Common Sense Media Review
Series charges on and scores again; tweens and up.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
What's It About?
NCAA FOOTBALL 07 features solid video game football. Just don't expect this installment to be too different from 06 or 05 or 04... Football fans who prefer the be-true-to-your-school intensity of college games to the cool professionalism of the pros will find a lot to like in NCAA 07. There are scores of teams to choose from, and they play in decent approximations of their real stadiums.
The game balances on-the-field action and game strategy. Controls are complex but pretty clear and provide a lot of play-calling depth while also accommodating casual fans who don't care about the difference between a PA Rollout and a PA Strike.
Is It Any Good?
NCAA 07 now captures the quick momentum shifts that characterize college contests. Gameplay is quick and engaging, with just half a minute to decide player formations, plays, and any last-second changes before the snap. Pulling off big plays improves a team's chances of executing more big plays. Such shifts help struggling teams quickly get back in a game.
The game makes at least a pretense of presenting college athletes as students as well as gridiron warriors. In a game mode called Campus Legend -- a variation on the previous year's Race for the Heisman -- players create a freshman, pick a major, and manage his study habits and social calendar over four years against a backdrop of practice drills and Saturday game days. Most of the action will be familiar to players who have seen previous games in the series, but for die-hard fans or those new to the NCAA games, NCAA 07 is a surefire score.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the role of athletics in education. Why do you think the game developers added an academic component to the game? How is playing sports good for students, and how do sports teams function as moneymaking businesses for their schools? Should athletes have the same requirements as other students? Parents can also use this game to talk about good sportsmanship and to discuss online etiquette.
Game Details
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