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25 YEARS OF MADDEN FOOTBALL
We are now getting closer than ever to the release of the newest Madden NFL game -- and it never seemed more appropriate than now to give a rundown of what's new in this year's game.
RUN FREE
Unlock the power, precision, and creativity of the NFL ball-carrier. Whether you're a slashing running-back, dual-threat QB, or ball-hawking safety, unleash 30 new moves and string together devastating combos with the all-new precision modifier.
The precision modifier is one of the biggest advancements in Madden franchise history, and will make gamers rethink the way players run and cut on the field.
As the driving force behind Run Free, the precision modifier opens up a whole new world of on-field possibilities. Traditionally in Madden NFL games there have been 8 ball carrier moves (spin, juke, stiff-arm, etc.). Now there are more than 30.
Not only does the precision modifier offer cool variations to all your favorite ways to shake and bake the defense, but it also introduces brand new moves and combos that make you harder to catch than ever. This is not your dad’s NFL. It’s not your brother’s Madden.
Madden NFL 25 will allow the most dynamic players to move the way they do on the field with the precision modifier ball-carrier mechanic. Athletes are stronger, faster, and more specialized than ever before. And it will be no different in Madden NFL 25. Finally, you can use your team’s entire arsenal just like they do in the NFL.
INFINITY ENGINE 2
Year 2 of the award-winning Infinity Engine brings both a more polished physics simulation and introduces the all-new Force Impact System. Power moves including the Hit Stick, Truck, dive tackle and more have been completely redesigned to harness the full potential of Infinity Engine 2, giving more control over the outcome of a play than ever before.
Last year, the major focus of the Infinity Engine was figuring out the basics of speed, momentum and other factors. With the introduction of Force Impact and a year of additional tuning, the dev team now brings the power of Infinity to the Hit Stick. This allows for the biggest, most impressive hits yet, creating moments you’ll want to recreate over and over.
Furthermore, if you manage to pop a ball carrier with the Hit Stick while he’s performing one of the special precision modifier moves, the chances of causing a fumble increase. This concept carries over into the passing game as well, as cornerbacks and safeties who trigger the Hit Stick as a receiver makes a catch have a higher chance of jarring the ball loose.
Those who opt for a more conventional approach this year have the option to enable heat-seeker tackling to help square up and bring down the ball carrier. Heat-seeker is enabled anytime you hold down the Hit Stick, defensive assist or wrap tackle buttons, and essentially guides your defender on the proper angle to intercept the ball carrier and bring him down. Heat-seeker tackles can also act as a counter to precision modifier moves when employed by defenders with high agility or awareness ratings. There is a bit of risk/reward with heat-seeker, as defenders with lower awareness or agility ratings are more susceptible to a fake-out by the ball carrier.
Another way EA is balancing the defense is with a new defensive recovery mechanic. Often times in the NFL you’ll see a player overrun a play or miss a tackle, but immediately take steps to get back in the action. In Madden NFL 25, defenders can make the same hard cuts as ball carriers to quickly change direction and renew their pursuit. Speedy defensive ends and other high-agility defenders are even more valuable, as they can recover on plays and chase down runners on the backside. Defenders can also utilize the acceleration burst to close the gap on ball carriers and make a play before the runner gets into space. Dive tackles have been tuned in Madden NFL 25 to utilize more momentum so that defenders have a better chance of catching runners from behind and tripping them up. Also, new lunge tackles let defenders dive past the lead blockers to take out the legs of the ball carrier.
Other under the hood improvements include:
- Defenders with a higher awareness rating are less likely to bite on fake-outs.
- Re-tuned pursuit angles, where defenders take smarter routes to the ball in order to track down ball carriers and make plays.
- Defenders will now “break down” and prepare for a tackle as they get close to the ball carrier.
OWNER MODE
Players can become the ultimate sports tycoon as they take the reins of their favorite team to manage personnel, set prices, build the next cutting-edge stadium, and more in an all-new Owner Mode.
Interested in taking on the challenge of building up a young team like the Cleveland Browns? Or maybe you’d be interested in instilling some discipline in the unruly Raiders. Or perhaps you take a free-spending team like the Redskins and try to reign in their finances a bit to clear some salary cap space. All of these scenarios and more are available in Madden NFL 25. Another thing to consider is whether you want to take on the persona of a real NFL owner or start fresh by inserting yourself as the new boss. It’s always fun to build up a team in your own image, but it’s also incredibly alluring to embody the larger-than-life personalities of guys like Jerry Jones or Jim Irsay.
The reality of owning an NFL team comes to life. What does the cash flow look like? Is your stadium in good shape, or could it use some upgrades? Do you have the right coaching staff, or is it time to bring in a new regime? There’s a lot to keep track of, but fortunately you’re not going it alone, as several advisors are on-hand to help you understand exactly where you stand.
Make sure your coach’s philosophy aligns with the strengths of your team; otherwise, you’re in for a rough season! If you’re looking to make a change at head coach then there are several factors that will influence who’s willing to hear your pitch. Want to get Jimmy Johnson out of the broadcast booth and back onto the sideline? To pull it off, you’ll need a team that is both valuable and popular, with enough potential to make a run at the Super Bowl.
