Madden NFL 25 Review (360/PS3)

[clarkboy]

That is the point it is the best Madden, but it isn't by far the best football game that has came out to date.
Even in regards to presentation.
Arguably 2K5 or Allpro2K8 is still a better playing football game.
It had better fundamentals mechanics and A.I.
LOL Madden still hasn't reached the concept of double team passing blocking, weight, speed, and so forth.
Madden easily beats itself because there isn't much to beat, but in comparison to games that came out years ago and also old tech and programming.
Is still regarded superior than what has came out this Gen cycle is just sad and also shows the inability of EA to deliver a Good Football game. Not just a better than Madden experience.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner...Give this man a prize!!!

I couldn't agree with you more. Comparing Madden to Madden yeah it may be better, but if you compare Madden to APF08 it's not close. Haven't brought Madden in a couple of years, but I like to read the reviews after playing the demo. They still can't truly capture the essence of football. Until they get the lineplay down then it really doesn't matter, because that's where the game of football starts. All they have to do is hire the guys from 2K. I thought we would get that 2K football experience when Peter Moore came onboard. It just hasn't translated over to EA's work. Oh, well I will continue to wait and hope like millions of others. I'll keep playing NHL, NBA 2K, and FPS's. EA you got NHL and Battlefield right, so what's going on with Madden, GEEZ!?

[Dolphins88]

Ya if they have all this cash to flow around hire the 2k team to make the dam game and get it right because obviously these developers know squat how to program the game of football. Dam I wish they had of invested in NHL team to make a next gen game rather then football. Oh well at least 2k bball, show, bf4 will keep me busy.

[tril]

Ya if they have all this cash to flow around hire the 2k team to make the dam game and get it right because obviously these developers know squat how to program the game of football. Dam I wish they had of invested in NHL team to make a next gen game rather then football. Oh well at least 2k bball, show, bf4 will keep me busy.

Its unfair to blame the developers. The developers get their instructions from producers and a management team.
EA management has a blueprint to keep production costs down and they use it.
The Madden team has been using the same code from day one. of course they tweak the code but they havent added anything new to it. That is why the same problems continue to occur.

Madden has also regressed in complexity. Even the control options have been dumbed down from the PS2 days.
Maddens philosophy is to create highlight, casual fan football. They just need to admit it, and move on.

[Profit89]

I'm sorry but EA just doesn't make good sports games. They don't know how.

You can go to NG and get better lighting, but the gameplay will be no different.

[Dolphins88]

Well I'm not supporting their crap.. If a company makes a car and their is a faulty engine for 6 or 7 years they don't just flap paint and add some bells and whistles to make it look good and hope it sells because I made better products before. You fire your engineers or scrap and develop a new engine. Who do u blame?

[jwtucker710]

I wish we could select players from particular schools in the NFL Draft part of Madden, instead of a leader board of just the top players. Maybe that will be an option for the next-gen Madden.

[jwtucker710]

I'm sorry but EA just doesn't make good sports games. They don't know how.

You can go to NG and get better lighting, but the gameplay will be no different.

Profitt ... My problem with EA is they try to put all their efforts into one or two modes, but I do think EA Sports puts out decent sports games (NCAA FB and NHL games are pretty good sims), but maybe our expectations of them are too great? Granted, there will always be bugs in games -- no game is perfect. I wouldn't go off the ledge yet after the review. I'm sure there will be updates to fix certain issues.

[criscarter]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Review (360/PS3)

What a disappointment. I'll strongly consider selling the game and keeping the Sunday ticket. Then again, I'm kind of a sucker. I'll probably end up playing the game.

Do people really think this year's XB1/PS4 version is going to be any good? It'll be another crippled game like the last generation's debut. Just fancier graphics. Here's hoping things improve with Madden 15.

[jhamlin1971]

Oh wow, 7.5.

Its football, it come out for 25 years. I don't think you guys know what you want from football anymore.

On one hand, if it too SIM, then its boring and on the other hand if its a little over the top then its too arcadish.

Hell, at this point I don't know what to look for in a Football game anymore...

I agree with you 100%!

[je_2512]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Review (360/PS3)

Once again, where are the penalties...in 3 games, I've had 2 called...one false start and one encroachment (surprisingly)...

and I had one play where Rodgers was sacked as he was throwing the ball., was clearly an incomplete pass but was ruled a fumble. I tried to challenge, but the option never showed up in the pause menu.

Really disappointed with this year's game, though I should have seen it coming based on the lack of info they put out this year.

Clearly they've already moved on from current gen, and are putting any real effort into next gen.

[DJ]

Dustin, thanks for the review. Can you comment on if Auto-Subs and fatigue work properly within CF?

[Sneed24]

Once again, where are the penalties...in 3 games, I've had 2 called...one false start and one encroachment (surprisingly)...

and I had one play where Rodgers was sacked as he was throwing the ball., was clearly an incomplete pass but was ruled a fumble. I tried to challenge, but the option never showed up in the pause menu.

Really disappointed with this year's game, though I should have seen it coming based on the lack of info they put out this year.

Clearly they've already moved on from current gen, and are putting any real effort into next gen.

I think because it's not the actual game. im pretty sure it did the same in last years season ticket. you couldn't challenge , limited replays etc. penalties, i just adjust the sliders.

[je_2512]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Review (360/PS3)

I think because it's not the actual game. im pretty sure it did the same in last years season ticket. you couldn't challenge , limited replays etc. penalties, i just adjust the sliders.

I'm playing the retail version!

[Boilerbuzz]

I truly baffles me how someone can come in here to say Sim is boring, but then call Madden a good Sim. First, I have to ask, did you ever play the game beyond Pop Warner? If you have any deep knowledge and love for the game, you would never say that any aspect of true football is boring. As a matter of fact, you would recognize how much is missing when you don't get the nuances correct!

To say scoring touchdowns and crazy trucking and pancakes are exciting is one thing. To dismiss improper zone behaviors and blocking schemes is just criminal.

Why do people want Sim? So that they can trust that making good FOOTBALL decisions in a FOOTBALL game will be consistently rewarded. So that they know they won or lost for reasons related to FOOTBALL, and not just due to quirks, glitches, or video game randomness! The sad part is that Madden has had a blueprint for elements that would make it more Sim, but has refused to add these elements in a timely manner.

The game doesn't have to be 100% Sim. Some would agree that in some ways, that could bore some of the lesser savvy masses. But this title lacks *key* Sim elements (zones, fronts and coverage, real game planning, realistic pursuit/gap logic) that are unacceptable at this point. TWENTY FIVE friggin' years!!! Really?!...

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

[ggsimmonds]

Good review but I do have one gripe. Xbox one and the PS4 are not "literally right around the corner."
I know this makes me a anal prick but it is a pet peeve of mine.

To the game itself, it frustrates me that for this entire generation of games we have been waiting on that one mythical patch that will turn Madden into a great game. Seems like every year we find ourselves saying "man if they patch these issues this would be a great football game.

By the way, I don't think the D line push can be easily fixed via patch without nerfing the running game in other areas.