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ANDROMADA 1's Blog
"Ea got it right and here's why Part II" 
Posted on August 13, 2010 at 05:32 AM.
Gaming with Andro


From:
Andromada 1
West of the Missisippi
Friday, 2:35 am



Dear Gamer,

I'm sure you already know by now that another version of Madden football is upon us. I'd like to offer my perspective of this legendary series. I will focus on the things that I have seen a big improvement and give you 10 reasons why Madden 11 is another step in the right direction and is "The" football game to go buy right Now! Here we go....

10. The ball trajectory has been improved. In Madden 10 there were too many line drives that the wide outs could not run under if you threw a deep pass. Now you can pass the ball with more control, provided you don't have a terrible qb. Sure some balls still get knocked down but that happens IRL too.

9. Death to the Player warp. In Madden 10 it wasn't rocket science to figure out how to play solid pass defense. The recipe for success was rather simple. Rush three down lineman and then sit every body in some iteration of a cover 4 or cover 3(sometimes with press) and watch in amusement as the defenders would magically appear beaten on the play yet come up with a rediculous interception. It didn't matter if you had Drew Brees or Tom Brady, the ball would get picked off as if you were playing with Jay Cutler(sorry Bears fans) You would also have players open but not really. If you played Madden 10 for any extended period of time then you know exactly what I am talking about. Enough about that. In Madden 11 I have not had a single player warp interception. This was probably one of my biggest issues with Madden 10. The devs have done a solid job in this area of game play.

8. New plays. I mostly use the Houston Texans and it is nice to know that I have new and exciting plays that I can work on and add to my scheme. This keeps the game fresh and rewarding.

7. Gameplanning. I really like this feature and have already had a couple nice wins as a direct result of setting this up and having the plays that I wanted to call in particular game situations. No complaints here because I get to choose the plays and I like the way it was implemented. its like have a play script. It is also nice because it reduces the amount of time that you will spend looking for key plays.

6. Ea Sports music. You could actually make the argument that simply setting up your songs to play from the menu can be yet another way to enjoy madden, without even playing the game. There is rap, rock, old school football music from NFL films. I mean what is not to like here? The songs that you don't like can be removed from the playlist. How cool is that?

5. Highlight Clips. I love this feature. Its a great way to share with friends and family your experiences on the Madden 11 gridiron. In conjunction setting up an account with EaSportsworld is a great way to scroll through all the different sports titles and look at All the highlights, not just your own. You can also add music to your highlight reel if you so desire.

4. Improved Pass rush. Now Linebackers and Defensive ends matter more than ever. if you have a solid front four you can get nice pressure on the qb. In a nutshell, "elite" linebackers and DE play like it now. In Madden 10 this wasn't the case. Just a few games of Madden 11 and you can easily tell the difference. I don't blitz very often but when I do I am glad that my studs actually perform like studs. There is nothing better than seeing Brian Cushing come off the edge with a clean speed rush as he blows by the Left or right Tackle on his way to the qb. Does he always get the sack? No. Does he disrupt the offense? You bet he does and on a regular basis. I have been getting about a sack or two per game with Cushing in Madden 11.

3. Online Team play. Wow. What a nice addition to the game. I have not even played this mode yet but am excited to give it a try with some of my ACQB buddies!

2. Locomotion. This really ties everything all together. This forces defenders and offensive players to be more realistic with player movements. In Madden 10 you could move anybody on offense and defense without penalty by switching directions at the drop of a dime. This made the game feel a bit off with respect to passing, running, blitzing, pass coverage and just about anything else related to player movements. In Madden 11 it is well done. The ratings and matchups actually mean something now. If you put a player out of position you will more than likely give up a big play on defense or get hit behind the line of scrimmage on offense.

1. Pro-Tak. I'm so glad that this feature has been tuned. In Madden 10 you could get a big play because the "protak" animation would kick in about two or three times a game which would result in rediculous looking Touch Downs for the offense. In Madden 11 the protak runs have all but dissappeared.(at least in my games thus far) In general I have noticed the tackling to be better actually. Have guys not noticed that the Auto Stiff arm glitch animation has been tuned as well? You can still break tackles in Madden 11. The only difference is now you have to earn them.


Madden 11 is easily the best game of football out right now for my gaming dollars and I think you will agree. Spend some time with your friends, set up leagues, play off-line, play online. Heck play any mode that you want really and if you see something that you think needs improving or just want to show some support let your voice be heard. Send letters, emails, post on great gaming websites like Operation Sports.com Do something, just do it constructively and you just might get what you wish for in the future.

P.S. I would like to give my personal thanks to the Madden development team for improving the game and giving me another exciting game of football to add to my collection. Good Job.



P.P.S. My #1 reason for playing Madden 11 is sheer fun!! You gotta love 32 man Online Franchise. It is a blast to play! I play in the ACQB League and if anybody is interested in joining we may have a few openings. If not we can add you to the wait list. We have a great group of guys that are competitive but mature. In other words, we don't game the game and treat each other with respect even on subject that we disagree with.

Till next Time!