The coach however isn't the only one who can help your team succeed. You’ll need behind-the-scenes personnel to help build your team and keep it healthy. Every team needs a good scout. It’s a fact, players get hurt. That’s when you’ll be reliant on trainers that can help your players rehab and get them back on the field. These folks are particularly helpful when players sustain serious injuries, getting them back on the field sooner and reducing the chance of reinjuring themselves.
As the owner, it’s your responsibility to maintain an attractive stadium and make it a destination where fans want to come spend their time and money. You’ll have to plan your upgrades carefully though, as all stadiums have a maximum upgrade capacity. In the event your team’s home just can’t keep up with the Joneses, you've also got the option to rebuild your field from the ground up. Building a new stadium is an expensive proposition, so you’d best make sure this is a place appealing to your team’s fans and that the house is packed every weekend.
What if your team just isn't the right fit for its city? If that’s the case, then you can move the team to a new city and try your fortunes in a different town. Maybe you want to move the Rams or Raiders back to Los Angeles, or expand the league to a new country by placing Buffalo in Toronto or the Cardinals in Mexico City. If you’re truly bold, you can even move a team to London and try to sway English fans into watching a completely different kind of football. Moving a team doesn't just give you a new name, mascot and stadium, it also brings with it new fans and a completely different dynamic.
If you go to LA, you’re heading into a situation where you can make a lot of money very quickly, but you've also got to compete with several other professional sports teams vying for cash and attention. Win early and often and you may be able to hold sway over the fanbase, but one or two losing seasons could lead to a drop in attendance that takes a long time to recover from. On the other hand, a city like Toronto is likely to be more loyal to the team, but won’t provide as much of a cash infusion. It’s a good city to build up a franchise, but can you make the money necessary to realize your grand visions for your team? These are all things to consider before you uproot a team and try your fortunes in a new location.
CONNECTED FRANCHISE
Cement your legacy as one of the all-time great NFL players or coaches in the new and improved Connected Franchise. There are a lot of cool upgrades and new features this year, so let’s get to the highlights.
Connected Franchise sports a brand new user interface that makes navigation a breeze. Available actions are laid out in tiles on the home screen, making it simple to jump into a game, upgrade your player or coach, check out the league news and more. There are still separate tabs for the various actions for when you want to dig in at a bit more depth, but it’s nice to be able to take in everything at a glance.
Last year in Connected Careers, Madden NFL 13 introduced the idea of XP and skill progression for players and coaches. This year, the logic has been tuned to help you upgrade faster and get on the field sooner. You’ll see a substantial boost in the amount of XP earned in both practice and during games, allowing you to upgrade your player or coach faster than ever. This year, if you enter a practice session but don’t achieve the set goal, you’ll still get a good chunk of XP just for completing the drill. The XP enhancements don’t apply to just your player, however. CPU players will also show bigger changes in progression or regression.
Another significant upgrade this year is that whenever you create a player or coach you’ll be able to see your overall rating and where you’ll factor into the depth chart (player only) before you commit to a team. This lets you put your created character in the ideal situation, either starting right off the bat or patiently sitting behind an established starter while you build up your ratings and try to earn your roster spot through old-fashioned hard work and practice.
All the info is provided at a glance, and you can quickly scroll through all 32 teams and find your landing spot at each. On the first day of practice, you’ll know exactly where you are in the pecking order and how many other players stand between you and your shot at cracking the starting lineup. This year, you can now create yourself with EA Game Face and see how you stack up against some of the league’s best. Choose every detail from height and weight, down to body shape and accessories.
After selecting your position and player type, you can now select your backstory that helps determine your expectations in the NFL. There is no better feeling than starting out as an undrafted player like Miles Austin or Kurt Warner, and climbing your way to the top of your team’s depth chart. You will also be able to view your default ratings for the backstory and position that you selected so that you can prepare for the gridiron. An important setting to watch out for is the Instant Starter. With Instant Starter enabled, your selected team will name you the starter regardless of your players overall rating.
Madden NFL 25 also features retuned logic for the draft, trades and free agency, which was another major topic of community discussion. The team has been able to account for fan feedback and adjust to ensure that all parties gain the greatest possible benefit from every transaction.
One of the best-received features of Madden NFL 13 was the ability to play as legendary players and coaches in Connected Career. This year, Randall Cunningham, Mike Ditka, William “Refrigerator” Perry and many more will be joining the ranks of the immortals. Madden NFL 25 includes both player and coach versions of Ditka, so you can have him lay the lumber on the field or demonstrate his prowess with a clipboard and a headset on the sidelines.
Also included this year is William “Refrigerator” Perry, a truly intimidating player. Football historians may know that not only did was The Fridge a fierce defensive end, but he actually also started his career at fullback. In Connected Franchise it’s up to you to decide if you want to utilize Perry’s brute strength coming out of the backfield or disrupting it.
