Madden NFL 25 Review (360/PS3)

[Demoncrom]

Haha , want to see what a great football game looks like when reviewed - please tell me the list of features madden still does not have yet:

http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/07/16/espn-nfl-2k5-3

[MontagueBall]

I'm sorry to say but 'run free' simply does not exist. Time and time again on pitch plays or any sweep, my RB's will 'stutter step' or stop in their tracks then continue. This allows defenders no where near the play to make the play. I've also seen this on many a pass play with receivers running across the field in an open seem, and once I throw the ball the receiver will take a 'hop step' or his feet will run in place for a one step and ruin the flow of the play leading to an incompletion. This happens on break away runs with RB's as well, allowing slower defenders to catch them. AND on nearly all pass plays the receivers stop almost dead in their tracks before turning up field and when they do this their speed is a crawl as blazing fast defenders pursue. WHY IS THIS???

[CarryTheWeight]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Review (360/PS3)

My expectations were very low to begin with and I'm actually more impressed with the game than I was in years past. Am I impressed enough to spend 60? Nope, but that's what Season Ticket and Redbox are for.

I'm holding out hope for next-gen M25 but my expectations will continue to be very low heading into that version of the game as well.

As for presentation, it's good but not the best it could be. Inconsistency and wasted potential are the things that hold this series back the most. That, and as I pointed out in another thread, they tear down and rebuild more frequently than my bothersome Buffalo Bills.

[THREADCLOSED]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Review (360/PS3)

Haha , want to see what a great football game looks like when reviewed - please tell me the list of features madden still does not have yet:

http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/07/16/espn-nfl-2k5-3

reading this made me shead a tear

[jwilphl]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Review (360/PS3)

My biggest problem with Madden is the presentation. A few awkwardly animated cutscenes does not equal presentation.

Why are the replays done from such a weird camera angle?
Why no decent halftime show and weekly breakdown show? Nfl 2k did it.
Why has the commentary been lacking for so long? Nba 2k nails it.
Why no interactive sidelines? allpro 2k8 did it.
Why not show other key players taking the field, instead of the same 2 or 3 animations for the QB every game?
Where are the authentic stadium sounds?
Why not show players running into and out of the huddle?
When a RB or WR gets subbed out due to fatigue, why not show him signal to the sidelines for the backup?
Why don't the players ever toss the ball to the ref after plays?
Why are some of the tackle animations so cartoony
Where are mascots and cheerleaders?

Why can't EA do subtle animations for celebrations instead of the over the top cartoony ones that they use now? Just have the players high five, butt helmets, spike the ball..etc.

MLB The Show and Nba 2K both have gameplay issues but, their overall presentation of the sport allows ,me to be more forgiving. Madden is a mix of C+ gameplay and D- presentation IMO. I know a few people that are not fans of NBA2k13's gameplay but they love the presentation because it replicates the excitement of the sport.

TL DR version: If Maddens presentation was an A+ I could be more forgiving of its C+ gameplay. But Maddens presentation is worse than the gameplay.

Thank you sir for articulating what I've been thinking for nearly ten years now. There is no excuse anymore at all. It is simply a lack of effort. That is the problem with no one pushing them to improve. I've seen the NCAA title start to move in the right direction in this department, but it has taken seven or eight years just to begin.

Don't get me wrong Madden has done a few things, but it is very, very little in comparison to what could be done. The presentation is really the only reason I am able to enjoy NCAA Basketball 10. The gameplay is mediocre but the presentation is so authentic and immersive that I can overlook it. Unfortunately for Madden, as you said, both categories are average at best so there is no redeeming value.

On a related side note from gamespot
Peter Moore of EA: "We don't deliver offline experiences any more"
http://www.gamespot.com/news/ea-we-d...y-more-6413672

After reading his article, I think I can understand why EA is in such a bad state. I'm about to go off-topic so if you want Madden info feel free to stop reading.

