Madden NFL 11 Demo Available Now, Please Post Impressions Here

[Sausage]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Demo Available Now, Please Post Impressions Here

After playing the demo adusting the speed to normal, using gameflow and using the strategy pad; I have to say the videos don't do Madden 11 any justice. This game is much better than I expected and I am officially "uber" excited for my retail copy.

Locomotion (it feels just right, not over or under done on normal speed).

Gameflow (very cool, and perfect for those who just want to move from play to play).

Coordinator (not annoying as expected, pretty immersive actually).

Transititions from play to play much better (the game just flows better from down to down).

Commentators (again better when actually playing, Gus surprised me a few times with his exhuberance).

*Another plus for me was how nicely commentary went from play to a replay; and so far each replay was nicely done.

*I didn't have many penalties, but there was a nice replay as the referee was calling the penalty, replay was showing it while you chose to accept or decline.

These are just a few of my impressions and I cannot wait to play more.

I forgot to mention one thing

Strategy Pad, I have to say to have so streamlined has made it so easy to use, it took a few seconds to adjust to and I was making all adjustments in seconds.

Well, hope you guys are enjoying the demo and football games again. For the next couple of months I stay off the Madden/NCAA boards, because it gets a little crazy. I will see you on the other boards.

I keep adding to my impressions, running blocking is definitely a breath of fresh air; similar to NCAA, o-line looking for defenders to block; I believe I noticed head tracking as well. Pass blocking has been refined, but I liked it last year as well.

One other thing I can tell the Madden team worked is on is "little animations" which give the players a more life like behaviors. There is a lot less sudden stops and players moving in synchronization; just looks more organic.

[jamaster14]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Demo Available Now, Please Post Impressions Here

game is a 10/10 GAMEPLAY wise for me.

its a 1/10 when factoring in strat pad. thought it would grow on me, but after 30 or so games, i hate it more and more. i wont buy it unless they patch strat pad.

i will commend EA on doing an EXCELLENT job on gameplay. man coverage, the deep ball, run game, player movment... all greatly improved. bravo

[BlueNGold]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Demo Available Now, Please Post Impressions Here

Played 2 games early this morning. Loving the gameplay and the feel of locomotion.

For me I actually prefer Madden's locomotion over NCAA's. I don't know why but it feels like there's more weight to the players and I love how, for example, Joseph Addai feels light, quick and agile but Shonn Greene feels heavy, strong and powerful. You also see a big difference with Dwight Freeney when you use him compared to other d-lineman. It just makes the players feel more like their real selves and it has a great feel to it. It's almost like some kind of "Signature Movement" in a way. Can't wait to use Adrian Peterson in the full version to see how he feels.

And damn, Darrelle Revis flies in this game with how fast and quick he is. I actually almost had a user INT in man to man usering him from the start but he dropped it.

Speaking of WR's/DB's, has anyone noticed the route running? After that missed user INT with Revis I was feeling cocky so I decided to line up using him in man to man again. I was covering Anthony Gonzalez and he made me bite hard with this really nice head fake and burned me on a slant. I was impressed.

Catching is also looking nice. You can tell that catching animation tool did big work on that aspect. Everything looks really natural. I had probably my greatest catch in Madden ever with Santonio Holmes on a long bomb that looked like I overthrew it because it was heading towards the back of the endzone but Santonio kept his feet inside the endzone, reached out and grabbed the ball while dragging his feet down.

My only problems so far are the Strategy Pad, which isn't even that much of an issue, just going to take some getting used to and I had a play where Revis jumped a route but dropped the pick, then the ball went right through his body into Reggie Wayne's hands. Only time I've seen that though so hopefully it doesn't happen in the full retail version.

[ab2c4]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Demo Available Now, Please Post Impressions Here

I'll start off with the only possible negative that I have at the moment: there is only one set of sliders in the demo. I hope to God in the retail version there are both sets (for Human and CPU).

As for the rest of the demo I came away very impressed. I think the gameplay is a nice improvement over Madden 10. The gameplay I thought was pretty smooth. I like the play calling screens as well as how you call audibles. Graphically, it's fantastic, I love it.

Overall, it has the potential to be a great game........as long as both sets of sliders are in the retail version. If the retail version has both sets of sliders I think this will end up better than NCAA 11 (which I think is the best NCAA football game ever, going back to 1993 I have played every release of the game).

[wheelman990]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Demo Available Now, Please Post Impressions Here

Well, after 3 games heres my impressions

Thegame is in the step in the right direction, but for me falls short of a purchase. Heres a few

pros:
graphics
annimations
blocking
slightly in presentation

cons:
presentation still odd at times
same old madden hit sounds
skating and sliding of players
gang tackles are terrible
camera could use work
game still gets stale quickly
just nothing to keep my interest in the long run, besides the NFL licence.
bad crowd & sidelines besides cutscenes

[big_larry]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Demo Available Now, Please Post Impressions Here

Demo is okay. It's an improvement from Madden 10, but for some reason it just isn't fun.

