NCAA Football 12

The best football game to date.

There are still a couple of features that need to be tweaked, such as recruiting, but with the addition of custom playbooks, the coaching carousel, conference realignments, and a fully revamped Road to Glory mode, NCAA Football has shown great strides in the last couple of titles, and NCAA Football 12 is the result of a development team putting in some hard work to make the fans happy.

With all the new game play additions, better menus and customization options, a revamped Road to Glory mode, Custom Conferences, a new tackling engine, and presentation that represents all the major Game Day Traditions, ESPN overlays, and very cool replays that not only happen during big plays, but even are recapped at quarter's end and game's end, you really couldn't ask for anything more.

NCAA Football 12 is simply loaded with content, as always, and most of what is here will seem familiar on the surface. Those that really dive into the meat of the game, though, will find so many welcome changes that it is hard not to appreciate what Tiburon has done here.

It ain't perfect – and we're more convinced than ever that perfection in an HD sports game is an impossibility – but it is another soaring triumph that has something for just about everyone.

Once again, EA Sports NCAA franchise has managed to up-the-ante resulting in a game that is more authentic and enjoyable than ever before.

NCAA 12 is better than NCAA 11, and yet I feel like we've come to the point in the series' lifecycle where the changes – while all worthwhile – are getting harder to notice.

Though these issues hamper the experience, NCAA Football 12 still stands as one of the strongest recent entrants in the series.

Like a fifth-year senior, NCAA Football 12 relies on its experience more than improving its game. With minimal improvements where it matters most, it doesn't have the benefit of updated rosters of real players to help its case. It's undoubtedly the best game in the series to date, but when you can pick up last year's game for a fraction of the cost, it's difficult to recommend at full price.

Simply put, this game warrants a purchase whether you have NCAA Football 11 or not.

It's basically a slightly better version of last year's game, which isn't a terrible thing at all since I loved it, but those of you hoping for anything groundbreaking are probably going to be disappointed.

The gameplay is the sweetness fans expect, but it's largely unchanged. That's not a knock -- you don't need to reinvent the wheel every year -- but it does keep NCAA Football 12 from feeling like a groundbreaking experience. Instead, it's more like a special edition of NCAA Football 11, which I'm more than happy to play for hours and hours.

Overall, NCAA Football 12 is largely unchanged from last year's product – and this is not a bad thing. However, there are enough new features in the package to make it worth the money. The deeper Dynasty mode, including expanded coaching options and careers and online leagues, and always-addicting Road to Glory mode will keep you coming back for more. This is an easy recommend for fans of the series.

In the end NCAA 12 is a success on the field where it counts, and I strongly suggest playing in an online league with some friends as this is the best way to enjoy the game's dynasty mode. That said, we are at a point where NCAA has hit its ceiling. Yes, it's a good game and better than last year, and I suspect that most fans will have a grand old time with it, but hopefully NCAA 13 can finally be the complete and total package.

Easily the best way to enjoy NCAA Football 12 comes from Road to Glory mode, where your player can go from high school to senior year, all the while earning every step of the way through in-game accomplishments.

If you crave a bit more outside of just football and legacy modes, NCAA is the all comprehensive product you're seeking.

The robust feature sets and game modes help the replay value of this title as the season wears on.

It's a genuinely great football game, but this edition delivers the kind of small-scale updates that only a paints-his-chest-and-face-on-Saturdays fan could love.

There is no doubt that NCAA Football 12 is a great game of college football. What it isn't however is a huge upgrade from last years game. If your looking for a new feel to the Road to Glory mode then this is definitely one you want to check out. Otherwise there isn't enough new here to make this a must purchase.

For the litany of improvements, the feeling that EA Tiburon has stopped taking any chances with the franchise is inescapable. After six years on the current generation of consoles, it's time to take a risk and give football fans something new to get excited about. As it stands, NCAA Football is in the very unusual position of being both the best-in-class football game, and a total underachiever.

You may have to be a football fanatic to like this game, but if you are you will love it.

The on-field action is as exciting as ever, but off-the-field problems drag NCAA Football 12 down to the turf.

A modest revision from last year's game, NCAA Football 12 brings adequate football gameplay with robust multiplayer dynasty features, for a price.