Based on what Moore said, either he doesn't play games at all or simply reads the paper to discern gaming trends rather than active involvement in the community. The online component of every game is growing because developers are making games that way, it may have very little to do with what people actually want. Just look at Sim City.

EA claimed the entire time that people "wanted" the game to be connected, shared, online-only, etc. However, I have yet to see any proof, even a poorly conducted survey, that actually shows gamers no longer desire a single player, offline experience. Maxis designed Sim City how they wanted it, not how the end-user wanted it. On almost every website or forum I visited before and after SC's launch, the overwhelming majority wanted it to be just like the previous iterations: a single-player offline experience. EA did not care (I'll assume EA insiders had most of the creative control). EA wanted to control its licensing and prevent piracy, feeding its growing add-on market. SC will be another money pit like any Sims game, where quite literally the cost of purchasing all expansions runs around $400-$500.

I get he has to tow the company line and EA is in the business of maximizing profits like any other corporation. An online experience is rife with potential for what I call "after-market" transactions, much more so than single player offline games. As such they are going to move away from them. As a gamer it is disappointing. The legalities and necessities of business hurt our experiences, it seems, rather than enhance them.

[thuglove2005]

Fingers crossed for next gen to be good. Hoops & football are the only reason i buy these systems. Last gen Madden has to be the biggest disappointment in videogame history. Period!!!!!

ikr so true

[Big FN Deal]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Review (360/PS3)

@jwilphl, my issue with EA is that they take ish to the extreme, yes online can be a profitable focus but that doesn't mean the offline experience has to suffer. Games should be built for an incredible offline experience that gamers can share and enjoy together online, if they choose to.

Keeping the topic on Madden, I don't get what was so difficult about adding online capability to franchise mode, I can just picture HC09 with online multi-player functionality and true game play. Nope, Tiburon needed to create an entirely new online mode, which could be played offline solo, as if that's the only way offline players play. They just do things backwards and odd, imo, for no apparent reason.

However difficult making football games is, Tiburon is making it unnecessarily harder, imo. Tiburon honestly reminds me of those stories or movies about evil genies that grant three wishes but take them completely out of context in a way so people don't actually get what they wanted. lol

[jmurphy31]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Review (360/PS3)

While I agree with most of what you said, I can assure you Phil + Jim definitely reference your last game in CFM mode. They'll talk about how you struggled in the redzone, on third downs, etc.

True. They do reference it, but it so genrric. They will simply say last week you were successful in the red zone. Why can't they say last week you scored three red zone touchdowns. Or how you rank league wide in red zone scoring ( and add a stat banner highlighting it, not just for that game).

Heck I would love to them just reference the game your currently in. Last time in the red zone they turned it over or today the Patriots are 2 for 3 in the red zone.

No matter how you spin it, CFM games are nothing more than play now games that accumulate stats. They can continue to add all the dialogue they want about last years real life stories, but not having commentary about your spefic season and its stories ruins any immersion. For example I had to play the Saints(4-1 at the time), who lost Dew Breeds in thelast game. The commentators don't even mention it. I had to go look it up during and after the game to get the complete story.

[jmurphy31]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Review (360/PS3)

Did they bring back the fantasy draft?

Yes they brought it back

[CarryTheWeight]

Re: Madden NFL 25 Review (360/PS3)

Let me start off by saying that in no way am I an apologist, loyalist or fanboy, but I liked the following post so much that I'd like to break it down and analyze it as honestly as I can (I also mean no personal offense to its original poster, victorkingchamp):

My biggest problem with Madden is the presentation. A few awkwardly animated cutscenes does not equal presentation.

Why are the replays done from such a weird camera angle?

This actually has improved from last year, though it's still not on the level as Madden 12. I agree, though, the authentic angles from M12 are still fewer and further between. Thankfully much of the slow-mo mess from M13 is actually less noticeable.

Why no decent halftime show and weekly breakdown show? Nfl 2k did it.

