Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

[hail2thevictors]

I like that you can throw a better deep ball than ncaa but I can't get a good feel for the running game cuz the running plays for NY are limited. Plus you only have 1 TO and 1:35 to score a TD, so the game feels rushed and even if you play it over and over with just passing or running the ball, it just feels like a cheap demo that I would've rather not played before the release of the game. Gonna buy it but anxious to see what backbreaker is gonna be like in a few months.

[X*Cell]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

I like that you can throw a better deep ball than ncaa but I can't get a good feel for the running game cuz the running plays for NY are limited. Plus you only have 1 TO and 1:35 to score a TD, so the game feels rushed and even if you play it over and over with just passing or running the ball, it just feels like a cheap demo that I would've rather not played before the release of the game. Gonna buy it but anxious to see what backbreaker is gonna be like in a few months.

I always keep forgetting about Backbreaker... I hope that is insane. Have their been any designer diaries on it lately?

[Likwidkewl]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

Simon,

I am hoping that the demo is different than the final build because last night I tried my hardest to get tackled during the running test and it was almost impossible. My guy would automatically shrug off tackles, or tacklers would disappear it was literally almost impossible to get tackled. I really had to work at it. Can you confirm if that is different in the final build?

Thanks for your replies.

This test tunes how good you are at breaking tackles, and it does translate into the game shutting you down (even when playing multi-player). if you want to see this in action, do really bad at this challenge, and then have some fun running people over with trucks, stiff arms, and spinning out of tackles in the madden moment (you must manually break tackles though, roll of dice days are over). I haven't played the demo (just the final build), but using your lead blockers well on the lead blocking challenge translates into how well they block for you in the game and breaking tackles translates into how well you can break tackles in the game. So those are for tuning your team's lead blocking ability and your timing precision to manually break tackles.


A couple of us like to play each other on low skill levels so we are forced to deliver hitstick or gang tackles in gameplay it makes the user really have to step up and make the hits, which is quite fun.

[Moegames]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

The demo definitely left something to be desired. Not letting us play defense makes me a little nervous as well.

Well lets hope its not because of whats been said amongst the pirates that have the game burned on recordable disc's...they are all saying its impossible to defend the pass on D. I hope its not true and i REALLY hope thats NOT why EAsports didnt put in the ability for us to play D with the demo..that would be very very low and cheap on their part to cover up that major flaw..if it is indeed true.

[GQman2121]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

What are my chances of getting to fully customize the controls? NCAA has the defensive pursuit controls locked for X and R1; is that going to be the case with Madden as well?

OMT mentioned in the NCAA thread that he knew the person who made the decision for that game, but he's yet to get an answer as to why it's there.

[countryboy]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

What are my chances of getting to fully customize the controls? NCAA has the defensive pursuit controls locked for X and R1; is that going to be the case with Madden as well?

OMT mentioned in the NCAA thread that he knew the person who made the decision for that game, but he's yet to get an answer as to why it's there.

the controls configurations are not customizable in Madden '09

[wsu_gb23]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

Why would EA release a Madden 09 demo like this one? After playing, it actually gets me less hyped for the game. What is the point of playing for 1:30 and 4th and 1? It doesn't give us much to go by.

[xV3L0CiTY]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

Why would EA release a Madden 09 demo like this one? After playing, it actually gets me less hyped for the game. What is the point of playing for 1:30 and 4th and 1? It doesn't give us much to go by.

They already know hardcore fans will buy it so it's for the average person. It leaves them hanging and wanting more possibly because of the Superbowl atmosphere.

They are trying to impress the average fan, thinking we have already made our decision to buy it. But, they need to realize they have let us hardcore fans down for years and years and they still need to impress us too.

[mwjr]

You know the graphics are exceptional, but I did notice a goofy little bug or two.

BUT...

This has GOT to be the weakest demo ever released by anyone. Good Lord, there's nothing to it. I can't even check an instant replay.

[bcruise]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

Question about the drops (I'm seeing them too, at least when I play to my potential on the IQ test):

Does the Pass Offense drill affect a WR's catching skills like the rush offense affects the runner and blockers? In other words, the better we score on it, the more our "user catch" skill has to come into play? This could be why people see the drops....the game is expecting us to user catch on AP and above, and if we don't....

Obviously, the fix for us non-user catch types would be to lower that catching slider if that's true. I definitely saw on the Rookie level that Shockey was able to catch many more passes without my input. On all Pro, he dropped several of them.

[callmetaternuts]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

I think one thing i'd like to see is to elaborate on what Simon said, what all does the Madden IQ test factor and adjust? Break tackles? Lead Blocking? Drops? Awareness? etc

[ThePPL]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

Just played the demo and I have to say I was at first disappointed with the way the game looked. The player models looked too cartoony with the way they were so short looking, the jerseys lacked realism to them, and the faces were more cartoony looking as well. The WR and TE running animation looks really bad and the drop backs looks ridiculous with the way Eli is shaking the ball as he moves down. The Madden IQ test is pretty boring after playing it a few times but that's okay because you probably only need to do it once after you first buy the game.

I will say that I liked the grass and while the quality of it doesn't look as good when zoomed up close it looks really good in a far away view. The lighting could use some work because faces and the football looked really dark. I understand it's night time but the really bright lights shining the stadium should have made the faces look brighter. I do like the fact that the players don't look widened from the widescreen view.

The football actually looks worse compared to the football in last year's madden. It's just too dark and lacks good lighting to it. I also see that the football spins too smoothly compared to last year which is something I don't like because wobbly spins looks more realistic.

I do like the tackling though because it looks more hard hitting.

Well as for the gameplay, madden still feels like madden and that's never a bad thing.

But I think I have to view this year's madden as a really different looking game this year in order to enjoy it. I just hope that the cpu quarterback is not as smart as last year madden because I couldn't enjoy versing it and I ended up playing online more than ever. The sliders don't really bug me as I always was a guy who played default all-pro. As I play through the demo more though, the look of the game doesn't bug me as much, but I still think it could have been better.

This has GOT to be the weakest demo ever released by anyone. Good Lord, there's nothing to it. I can't even check an instant replay.

Um no there is instant replay. Just wait for the playcall menu to show, then with your right stick, keep flicking left and you'll see it

[statum71]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

Like the game. Too many dropped passes though.

[GQman2121]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

the controls configurations are not customizable in Madden '09

Rubbish.......

I respectfully have to ask then: WHY?

And I pose that question the same way I did with OMT; I'll take any answer they want to give, whether it be because it was a design choice or they just flat out felt like it.

I need some form of closer with this because it is just baffling to me and my mates why we can't control the game the way we want too.

[GQman2121]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

DP: Apologies