Dissecting the Madden NFL 18 Features Reveal

[RaychelSnr]

All aboard the Madden hype train!

We've officially started the slow ramp up to a new season of Madden NFL, as the first details (and footage) of Madden NFL 18 hit the wild yesterday. The inclusion of Tom Brady as the cover athlete is a bold move -- but ultimately cover athlete's importance is probably waning quite a bit.

What is important are the details which were revealed about the game. Here's my quick breakdown:

• Target Passing, who knows? This could be a major, major thing or a gimmicky feature like the passing cone. My question is how much is it forced upon players? My second question is, regardless, how good and effective is it going to be? I'm full wait and see on this one.
• Frostbite Engine looks good. If nothing else, the trailer really sells that Madden is taking a pretty solid step ahead visually. The lighting and stadiums are a solid step ahead. It seems like some details weren't included in the trailer (did you notice the barren sidelines?). Animations and players look similar, but overall the game will likely look a bit better this year versus prior years.
• The Play Styles Totally Are for eSports. I mean, there's no confirmation of this, but its pretty clear the Madden team is wanting to grow that segment of the audience and a play style fully focused on 'Competitive' will do that. Most OS'ers are looking at Simulation and hoping for the best. So am I.
• Franchise mode isn't getting anything big. The description adds nothing new and is an overview of the mode as we know it. I have a feeling the Frostbite upgrade took a lot of time and resources and the actual enhancements to modes, etc. is going to be focused on the card and competitive modes. I know, I don't like it either but it is what it is.
• Coverage Assignments, maybe it'll be fun to be a CB or S? There's been a lot of work in previous years to make Madden fun on both sides of the ball. The area that still lacks is playing pass coverage. Hopefully these will help with playing a DB in Madden.
• Coaching Adjustments: I'm on full wait and see. The details don't sound like anything that I'm not already doing myself during games. But I am guessing something about this will enhance the strategic side of the game, maybe?

Overall

The big leap with Madden this year is going to be the Frostbite engine. FIFA last year went through the same transition with no huge areas of progress. It's likely the upgrade took a lot of time and resources and big back of the box additions probably were hard to come by. Regardless, the Frostbite engine was instantly noticeable as an upgrade in environmental visuals -- I'm excited to see gameplay to see how it all ties together when the game is actually running in a way we will actually experience it.



What did you think of yesterday's Madden reveals?

[howboutdat]

"Franchise mode isn't getting anything big. "


I really hope your wrong about this, but honestly i know deep down your probably right.Last year was hyped as a focus on franchise , that really wasn't anymore added to last year cfm than previous years. So i can already see this as being a bland year for CFM, which sucks, because im not getting any younger and the whole " just wait" montra with EA is about to run its course for myself and alot of people ive talked with if they cant really improve the mode. I mean how many more years can a person hear, just wait......


Personally the visuals were already fine in game. So much more work is needed in madden, that if we just get some visual upgrades as the biggest things this madden gets..... talk about a huge disappointment . Wait another full year for any real improvements, while i feel your probably right, that is just a huge, huge letdown, almost depressing.

[DeuceDouglas]

Quote: Originally Posted by MMChrisS

Target Passing, who knows? This could be a major, major thing or a gimmicky feature like the passing cone. My question is how much is it forced upon players? My second question is, regardless, how good and effective is it going to be? I'm full wait and see on this one.

Definitely the most interested in this and I think it will fall somewhere in between. I worry it may be too clunky or too simple compared to what they're depicting but more than likely it will fall somewhere in between.

Quote: Originally Posted by MMChrisS

The Play Styles Totally Are for eSports. I mean, there's no confirmation of this, but its pretty clear the Madden team is wanting to grow that segment of the audience and a play style fully focused on 'Competitive' will do that. Most OS'ers are looking at Simulation and hoping for the best. So am I.

Definitely feeling this way the more I think about it. We see separate settings and think they're for us but the truth is that, among the three, we're at the bottom of the totem pole. So while we think it might be for us I think it is also is totally for eSports and basically Simulation mode will be what's already there and the Competitive side will see more significant attention and alterations in gameplay.