I agree,

That's because you see the same thing year in and year out, you can predict the out come of plays, guess what tackle animations are going to trigger, the game is just not innovative at all anymore.

Im going to pass on Madden until they come up with something innovative, new, and different, im too busy to be playing games anyway, I have school, studying for my A+ exam, a job, and a girlfriend, another lame Madden game just make it easier for me to pass up.

[tedrick09]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Demo Available Now, Please Post Impressions Here

I acually really like this game. I think the passing is very realistic especially the way you can throw into the back of the end zone. I lofted a quick corner route from inside the 10 yd line and Gonzalez went up and grabbed it with one hand he was able to recognize where the out of bounds was and got both feet in. In past madden's or 2k it definitely would not have gone for a catch. The wr would have just run out of the end zone. It was the most realistic pass and catch that I have ever seen in a video game. You can't just throw hard passes anymore. It seems to me that touch is important and both manning and Sanchez have different styles. The game is a little slower but the control you have is great. In the running game you can actually follow blockers while watching your linemen pancake defenders. You can see everything happening and react accordingly. I don't think that gameflow is the greatest thing ever but I do like it. It kind of reminds me of the game head coach, but you are playing it. It also makes you have to read the field more. I'm not sure how I will like it online though. I did think it was cool that the o coordinator calls the play and gives you some pointers as well. It just seemed very realistic. The pad though I thought was horrible, but it might not be bad once it is learned. NCAA 11is a great game but I like madden 11 more, just because it feels closer to the real thing. I saw some great new animations as well on both sides of the ball. I really like the replays and I liked that they showed the doritos hit of the game. The graphics are great and I think that everyone who is criticizing this game will really like it when they are able to play the full version with their own teams. I can't wait to play with the raiders.

[FLEX6276]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Demo Available Now, Please Post Impressions Here

Ive played a couple of games today and I love the the way the coach talks into my headset and tells me the play. I hate the stradegy pad, I feel they should have kept it the same. Although the I feel it does not run a smooth as ncaa for some reason, Im still on the fence about purchasing the game on the release date. Sorry to say it still does not captivate me like 2k5. Gus is a good addition but a lot of the old frustrating things about the previous madden games are still annoying.

[ab2c4]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Demo Available Now, Please Post Impressions Here

I really hope you can move the camera in towards the line of scrimmage slightly. It seems just a tad bit pulled back too far.

[cbrock24]

I love the demo and changes made. Everyone comments how Madden never changes, they make changes, and you guys still complain. I love the differences in player types, gameflow is smooth, the new locomotion is BETTER than NCAA 11 (and it's pretty awesome in NCAA 11 btw) the new audible system has been streamlined (and once everyone gets used to the changes they will realize the changes are better)...so many positives.....and it's just the demo. I honestly think some people just comment without playing the actual games. The game has a few negatives but ALL games have small issues.

[kenlovin]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Demo Available Now, Please Post Impressions Here

Wow, cant believe Im saying this but NCAA seems way better than this game. Now to be honest I have been playing the living hell out of NCAA day and night but its kind of like my first experience playing MW after playing Halo and GOW, Madden just looks silly.

Especially the player models, basically everyone except linemen look the same. In NCAA u can tell a big TE from a safety, and LB from a receiver. I was playing FSU and their TE towered over my entire secondary.

You cant even make all the necessary pre snap adjustments with the strategy pad, youre lucky if u can make one. The lighting looks good but it looks like way to minimal of an improvement to validate a purchase.

Im a hypocrite because I will be purchasing it anyways, since I thought 10 was decent and I cant go without NFL football but man I mean I never thought I would see the day when NCAA is better than Madden, hopefully when the full game is released I wont but as of right now it is not looking too good.

[ab2c4]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Demo Available Now, Please Post Impressions Here

the sliders are there, just unaccessible in the demo. Pause the game, go to settings and you'll see USER SKILL & CPU Skill. Those are the sliders, but as I said, they are unaccessible in the demo.

Thank God! That was my only worry as I finished playing the demo. Otherwise, as I already stated, I really like this game a lot.

[StL_RaMs908]

Madden NFL 11 = FAIL

[ab2c4]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Demo Available Now, Please Post Impressions Here

I am kind of surprised at how much complaining is going on, both on the Madden and NCAA board. This year, at least to me, is shaping up to be the best football year this gen. Not only this gen but ever IMO (and I have been playing Madden and NCAA every year since 1993!).

One thing I like is that although both Madden and NCAA has some similar feel to each other, they still feel a little different. I can see myself alternating between these two games until next year this time (I usually sell both around January). This is the year I have been waiting for, for a very long time.

[maestro285]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Demo Available Now, Please Post Impressions Here

20 years later and the madden series feels the same to me year after year.
i think the whole gameplay needs an overhaul. ncca feels better overall.

i can't believe the 2k5 still cannot be topped.