Andromada 1
Comments
# 1 boxboy99 @ Aug 13
Well done!
 
# 2 ANDROMADA 1 @ Aug 13
thanks Box and good luck in the Kickoff classic. Hit me up for a game if you see me on.
 
# 3 shadthedad @ Aug 13
Amen brutha, amen. Madden 2011 is an extremely polished title.
 
# 4 ANDROMADA 1 @ Aug 13
It sure is Shadthedad. I've been gaming since I was 7 or eight. I was having fun then and I am still having fun now. Let the good times roll and if you Play Madden on 360 hit me up. Im always down to play folks from here.
 
# 5 bkrich83 @ Aug 13
Love it, and I agree with the majority of your sentiments. Keep it up.
 
# 6 ANDROMADA 1 @ Aug 13
Thanks BK. I appreciate your kind words.
 
# 7 bodymore @ Aug 13
Are you serious? Are you playing the same game? Best football title out? Please, NCAA is WAY better than madden this year. I will give you this, it is a great arcade game. My four year old son loves the game. He doesn't even have to call plays. Just press X and Madden does everything for you.
He likes it better than his Wii madden.
 
# 8 TreyIM2 @ Aug 13
Having a hard time wrapping my head around Madden 11. NCAA 11 just does more core things right that I wonder what happened in Madden 11's case.

U mention the death of the player warp with defensive players suddenly warping in place to make INTs. While I CAN agree with u there, there was a trade off with OUT OF PLACE and IDIOTIC corners due to locomotion. I'm not just talking about being beat, I'm talking about guys completely just standing out of place and in trying to turn to get into place, locomotion seems to make it a chore for them to do so. I've had sooo many blown coverages when trying to stop the CPU is, uhh, MADDENING!! I've actually thrown stuff while playing this iteration of Madden because after playing NCAA 11 where, they too, DON'T warp, the locomotion is far better tuned and CBs don't look like idiots on a play.
Also, when taking control of a player in Madden 11 is ridiculous, at times, too, because of the poor tuning of locomotion. Many a time, the player will just STOP because I switch to him to take control of him then trying to continue to move causes this wonkiness in the motion. It's not continuous and smooth like it used to be or like in NCAA 11.

I'll leave it there because I could go on and on about robo-QBs and there deadly accuracy even when getting hit but my QB (Sanchez) can't even hit a wide open receiver just because a defender is about 3 steps away...and they almost ALWAYS are about that close or sacking my QB on many a pass play. Which would lead me to the poor blocking...but I digress and I'm stopping, now. Ha...
 
# 9 ANDROMADA 1 @ Aug 13
Grettings Bodymore

Thanks for the comments. Lets keep everything in perspective here. Video games have come a long way. You mentioned that your son enjoys the game. That is awesome news because at the end of the day isn't that who video games are for, you know kids(grown-up children included? Ncaa may be better in some aspects and that is just fine. Too me its all good because I don't scrutinize every single facet of my video games. I merely play them and focus on the things that lead me to believe that I made a solid purchase in the first place. All thinks being equal the fun factor holds the most weight with me.
 
# 10 ANDROMADA 1 @ Aug 13
Whats up TreylM2

When you mention bad coverage and blown assignments Are you speaking about a particular team, and or player. What I would do is quantify that statement and log those occurences that bother you. From there just forward it to the powers that be in Maddens Development team. Trust me, they do appreciate legitimate community feedback. Many of the things that you have mentioned can and should be addressed. While I don't agree with you, I can respect your opinion on the matter.

take care and do try to have fun.
 
# 11 bodymore @ Aug 13
That's the problem. This game does not entertain me at all. I am trying to enjoy it for what it is, but the glaring issues are too much to overcome for me.

It just pains me that Madden IMO is moving away from a sim style to a game that's just catered to the casual gamer. I know this is stated by posters all the time, but I will not be wasting my money on this type of game again.

It's not a good feeling when you anticipate a titles release, and after you get it you can't even enjoy it after a week of playing.
 
# 12 charter04 @ Aug 13
I have enjoyed Madden 11 since this year more then previous years, but NCAA Football is better this year. Even reviews have show that. Gameinformer gave NCAA a 9 and Madden an 8.7. There is a lot to like about both but NCAA is more fun to me. The player models look better in NCAA. Maddens helmets look a little strange. Overall I still love both games though.
 
# 13 ANDROMADA 1 @ Aug 13
Hey Charter, I'm glad that you are enjoying the games. If your on 360 my gamer tag is Andromada 1. Funny thing about reviews, I only trust my own. I own NCAA 11 as well and I think they did a great job with that game too. With all the feedback the developers are getting I'm sure these titles will continue to improve.
 
# 14 ANDROMADA 1 @ Aug 13
Bodymore

Well you gave it a shot and thats all anyone can ask. At this point I would just take it for what it is and maybe the issues that you are seeing can be addressed sooner rather than later. As for me I'm a satisfied customer and recommend Madden 11 to all the gamers that I know.
 
# 15 sammy g @ Aug 13
Great read! I really agree with just about everything you wrote.
 

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