Quote: Originally Posted by MMChrisS

Franchise mode isn't getting anything big. The description adds nothing new and is an overview of the mode as we know it. I have a feeling the Frostbite upgrade took a lot of time and resources and the actual enhancements to modes, etc. is going to be focused on the card and competitive modes. I know, I don't like it either but it is what it is.

So disappointing. I think Story Mode may have played a role in this as well. It'll see "improvements" but for a mode that is so ridiculously far behind other sports games in this category it's disappointing to see it continue to be in the state it is. If last year was what they considered an overhaul, (at least at one point since they went back and deleted the tweet) I don't even want to think about what this year entails. Said it perfectly though, it is what it is.

Quote: Originally Posted by MMChrisS

Coverage Assignments, maybe it'll be fun to be a CB or S? There's been a lot of work in previous years to make Madden fun on both sides of the ball. The area that still lacks is playing pass coverage. Hopefully these will help with playing a DB in Madden.

This is going to be interesting. When I think Coverage Assignments, I think best-on-best and matching up certain players on specific receivers which Rex has also alluded to but the way this was worded made it seem like an assist like the Running Line or Path Assist for the ball-carrier last year. Wait and see but this could be really bad if they call it this and it's not what most people have been wanting or expecting.

Quote: Originally Posted by MMChrisS

Coaching Adjustments: I'm on full wait and see. The details don't sound like anything that I'm not already doing myself during games. But I am guessing something about this will enhance the strategic side of the game, maybe?

Same thoughts. I worry it might be more of the arbitrary boosts like we see with CFM Gameplanning which I wouldn't like. Seems like it could be a "gamey" mechanic but I'll have to wait and see.

[Cowboy008]

I also hope that you're wrong that Franchise mode isn't getting anything big. There's so much they can add to the mode to make it better. It's the only mode I play and I'm holding out hope that they did add at least a few things to franchise mode that will make it better.

[BlackBetty15]

Quote: Originally Posted by howboutdat

"Franchise mode isn't getting anything big. " I really hope your wrong about this, but honestly i know deep down your probably right.Last year was hyped as a focus on franchise , that really wasn't anymore added to last year cfm than previous years. So i can already see this as being a bland year for CFM, which sucks, because im not getting any younger and the whole " just wait" montra with EA is about to run its course for myself and alot of people ive talked with if they cant really improve the mode. I mean how many more years can a person hear, just wait...... Personally the visuals were already fine in game. So much more work is needed in madden, that if we just get some visual upgrades as the biggest things this madden gets..... talk about a huge disappointment . Wait another full year for any real improvements, while i feel your probably right, that is just a huge, huge letdown, almost depressing.

Agreed...i mean...even something as simple as a different GUI in franchise...wpuld be a nice addition.

[howboutdat]

Quote: Originally Posted by BlackBetty15

Agreed...i mean...even something as simple as a different GUI in franchise...wpuld be a nice addition.

well im affraid thats pretty much mostly what we will get there. I mean, i know it could be better, but honestly, every single year it seems almost 3/8 of the improvements to CFM is UI stuff. I could live with it in current state for a while , so they could focus alot more on :

1- Making new features work correctly for launch.

2- Add more new features that are needed and wanted by the community at large.


Im rather tired of the UI stuff being counted as new parts to cfm, when its really just a makeover.Most of the " big decision" stuff from last year, they acted as if they really added something to the mode, when in reality they didnt .It was stuff that was already in the mode, just now you see it on a different screen. I mean , i am sorry i do not count that as adding to the mode really.The only things in big decisions that was actually new was , setting coach goal ( very minor) and choice to bring player back early from injury ( which if you asked most in online leagues at least im willing to bet less than 10% ever did because of the risk in re- injury for longer and the huge loss in attributes just to put him on the field 1-2 weeks early).


I mean i personally have had enough of the UI chages, add features that work please!

[mcpats]

I hope the companion app they mentioned really does allow for you to manage your franchise (XP allotment, draft points, depth chart, etc) away from the console. This could be a sneaky game changer, especially in all human leagues

[JayStarr]

That is so bad. Smh. In fifa frostbite is a minor improvement. Looks like sim fans screwed again. And don't expect to be able to have custom draft classes either. Ugh Ea why do you do this to us.