Madden NFL 12 Season in Review
 

Another year, another Madden.

With the NFL season winding down, many sports gamers already have begun removing Madden from their gaming consoles and replacing it with offerings from other sports. However, as Lee Corso would say: “not so fast my friends.”

Let’s take a look back at Madden 12 and what the latest offering from the boys at EA Sports and Tiburon gave us — and didn’t give us.

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I don't understand how the additional camera angles could be pointed to as "bad". The camera work in the game is actually one of Madden 12's strong points, IMO (a few small targeting glitches notwithstanding). Each stadium feels a bit different, and the game is closer to matching a television broadcast from a visual standpoint than it has been at any previous point in the series. Critical feedback obviously is welcome, but IMO this should be praised.

Rather, any argument critical of the presentation needs to start and end with the commentary, which was historically bad in this entry of Madden and personally was my one glaring issue with the game. Players called by the wrong names, exactly one pre-game storyline for non-divisional and non-playoff games ("home field advantage"), awkward exchanges between Gus Johnson and Cris Collinsworth, and so on.

Parting note, I've had no issues with the return game in Madden. In my experience, return touchdowns are rare, but possible, as they should be.

I'm not a hardcore Madden player. Personally, I stink at Madden. I can't read defenses for anything among other things. So given that, I thought gameplay was fine. Hardcore Madden-ites feel free to disagree with me all you want. I'm not saying there probably weren't flaws just that I didn't really notice them because I wasn't looking for them.

Commentary on the other hand was, at best, awful. Collinsworth and Gus Johnson have zero chemistry. Get Al Michaels back, at least he works with Collinsworth on Sunday Night Football. I can't count how many times I have seen a "pick 6" and the commentary is about how the cornerback went for the pick, didn't get it, and the result was a big play for the offense. SAY WHAT!!!!!????? Also, players called by the wrong names, commentary that doesn't match up with the play result, etc....

Biggest issue that I personally had was hot and cold players. One big run should not make a player hot for the game, nor should a dropped Interception make a DB cold for a game. These go both ways for the CPU and Human players. If a DB drops a pass it seems as though you could pick on them all gameand put up huge numbers. In the same vein, You could get one big run and consistantly rattle off 10 yard runs the rest of the game. I think Hot and Cold was way over done. Yet when I loaded up PSN last nite and saw it for 30 bucks, I couldn't resist. Had to get it again.

The camera cuts were something I was glad to see. Furthermore, the dirty uniforms finally looked right. Playing on grass gave us green grass stains instead of the "doo doo brown" we have seen from Madden and NCAA in the past. Players even picked up black ground rubber stains playing on field turf which was great to see.

The commentary does need a total overhall. It isn't fluid. There is no flow. Johnson's lines and coding have him as excited about a 7 yard out route as he is about an 80 yard touchdown run. EA needs to look at games with dynamic commentary like 2k and and the show to see how it can put you in the action.

Re: Madden NFL 12 Season in Review
 

It's a shame that users feel compelled to have to explain why they enjoyed the gameplay just so the hounds don't pounce.

Madden 12 for me provided a similar experience as M11 & M10: they have obvious flaws, but not to the extent that I can't play the game and have fun til the next one comes out.

I think M12 overall, outside of commentary, was a step forward -- it's just that some longstanding issues still went unaddressed and some new issues cropped up with little-to-no comment from EA.

Re: Madden NFL 12 Season in Review
 

I am still playing Madden 12. That says a lot for me. The last time I played Madden more than 2 seasons in franchise was back on the PS2 and Madden 2007 (I think I must have played 6-7 franchise years on that one and did not get a new madden till Madden 10 for PS3).

The Good:

1) Franchise mode - was greatly improved from Madden 10/11. I enjoy being a GM again. I love the expanded rosters, I love the UDFA feature despite some issues with it. If anything it is a great start that should be fined tuned for Madden 13. I am in the minority on this but I loved the new FA bidding system. It is fast, and to the point. You can prep for it by going through each roster and notating in your sprial notebook who will be available and make a priority/target list. Then it is on.