In addition to the new players and coaches, there are also several new members of the media who will follow your progress and heap praise or scorn upon you via social media. Expect Peter Schrager to offer his unique insight into your performance, while Matthew Berry may chime in to encourage followers to pick up your player in their fantasy football leagues.
Madden NFL 25 also includes several fan-requested features, including full 32-team control, new commissioner tools, and a league transaction log. Also, fans of the NCAA Football franchise will be pleased to hear that they’ll be able to import their draft classes from NCAA Football 14 into Madden NFL 25.
MADDEN SHARE
Create, download, and share rosters, playbooks, and gameplay settings with the Madden online community. Gamers have long downloaded files and swapped USB drives in order to personalize their Madden NFL experience. Some folks like sharing playbooks, while others may opt to copy a friend’s gameplay and difficulty sliders. This year, Madden Share not only makes it easier than ever to share with the community, but also makes it easier to surface the best available content. It’s all at your fingertips. Best of all, it’s completely free.
There’s sure to be a ton of content uploaded onto the Madden Share servers, so it’s important that you’ll be able to access the best files. Players can rate and sort content, so you'll know exactly what everyone thinks before you make the plunge with a download.
Madden Share will also highlight the newest and best content in a special “featured” area, ensuring you’ll always be up-to-speed on what’s available. The best community sliders, special playbooks direct from the Madden NFL development team, sponsored content and more can all be yours with a simple push of a button.
MADDEN SEASONS
An all-new way to experience Madden Ultimate Team as players battle through a series of rapid head-to- head match-ups on their way to winning the title and getting promoted to the next level of competition.
Build your Ultimate Team and take on players around the world in all-new Madden Ultimate Team Seasons. In Seasons mode, you’ll square off against a random MUT player in an All-Pro game (three-minute quarters) and the ranking system aims to ensure that both teams are about the same overall rating. Play ten games a night, or ten games a week, it’s all up to you. Your progress is saved and you can move ahead at any time you choose.
Each season is made up of ten games and a four-round playoff. There are eight levels of play, starting at level one. If you win enough games to earn a playoff berth (five wins for level one), then you earn the right to advance to the next level once the playoffs for the current level are complete. There will also be a milestone for a number of wins to earn a first round bye (for eight wins for level one). With the bye, you’ll skip the Wild Card game and go right to the Divisional contest.
You’ll earn coins for each game you play in Seasons. More coins are awarded for outstanding performances, such as winning by lots of points or accumulating many yards of offense. Milestones such as earning a playoff berth or winning the bye are also accompanied by coin rewards. At certain milestones in later levels, you’ll receive a reward pack that contains a Premium collectable that helps you get some great items such as unique alternate jerseys. You’ll always receive an additional reward pack for winning the Super Bowl.
The only way to prove your Ultimate Team’s dominance is to win the Super Bowl in Head-to-Head Seasons. Unlike solo challenges against CPU squads, you’ll be matching wits and skills with players that have built teams of legendary players just like yours. Only the best will win the All-Madden Super Bowl Championship in level eight.
THE ALL-25 TEAM
To celebrate 25 years, members of the Madden NFL development team and community selected the greatest football video game athletes at the height of their virtual careers to the All-25 Team. Check back daily to see who has been named to the All-25 Team, playable in Play Now in Madden NFL 25.
These are the names confirmed for the All-25 Team:
HEAD COACH - John Madden
OFFENSE
QB Mike Vick - Madden 2004
FB Mike Alstott - Madden 2000
HB Marshall Faulk - Madden 2003
WR Randy Moss - Madden 09
WR Brian Finneran - Madden 2004
TE Antonio Gates - Madden 10
LT Orlando Pace - Madden 2003
LG Larry Allen - Madden 95
C Dermontti Dawson - Madden 96
RG Steve Hutchinson - Madden 07
RT Jonathan Ogden - Madden 2005
DEFENSE
DE Julius Peppers - Madden 06
DT Warren Sapp - Madden 2002
DT Albert Haynesworth - Madden 09
DE Dwight Freeney - Madden 07
OLB Derrick Thomas - Madden 97
MLB Ray Lewis - Madden 2005
OLB Derrick Brooks - Madden 2003
CB Deion Sanders - Madden 95
FS Sean Taylor - Madden 06
SS Brian Dawkins - Madden 99
CB Champ Bailey - Madden 2005
SPECIAL TEAMS
KR/PR Devin Hester - Madden 08
K Adam Vinatieri - Madden 2004
P Shane Lechler - Madden 12
# 4
DBMcGee3 @ Aug 21
Man, I want to want this game, I really do. The features all sound great, and well thought out, but at the end of the day I just get a feeling of de ja vu from all the other times they made bold claims and then put out a broken glitchfest of a game. I read all this stuff about how much more intuitive the running is this year, but in my short time with the demo I really didn't notice much change at all, and the line play still seemed crappy to me. More importantly, I was still able to hit the curl route every single time they went into cover 3, which was frequent enough that it ruined the game for me. Anyone else feel the same or am I jaded and crazy?
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