Madden vs. ESPN- a year later (well, make it six months)

[bigeastbumrush]

Great post seanmac.

The only thing that I would have to say is after playing both Madden and ESPN, ESPN 2K5 is hands down the best video football game that I've ever played. This isn't criticism of Madden nor fanboyism (because I've bought ever Madden except 2003) but 2K5 captures absolutely everything that I look for in a football game.

No one game is flawless.

But, to me, 2K5, looks, feels and plays like the NFL. The ESPN presentation is a huge plus as well. The stat overlays, replays, sideline action and especially the Halftime Report is top notch.

I never have enjoyed running the football before. Looking for holes, quickly shifting my HB, etc. This was the first time since playing these games that I've seen where the timing of your speed burst truly effects the outcome of the run. You have to wait for your blockers to block before you use your speed burst.

To me, Madden felt & looked too much like NFL Fever. It was bombs away or break 60+ yard runs nearly every game for me. 2K5 was more momentum based. Get a turnover, score and then the pressure's really on the other team.

Besides KRs and PRs, I love the product that ESPN put out last year.

[NickChew]

Quote: Originally Posted by bigeastbumrush

Great post seanmac. The only thing that I would have to say is after playing both Madden and ESPN, ESPN 2K5 is hands down the best video football game that I've ever played. This isn't criticism of Madden nor fanboyism (because I've bought ever Madden except 2003) but 2K5 captures absolutely everything that I look for in a football game. No one game is flawless. But, to me, 2K5, looks, feels and plays like the NFL. The ESPN presentation is a huge plus as well. The stat overlays, replays, sideline action and especially the Halftime Report is top notch. I never have enjoyed running the football before. Looking for holes, quickly shifting my HB, etc. This was the first time since playing these games that I've seen where the timing of your speed burst truly effects the outcome of the run. You have to wait for your blockers to block before you use your speed burst. To me, Madden felt & looked too much like NFL Fever. It was bombs away or break 60+ yard runs nearly every game for me. 2K5 was more momentum based. Get a turnover, score and then the pressure's really on the other team. Besides KRs and PRs, I love the product that ESPN put out last year.

Amen brother.

Great post seanmac

[RubenDouglas]

although 2k5 took some getting used to, i have to say I like them equally

[seanmac]

Quote: Originally Posted by bigeastbumrush

Great post seanmac. The only thing that I would have to say is after playing both Madden and ESPN, ESPN 2K5 is hands down the best video football game that I've ever played. This isn't criticism of Madden nor fanboyism (because I've bought ever Madden except 2003) but 2K5 captures absolutely everything that I look for in a football game. No one game is flawless. But, to me, 2K5, looks, feels and plays like the NFL. The ESPN presentation is a huge plus as well. The stat overlays, replays, sideline action and especially the Halftime Report is top notch. I never have enjoyed running the football before. Looking for holes, quickly shifting my HB, etc. This was the first time since playing these games that I've seen where the timing of your speed burst truly effects the outcome of the run. You have to wait for your blockers to block before you use your speed burst. To me, Madden felt & looked too much like NFL Fever. It was bombs away or break 60+ yard runs nearly every game for me. 2K5 was more momentum based. Get a turnover, score and then the pressure's really on the other team. Besides KRs and PRs, I love the product that ESPN put out last year.

Well, Madden is nothing like NFL Fever this year. It can be pretty brutal defensively. Unfortunately, a lot of that comes through questionable tactics, i.e. packing the box with a quarters defense, blitzing from all angles and playing bump n' run on all the receivers to hold them up at the line. But not all of it. It's very possible to play some wicked defense in Madden without resorting to those tactics, and the defensive playmaker abilities allow you to be very inventive and cerebral in your approach. It just happens to be easier to call a quarters under smoke all game.

And unless I'm playing someone who is much better than me or who I am much better than, I tend to find my ESPN games take on the rhythm of basketball more than football. What's important is to control the clock and line up your scores so you can go two for one, whether it's by holding the ball and scoring in the last seconds of the half and then receiving the ball in the third quarter, or building off of one defensive stop- the games are short enough that getting two scores ahead is a close to insurmountable advantage. That's not necessarily a product of the game so much as it is of playing with 5 minute quarters, but the fairly leisurely pace of play- I can easily chew up four minutes in a drive when I go ball control- tends to play into that dynamic.

Thanks for all the compliments, everyone.

[wwharton]

Quote: Originally Posted by seanmac

I considered mentioning it, but I haven't run into someone who was really deadly with the DT in a while. The pass rush can come very hard from someone controlling a defensive lineman, but because there are perfectly legitimate ways of dealing with a heavy rush coming from the end- running at that defender, calling rollouts to the other side, or even waiting for the guy to come tearing around the corner and stepping up and then rolling left into the space he vacated. Up the gut can be tough to deal with, though. This one kind of straddles the line between being a bug and being representative of the disruption a good defensive lineman can wreak (the D-line play is certainly more satisfying than Madden thanks to the lack of suction blocking).

What you described I think is one of the good things about the game. But there is a way to get the DT to go in untouched pretty much every time. You'd have to play random cheesers to see it.

I usually play games with 7 or 8 minute quarters for the reasons you mentioned. Being able to play a quick game is cool and is why an accelerated clock would be perfect, but if you want a more realistic experience you have to play a little longer. Madden seems ok with 5 min qtrs but then they drop then down to 4. Don't get that.

[seanmac]

There is also a way to get the defensive end to speed rush around the offensive tackle before the tackle has had a chance to react, something along the lines of the analog blitzing that is the norm in NCAA. Those sorts of things are in there, but I don't regularly run across people who utilize them. Hence, it's a latent problem but not a manifested one. In Madden, maybe because there are so many more people who play it, maybe because of the nature of the game, it seems like the majority of the people I play utilize gamey tactics. Sometimes I get legimitately good games in Madden, but it's not the norm. In ESPN, usually the worst thing that happens is that I agree to play someone who is 64-2 against my better judgment, beat them easily, and then have them pull the plug before they can get a loss. Annoying but not detrimental to the game experience itself.

[NAMEUSER]

Quote: Originally Posted by seanmac

There is also a way to get the defensive end to speed rush around the offensive tackle before the tackle has had a chance to react, something along the lines of the analog blitzing that is the norm in NCAA. Those sorts of things are in there, but I don't regularly run across people who utilize them. Hence, it's a latent problem but not a manifested one. In Madden, maybe because there are so many more people who play it, maybe because of the nature of the game, it seems like the majority of the people I play utilize gamey tactics. Sometimes I get legimitately good games in Madden, but it's not the norm. In ESPN, usually the worst thing that happens is that I agree to play someone who is 64-2 against my better judgment, beat them easily, and then have them pull the plug before they can get a loss. Annoying but not detrimental to the game experience itself.

Is this SeanMac from Stanford???

[seanmac]

No, sorry.