in the 09 titles. From the QB challenge after interceptions in NCAA, to Madden 09’s backtrack feature, to this EA is attempting to assist players in learning how to play the games and improve their skills the right way.
EA SPORTS GamerNet is a ground-breaking online innovation that features a refined, easy-to-use interface in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09. EA SPORTS GamerNet challenges, such as long drive, approach shots and putting will be delivered instantly throughout all game modes and players will have the ability to post their challenges from the fairways. EA SPORTS GamerNet also features an all-new daily leaderboard and challenges customized to fit an individual’s playing style.
I don’t remember specifically the issues people had with Gamernet last year, outside of the frustration of knowing most of the shots that were up could not be replicated.
Online play has also been enhanced with Simultaneous Play. This all-new online engine gives up to four players the ability to play each hole at the same time, allowing players to get in a rhythm, swing when they are ready and make one round of golf even faster and more competitive than ever before possible.
This is certainly a positive change. No one wants to sit around doing nothing for half the time. Keeping the pace and action up will make online games much more enjoyable.