Had they improved on The Extra Point/Extra Point Halftime Show and not scrapped it within two years, this wouldn't be an issue. I agree once again. It was a feature with tons of potential that ended up being anything but decent.

Why has the commentary been lacking for so long? Nba 2k nails it.

The commentary is getting better and it's actually one of the bright spots of the game's hit-and-miss presentation. I think it's the best it's ever been, even moreso than last-gen's Madden and Michaels. Is it to the level of 2K? Absolutely not, but in terms of the advancements made to FIFA and NHL's commentary tech, it's finally getting somewhere, which couldn't be said about Madden 06-Madden 12. Developers say it's even more detailed in next-gen M25 but I'm not holding my breath.

Why no interactive sidelines? allpro 2k8 did it.

Jury's still out, but developers say this also will be added in next-gen. We'll see if they react anything like APF's (I have my doubts).

Why not show other key players taking the field, instead of the same 2 or 3 animations for the QB every game?

I agree, at least to spotlight a key defensive player like Patrick Willis. QB's get the most attention, though, especially on CBS which includes a very similar "run-out" to Madden. But yes, camera angles and animations should vary and presentation should happen in real-time --- I'm as tired of the canned cutscenes as you are, in other words.

Where are the authentic stadium sounds?

There's actually a lot more of them this year...at least some of them are new. More attention seems to be given to certain sound effects this year than last...the sound of fireworks exploding after every Bills touchdown, for instance, never happened before this year. Is it perfect? No. Are they getting there? Seems like it. Will they make it there? We'll see. All I know is custom stadium sounds are long overdue.

Why not show players running into and out of the huddle?
When a RB or WR gets subbed out due to fatigue, why not show him signal to the sidelines for the backup?
Why don't the players ever toss the ball to the ref after plays?

I like these ideas...more reasons for Madden to include real-time presentation. NBA 2K, The Show, FIFA (somewhat) and NHL already do it. Cutscenes are dated, it's time to move forward with the new hardware.

Where are mascots and cheerleaders?

In the team entrance sequences during and nowhere else. Seriously, I'm confused about this as well. Hate to say "next-gen" again but with all the talk about interactive sidelines and "living worlds", this MUST be something they aim for.

Why can't EA do subtle animations for celebrations instead of the over the top cartoony ones that they use now? Just have the players high five, butt helmets, spike the ball..etc.

I'm pretty sure Madden wants to be an over-the-top version of the NFL since that's exactly the way the NFL wants itself to be presented. Highlights and miraculous plays sell. I'm not sure whether this is the NFL in EA's ear or EA picking this emphasis themselves, but I, once again, agree. I'd love to see a "pure", no-nonsense football sim one of these days.

MLB The Show and Nba 2K both have gameplay issues but, their overall presentation of the sport allows ,me to be more forgiving. Madden is a mix of C+ gameplay and D- presentation IMO. I know a few people that are not fans of NBA2k13's gameplay but they love the presentation because it replicates the excitement of the sport.

I've been saying for years that so many other games on the market are held to a higher standard. Why can't we expect the same out of Madden? Great post, and I honestly hope the developers see your list and take them into consideration. Pardon the cheesiness, but the quality of the rest of this series depends on it.

[Lilgoosy]

the point is that some people think is cool paying 60 bucks for Madden 13 with updated rosters.
period

[Tonebucs]

What's the big deal, some ole same ole from the EA Madden gang. I'm having a hoot playing Franchise Madden 2009 on my PS2. Gameplay wise it's all over current gen. Normally Madden is day 1 buy for me, not this year.

[MontagueBall]

The state of video football games is not good. Can you imagine if NBA Live had a monopoly over basketball game? What would be left?

[La Verite]

25yrs of Madden, and were still saying "maybe next year we will see fixes." Now its "next gen." Smh
I agree with this whole page, Connected career is just not that connected basically.

[dtlm6]

Extremely glad that they brought back the fantasy draft but they need to add a clock that you can view while you search and decide for the player that you're going to pick. Hope to see that with the next update.