Madden NFL 15: What Worked and What Didn't Work

**Aggies67** · 03-20-2015, 04:15 PM

And most of that wasn't in the current Gen anyway, a fact EA didn't bothering telling anyone.

**adub88** · 03-20-2015, 04:42 PM

Re: Madden NFL 15: What Worked and What Didn't Work

bottom line is this their 3rd game on next gen console. We need to see a leap in this game or you'll be writing a very similar piece next year.

**Kornnickel55** · 03-20-2015, 04:45 PM

The interaction between WR and CB needs improvements or more animations and penalties need to be called a lot more. Offense and Defensive Pass interferences are never called.

**Nashalot** · 03-20-2015, 04:48 PM

Am I the only one who thought the blocking in Madden 25 wasn't there this year? I was happy with the holes that were made for the RB last year and the feature was correctly lauded but this year it seems like they almost took it out without telling anybody.

**JHedges2** · 03-20-2015, 05:04 PM

I've owned every copy of Madden since 1999, but with the lack of being able to use 'real' draft classes, it may just be a series killer for me.

I just can't get excited scouting 'fictional' players, despite their efforts at making those players stay real. I am too much a fan of college football to be scouting fake players to bring into my franchise.

NBA2K allows custom draft classes. If Madden doesn't make strides here, I am likely done with this series--as I hardly touched Madden 15 (also due in part to discovering FIFA, lol).

**cmehustle** · 03-20-2015, 05:15 PM

Originally posted by Kornnickel55

The interaction between WR and CB needs improvements or more animations and penalties need to be called a lot more. Offense and Defensive Pass interferences are never called.

This ^^^. Plus blocking outside is too good, and blocking inside isnt good enough (it has never been). But the passing game is still very unrealistic with every pass being either a bullet or lob. Passes should be ten feet over the linebackers heads, I have never in my life been able to jump up and pick off a pass intended 15 yards downfield. Zack LaVine cant do that, yet every single MLB in Madden can. No back shoulder throws, rare 'true' jump balls, no back of the end zone throws, and unrealistic seam throws. Still. All. These. Years. Later.

**MAGboyswifT27** · 03-20-2015, 05:32 PM

I agree this is the best Madden in 5 years. I really think if they can touch up their features and even fix up the small details that the game can be good like it was back in the day.

**Senator Palmer** · 03-20-2015, 05:42 PM

Re: Madden NFL 15: What Worked and What Didn't Work

No mention of playing against CPU opponent and the stick routes and quick slants it lives on the whole game?

**GiantsFan2013** · 03-20-2015, 05:43 PM

Re: Madden NFL 15: What Worked and What Didn't Work

Originally posted by Kornnickel55

The interaction between WR and CB needs improvements or more animations and penalties need to be called a lot more. Offense and Defensive Pass interferences are never called.

THIS. Plus, more differential from players. I don't feel like I'm really using Drew Brees when I'm using Drew Brees. I feel like you either have a fast WR, or a tall WR. Not much differential from players.

**Lisac** · 03-20-2015, 06:21 PM

Re: Madden NFL 15: What Worked and What Didn't Work

I enjoyed Madden the most this year than I have the past 5 years but these things to me stick out like a sore thumb.

A. CPU over use of slot, corner and curl routes and not to mention they went to the screen on 3rd down prob 70% of the time.
B. Commentary still pretty bad
C. Presentation- pre game and halftime better but not great
D. WR's not going after the ball or fighting for the ball
E. Having a DB beat by 10 yards only to have them catch up and knock it down or pick it off
F. No 1 button 32 team control like in the past (now u have to waste an hour plus to control all 32 teams.
G. And the BIGGEST one for me, no editable draft classes. This kills it for me! Don't play deeper than 1 year in Franchise Mode cause this ruins it for me especially since I follow College Football a lot.

Madden is on the edge of greatness but until we get competition for them I feel like they will never make that leap. Hope I'm wrong!

**Mike Lowe** · 03-20-2015, 08:03 PM

Have to make penalties work too. There are sliders...there should be a range between 0 penalties called in a game when the sliders are at 0, or twice as many as a typical NFL game when the sliders are maxed out, INCLUDING multiple types of penalties and even offsetting situations, etc.

We should also be seeing some life from special teams...bad snaps, blocks, etc.

And yes, fix the joke that is AI teams taking sacks.

**dtlm6** · 03-20-2015, 10:29 PM

I have really enjoyed Madden 15 and it is the first time that I can say that I enjoyed playing Madden in about 4 years. My biggest issue is how the game freezes in Franchise mode (on PS3).

**charter04** · 03-20-2015, 10:42 PM

Madden NFL 15: What Worked and What Didn't Work

The fact of the matter is if Madden was where it needed to be so many wouldn't be clamoring for competition in the american football game space. To me Madden 04-06 for PS2/Xbox are still better than Madden 15. That's pretty sad.

They are heading in the right direction but, it's sad that any improvement seems big just because of how far they are from where it should be. This game is still just too arcade and too focused on the big money maker, MUT.

I don't think they really delivered the realistic football game they promised at all. Sure it can be better with house rules in a sim league but, just go play a MUT game or a ranked game and you see real quick how arcade this game is. Players are still able to win a game by playing in a way that is very different than real football.

I think the devs want it to be right but, I really don't think EA the company will let them make the game as they would like. There is just too much money and too much risk involved. Until there is another legit game they will stay the course of how it's been with minimal improvement. I hope I'm wrong.

The only reason I have had fun is because I'm in a sim league with a great group of guys and I don't expect too much from this game. Plus I just love football so much that I overlook a lot. Our league has had so many complaints about this game though. Some have quit the league because of the broken parts in CFM.

I'm not getting my hopes up for Madden 16. If it's great then great. If it's about how it's been then fine. I won't lose any sleep over it. It's just a game. I'm tired of being concerned about it.

**khaliib** · 03-21-2015, 01:15 AM

What didn't work...

CCM
- No customization to Relocation Teams, just nothing about this aspect of CCM that inticed me to use it.
- No ability to edit/correct/fix player bodies and most importantly, Player Ratings.
- Schemes: AI franchises still don't operate according to their philosophy.
- Teams still don't play to their star players, nor seek to put such players in position to impact the game.
- Coaches still have "No" impact on Gameplay or the Franchise experience as a whole.

Player Classifications
- Only cosmetic, AI players do not performed (gameplay) according to these designations.
- Weight/Height does not factor into classifications.

Head Tracking
- The weight applied to "Awareness Rating" for this feature is Toooo overpowering.

Player Ratings
- Pursuit aka "Catch Up Speed" is too overpowering for all defensive players.
- No rating that impacts how often AI QB throws short/medium/deep , which makes 3 accuracy ratings useless.
- Outside of AWR, minimum for all others in draft classes starts at 55, so 44 of scale is used which is why AI players at any given position play the same due to such a small scale of variance.
- Still "NO" impact is placed upon the "User" in respect to the individual player's ratings.

Camera Angles
- Broadcast Cam is unplayable due to it not zooming out to keep field play in User's view.
- Customizable User Cam is "still" locked to the User even though Profile Save reveals it's already programmed/coded and ready to be used.