2) DPP/hot & cold streaks - This is an awesome feature and truly changed franchise mode for me. I loved tracking this during games and adjusting personnel as needed to help offset guys in a funk. And also knowing my CPU counterparts hot players and exploiting their cold ones.

3) Defensive AI - IMO improved greatly from Madden 10/11

4) Overall AI - with the right slider set was much improved.

5) Madden Draft Classes and scouting system - I like it. Please build on it.

6) new cuts and camera angles - I loved them. they added a lot. Don't "x" through all the cut aways and you will see more immersion in your playing experience.

The bad:

Penalties - a legacy issue. I have seen PI but I can count on my one hand how many times in 3 plus seasons. Variety please! I would like to see for offline vs the cpu a system where we see illegal hands to the face, unsportsmanlike conduct for a late hit out of bounds, illegal contact, defensive holding. And you can incorporate your coaching staffs ratings and create a player discipline rating that can guide how much or how less your team get's hit with the laundry.

DE - sucked into blocks every single time. You can't control them on defense if you want any shot at your DE getting sacks. What you end up having to do is let the cpu control the DE and switch to them if you see them break free....or just let the cpu control them throughout. They are useless in Madden.

Tackling - although improved....it is still not where it needs to be. No wrap up tackles. It just does not feel organic. I felt like when I hit a guy they went flying every single time. Not enough true to life feel in tackling.

Defense overall - It's not really that much fun to play defense on Madden. I can't put my finger on it but it just feels boring. What i end up doing is the no switch rule and letting the player ratings play itself out. I stick with a MLB or DT and if I get blocked out of the play...it is up to my AI teammates to make the play. It does get boring.


Lack of halftime/weekly franchise show - Huge for offline players like myself. I still love the presentation I get from the 2 other games in my signature. Even after playing multiple seasons I love the immersion. Madden needs this polish in a bad way for it's improving franchise mode. USE THE ESPN/NFL NETWORK LICENSE TO THE MAX GUYS!!!!


The Ugly

Sound/play by play - yep stated it a million times. beating a dead horse...get a new team in there and it must....I mean must be dynamic play by play and color. I want to feel like my franchise is a living breathing mode...with comments on streaks, key games, big match-ups, playoff races, NFL season or lifetime records being broken. This takes effort and more importantly resources to get it done.

Lack of NFL Films music - this was a major bummer. I love that soundtrack and it would have been nice in franchise mode this year since I spend a lot of time doing roster managment, trades, resigning etc. What the heck happened to that!


So overall this was the best Madden since 2007 (PS2/XBOX) for me. It is a fun game overall. I enjoy playing it and will continue to play it till Madden 13 (if 13 is a nice upgrade).

Area's of opportunity:

Presentation - overall play by play/color. Add true halftime show and franchise mode weekly show with rumors, key injuries, key resignings, hold outs, and weekly highlights of games around the league. Also during games flashing scores on a scroll like they do IRL with scores, stats from around the league.

On the field - continue to improve tackling, player movements, passing trajectory, defensive AI and CPU play calling. Focus on WR/DB interaction as well as OL/DL interaction.


Madden made decent strides. I hope to see Madden 13 take a bold step because it will need to in order to get my dollars. Otherwise Madden 12 will do for another year.

"Overall, the latest Madden offering was a slight improvement over previous versions. And just like those previous versions, it could have been much better."

The story of Maddens life. We'll be saying the exact same thing next year about htis time. Nothing changes.

As much as I hate to admit, I've given up hope for this franchise to be turned around. The exclusive license was the worst thing to ever happen to Madden. It allowed the programmers to get lazy and it shows in the stupid things that crop up every year in this game. I love Madden...it's more a religion at my house. Been playing it since the early days on Sega Genesis (Yes....I know it was a PC game before that), and every year release day is like a holiday here. But I think I am going to sit 2013 out until the programmers up the ante and clear up some of these issues. One huge issue I have with this franchise is the kicking game. Agree on a control method and stick with it. Every year they change the way you kick. One year you may use the right stick, then the next you hit a button and use a meter, then the next you might flick a booger on the screen while rubbing your feet together. They don't ever change the way you pass or run, so why mess with such an integral part of the game so much?