1Up Madden NFL 12 "Review" B-/67 on Metacritic

[JohnDoe8865]

http://www.1up.com/reviews/review-madden-nfl-12-beta

Madden reviews are pointless. That includes this one. I'm not entirely sure when that happened -- or why. But I think playing and evaluating Madden NFL 12 this year has helped me shape some theories.

Interesting read and the title of the "review" states how a lot of sports gamers are feeling these days . - How Madden NFL 12 Uses You as a Beta Tester

Thoughts?

[SECElit3]

Good to see these reviewers tightening up on EA.

[JohnDoe8865]

Re: 1Up Madden NFL 12 "Review" B-/67 on Metacritic

I hate to start a new thread for every new review so I'll just stick them in here as I find them.

Joystiq - 3.5 out of 5 or 70 on metacritic

Madden 12 does not respond to every fans' frustrations. Every year, the series brings a balance of improvement and ongoing flaws. Considering this year's game as a whole, improvements like the new presentation style and lack of player suction heavily outweigh the more minuscule issues that remain. It's a good kind of frustration for players, the kind where this year's game is definitely better than last year's, which may actually be enough incentive to give it a shot.

GamePro - 3.5 out of 5, or 70 on metacritic

PROS: Broadcast angles look great; big improvements to offline franchise; physics get much needed fixes; online communities are a great idea.
CONS: The commentary is terrible; Superstar Mode is inadequate compared to competition; the crowd still looks fake; Dynamic Player Performance seems a bit unbalanced.

[JohnDoe8865]

Re: 1Up Madden NFL 12 "Review" B-/67 on Metacritic

GamesRadar - 8/10, 80 on metacritic

You'll love

- Tackling animations superb
- Dented helmets and dirty unis
- Online communities

You'll hate

- Worst. Commentary. Ever.
- Unrealistic Superstar mode
- No hope for newbies

[JohnDoe8865]

Re: 1Up Madden NFL 12 "Review" B-/67 on Metacritic

Official Xbox Magazine - 8.5/10, 85 on metacritic

THE VERDICT

On Xbox 360

8.5

+ Looks really good, plays even better.

+ Play-calling is both smart and streamlined for casuals and diehards alike.

- Slow, annoying menus; stilted commentary.

- Who thought the new Season Ticket program was a good idea?

[Jesus]

Re: 1Up Madden NFL 12 "Review" B-/67 on Metacritic

GamesRadar - 8/10, 80 on metacritic

no commentary is worst than the smackdown series lol

[R0M0mentum09]

Re: 1Up Madden NFL 12 "Review" B-/67 on Metacritic

GamesRadar - 8/10, 80 on metacritic

"You'll love Online Communities" . . . lol I love Online Communities when I can use my much more accurate Dallas Cowboys defensive playbook within them.

[Spanky]

Re: 1Up Madden NFL 12 "Review" B-/67 on Metacritic

Good to see these reviewers tightening up on EA.

Agreed. I anticipated an EA slobber-fest from a lot of these reviewers. Good that they're instead bending EA over a table. Hopefully it hurts sales and prompts the fat cats to get off their cans and get to work, instead of starting a new "three-year plan'' every year.

[TombSong]

Re: 1Up Madden NFL 12 "Review" B-/67 on Metacritic

Wow. I thought I would never see the day when someone on a mainstream site would speak their honest feelings about the game of Madden. As I said in another thread. We cant get caught up in our personal feelings about a franchise. If someone posts reasons for why they are dogging/praising a game and can back it up with facts. How can anyone say the review is BS ? Either what you say is true or not true.

Each year EA releases its feature set and improvements for their game. Each year the review sites reviews are mainly extensions of those release clippings by EA marketing. They talk about all the games new features without going into much detail about them. They dont check to see if the features work as advertised or demonstrate if said fixes to prior years problems are really fixes.

Look at all the high scores and kudos they have gotten over the past 6 years and look at the game you have in your hands tonight. How much does this game do that your madden game in 2005 did not do ? Of the features it has that older maddens do not have, how many of those features work as advertised and how many do you think will still be in the game in 2 years ? How many of those features where in older football games and does madden do those features better now ?

I remember apex showed a video here that demonstarted beyond a shadow of a doubt that madden 04 run animations looked better than madden 10. Most agreed by apex was crucified for stating the obvious by some here, not because he was wrong, but because they simply did not like what he was saying about their beloved game.

When people here are challenged with facts they dont refute the facts with facts they call you names, call what you are saying foolish or hating or the stupidest one having a "agenda". Guess what. Everything you do has a freaking agenda. My agenda is to express what I am feeling about whatever, just as your agenda is to respond to what I am saying.

We can like or dislike whatever is said but ultimately the only thing that matters is truth. The guy in the review gave specifics on what he did not like.

I dont have the full game yet. For those who do have the game and read those bullet points in the review. What is true and what is not true ? Thats what needs to be talked about. Not your opinion of the reviewer or whether you like or not like what he is saying.

