06-18-2004, 05:28 PM
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#1
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Rookie
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My view on the current Madden series
Personally, Madden 2005 appears to be the same game as previous years, with only minimal improvements. I find it disappointing that EA has failed to innovate, both graphically and via gameplay mechanics, for the past 3 years. When I purchased Madden last year, I finally realized that I had been playing basically the same game for years. I'm tired of the comic book visuals and the same gameplay feel. For 2005, I expected a more realistic graphics engine. Instead, the sreenshots and movies that I have seen feature players out of a comic book with upperbodies the size of the Hulk. The Create-A-Fan feature is a futile attempt to combat the presentation embodied in ESPN. With the create-a-fan feature, there is 1 custom created fan to add to the presentation aspect of the game. This is crucially lacking in comparison to ESPN's amazing cutscenes, on-field interviews, half-time show with video highlights, sportscenter segment of the day's games, etc. Additionally, these presentation features in ESPN provide a conduit to the most realistic NFL experience for players. In terms of gameplay, I'm tired of dropping back 15 yards and firing a successful long bomb off the heel of my foot. I'm tired of the unrealistic running game where running backs sometimes just bounce off defenders. I'm tired of the dry and dull commentary from Michaels and Madden. I'm tired of the lack of presentation and atmosphere of the game. Aside from such grievances, I still believe Madden is a solid football game, but one that falls short in taking the intiative to raise the bar for quality each consecutive year.
The problem I have with Madden is that EA has failed to implement appropriate improvements to keep the game fresh and inventive. For example, last year's game featured virtually the same visuals from its predecessor, and the added Playmaker feature. This particular gameplay addition was a great unique idea, but it also constituted the title's only major improvement across all levels of production that year. The end result? Good gameplay akin to years before, but nothing pioneering in terms of the football videogame genre, which resulted in another half-efforted production in my eyes. Imo, madden needs to revamp its graphics engine to conform to the more realistic visuals of ESPN and apply drastic changes in its presentation to fully integrate the player into the football atmosphere.
ESPN will have my money this year for being the most innovative and realistic football game on the market. Hopefully Madden will make the necessary improvements to win back my support in 2006. With the spectacular improvements in ESPN 2K5 this year, the pressure on EA to improve the Madden series is immense. I hope my decision to purchase a football game next year will not be as easy.
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