PlayStation 2
Released in 2002 by 989 Sports
Grade: C-
NCAA GameBreaker 2003 is a bland relic. It’s plagued with primitive gameplay that was lightyears behind the Madden and 2K games of its time.
Where it falls in the series
On PS2, GameBreaker had only three installments, 2001, 2003, and 2004, before calling it quits. I’m not sure why there’s no 2002 version, but 989 skipped a couple years in their hockey series too, and nearly all their games sucked, so I think it’s safe to say that this company just didn’t have it together.
Praises and gripes
It’s not the worst football game ever or anything. It’s fairly easy to control. It has a simple, arcade-like feel that some people might like. The playbooks are decent, and the plays operate how they’re supposed to. The graphics are clear enough to see what’s happening. The sound is mediocre, but not annoying.
The trouble is it’s extremely shallow. Offense is easy. Offensive linemen can literally block two guys at once. Quarterbacks can fire the ball like a bullet, and it’s usually caught, even though you don’t see an animation of a receiver catching it. Quarterbacks also have an easy time running out of the pocket.
Defense, as a result, is pretty frustrating. The running control is almost too responsive, so it’s easy to whiff a tackle. Players don’t have any built-in awareness of their surroundings. They’re quick little machines that suddenly crumble like a pile of bricks when they collide. There’s a slight delay when you switch players, and you often end up controlling just another guy who isn’t near the ball. Rushing the QB and filling gaps doesn’t feel quite right.
Actually, a lot of stuff doesn’t feel quite right. There’s an odd jump between the snap and players starting to move, especially on run plays. The default camera angle makes the ball hard to follow as it’s zipping through the air. The kick meter is difficult, even on the easiest setting.
Strategic adjustments are basically non-existent on both sides of the ball. The playcall screen is ugly and illogical, which was a 989 Sports tradition. The CPU is one-dimensional.
I had modest hopes that this might provide a bit of PS2 nostalgia joy, but it’s just terribly weak.