[jonesha2000]

Re: 1Up Madden NFL 12 "Review" B-/67 on Metacritic

Wow. I thought I would never see the day when someone on a mainstream site would speak their honest feelings about the game of Madden. As I said in another thread. We cant get caught up in our personal feelings about a franchise. If someone posts reasons for why they are dogging/praising a game and can back it up with facts. How can anyone say the review is BS ? Either what you say is true or not true.

Each year EA releases its feature set and improvements for their game. Each year the review sites reviews are mainly extensions of those release clippings by EA marketing. They talk about all the games new features without going into much detail about them. They dont check to see if the features work as advertised or demonstrate if said fixes to prior years problems are really fixes.

Look at all the high scores and kudos they have gotten over the past 6 years and look at the game you have in your hands tonight. How much does this game do that your madden game in 2005 did not do ? Of the features it has that older maddens do not have, how many of those features work as advertised and how many do you think will still be in the game in 2 years ? How many of those features where in older football games and does madden do those features better now ?

I remember apex showed a video here that demonstarted beyond a shadow of a doubt that madden 04 run animations looked better than madden 10. Most agreed by apex was crucified for stating the obvious by some here, not because he was wrong, but because they simply did not like what he was saying about their beloved game.

When people here are challenged with facts they dont refute the facts with facts they call you names, call what you are saying foolish or hating or the stupidest one having a "agenda". Guess what. Everything you do has a freaking agenda. My agenda is to express what I am feeling about whatever, just as your agenda is to respond to what I am saying.

We can like or dislike whatever is said but ultimately the only thing that matters is truth. The guy in the review gave specifics on what he did not like.

I dont have the full game yet. For those who do have the game and read those bullet points in the review. What is true and what is not true ? Thats what needs to be talked about. Not your opinion of the reviewer or whether you like or not like what he is saying.

I agree 100% my dude...EA needs a shakedown...the game is not bad...but I've seen them do better...they just dont feel like they have to....i miss 2k and I never played the freakin game...i miss the comp that pushed Madden to be great.

[spankdatazz22]

Re: 1Up Madden NFL 12 "Review" B-/67 on Metacritic

Just read the 1UP review - wow. Not used to seeing sites be particularly frank when it comes to Madden reviews. But have to take it with a grain of salt because I'm not sure they were as frank with NCAA also, and both are essentially the same game. Didn't seem they said much that could be disputed; their synopsis on the yearly cycle we all go through pretty much says all. Sites aren't rubber-stamping reviews as in years past, should be an overdue wakeup call to Tiburon.

The game has long needed a kitchen sink/try to address every area (ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL) approach instead of this piecemeal approach of we'll fix movement/stadiums this year, commentary and franchise the next, etc. In the end the fixes don't end up being true fixes and are instead band-aids and it frustrates gamers that much more. Even if they weren't perfect people would respect a kitchen sink approach imo

[Cobra84]

Re: 1Up Madden NFL 12 "Review" B-/67 on Metacritic

The 1UP review was a pretty brutal for what amounts to an 8/10. If you are going to be hard on a game, the score needs to reflect that. It reminds me of their Gears of War review where they completely destroy it in the actual review and then give it a 10.

[jfsolo]

Re: 1Up Madden NFL 12 "Review" B-/67 on Metacritic

The reviewers seem to be hitting the game hard for the poor commentary and the lackluster quality of the modes besides Franchise. I don't care about either one of those things, so I'll be golden.

From the GameRadar review with got an 80.

You'll love
Tackling animations superb
Dented helmets and dirty unis
Online communities

You'll hate
Worst. Commentary. Ever.
Unrealistic Superstar mode
No hope for newbies

This, to me, screams, casual player.


Here's my guess for next year. The commentary will be exponentially improved, the ancillary modes will be beefed up as well, and sadly, as a command from upstairs, some super casual friendly gimmick will make its return to the game.

The scores will go back up to all 8.5's and 9's, but the gameplay/A.I. aspects of the game that have caused many here to have longstanding anger toward Madden will still not be changed much for their liking.

You guys can enjoy this one year of less than stellar scores, but I don't think its going to get the needle to move in the direction you want on the gameplay front.

[LambertandHam]

Re: 1Up Madden NFL 12 "Review" B-/67 on Metacritic

According to the 1up review, they didn't fix the kicker warmup bit from the demo? Commentary seems to be a central theme, and hopefully this will light a fire under EA for next year.

[Spanky]

Re: 1Up Madden NFL 12 "Review" B-/67 on Metacritic

According to the 1up review, they didn't fix the kicker warmup bit from the demo? Commentary seems to be a central theme, and hopefully this will light a fire under EA for next year.

I tell you what, if commentary is the worst thing about this game, I'm fine with that. I know it's brutal from what I've heard, so I plan on turning off that noise pollution and turning up stadium sounds. That's how I've played with NCAA, when it hasn't froze on me.