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

Feature Article

Submitted on: 03/20/2015 by Ben Vollmer

By most standards, Madden NFL 15 was the best game the series had seen in more than five years. It wasn't a giant leap forward, but it cleaned up some legacy issues and didn't introduce more than one or two (user sacks, we're looking at you).

Yet, the game's most noticeable flaw is that we haven't seen that leap forward that Madden so desperately needs. The series fails to take any big chances and the ones it does take aren't particularly loved by consumers.

With that in mind, let's look at Madden NFL 15's big back of the box additions and review what worked and what didn't work for consumers...

"Deliver on Defense": This is a toss-up. On one hand, defense functioned a lot better than it has in recent years. Games had, at the very least, the capacity for a low-scoring affair. The problem? Defense still wasn't that fun, and that was the whole idea behind the tackle-cone and new tackling mechanics. The A.I. was a bit better, but it would have been nearly impossible for it to have not been. All the same, the focus on gameplay is much appreciated and playing defense was better than it has been.

Verdict: Worked

"Know Your Opponent": The idea is clever. Introducing a statistics mechanic has the basis for a good idea, but it never feels fully realized in Madden '15. The game is already too one-sided with the A.I. being as (frequently) dumb as it is, especially with play-calling. Being able to further predict what they were going to do as a user just felt unnecessary. Online, the feature had a much better use but still felt unpolished and too bare-bones. In the future, it would be great if play-calling A.I. was good enough for this feature to aid in a chess match of play-calling.

Verdict: Didn't Work

"NFL Films Inspired Presentation": Look, until the commentary doesn't feel boring and redundant, the presentation isn't going to be where it needs to be. Games felt more like a broadcast than they used to, but again, that isn't saying much. The development team deserves credit for knowing where they need to improve, but they've still yet to deliver.

Verdict: Didn't Work

"Player Sense and War in the Trenches 2.0": The change in player A.I. as well as pass-rushing was definitely noticeable. Ends got around the edges and forced pocket pressure from the inside, and tackles shoved their way up the middle until the QB was forced to scramble. The upgrade was certainly noticeable, even if the game isn't quite up to speed in this department. As far as "Player Sense" goes, there still is about zero of it. Players don't seek after the ball, CPU QB's take sacks like they are paid to do so, and ball-carriers don't hit holes like they should. Even though there was some improvement, you had to look pretty hard to find it.

Verdict: Didn't Work

What do you think? Which features worked and which didn't work?

Madden NFL 15 Videos

Member Comments

# 1 adub88 @ 03/20/15 05:42 PM

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.

# 2 Kornnickel55 @ 03/20/15 05:45 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.

# 3 Nashalot @ 03/20/15 05:48 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.

# 4 JHedges2 @ 03/20/15 06:04 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).

# 5 cmehustle @ 03/20/15 06:15 PM

Quote:

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.

# 6 MAGboyswifT27 @ 03/20/15 06:32 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.

# 7 Senator Palmer @ 03/20/15 06:42 PM

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

# 8 GiantsFan2013 @ 03/20/15 06:43 PM

Quote:

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.

# 9 Lisac @ 03/20/15 07:21 PM

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!

# 10 Mike Lowe @ 03/20/15 09:03 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.

# 11 dtlm6 @ 03/20/15 11:29 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).

# 12 charter04 @ 03/20/15 11:42 PM

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.

# 13 khaliib @ 03/21/15 02:15 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.

# 14 B-Lo-Z-Ro @ 03/21/15 03:07 AM

What happened to players playing like their ratings...? You have all these attributes for each player and playing against the computer it always feels like you are playing on easy, medium or hard there is hardly a difference in poor, good & great players... Can we get a Ratings difficulty where all the players play the way they are suppose too with out difficulty or sliders impacting game play? Most likely not, but I asked...

# 15 ptroopah @ 03/21/15 06:33 AM

I have not played or bought Madden since they started making the NCAA title ( as college football trumps pro football any day of the week ) now that there is no more NCAA football. I will just keep updating the NCAA 14 Rosters as long as I can and play that for my football fix.....damm you O'Bannon

Signed
THE SILENT MAJORITY

# 16 grodbetatted @ 03/21/15 07:11 AM

I enjoyed the game thoroughly and the war in the trenches was definitely a fun mini game inside of the game and it was effective. I agree the commentary could use some work, but honestly I don't pay much attention to it at all anyway, that's not just madden that's, 2k and live as well. It's just background noise to me. I'm just not sure what leap forward consumers are expecting, I couldn't imagine them changing the throwing mechanics, because right stick throwing would be too complex and more frustrating than fun. The game plays smooth for the most part, maybe they could change the running mechanic but I'm not sure that's the LEAP consumers are looking for. What would a NEXT GEN leap consist of is my question?

# 17 kjcheezhead @ 03/21/15 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grodbetatted


	I enjoyed the game thoroughly and the war in the trenches was definitely a fun mini game inside of the game and it was effective. I agree the commentary could use some work, but honestly I don't pay much attention to it at all anyway, that's not just madden that's, 2k and live as well. It's just background noise to me. I'm just not sure what leap forward consumers are expecting, I couldn't imagine them changing the throwing mechanics, because right stick throwing would be too complex and more frustrating than fun. The game plays smooth for the most part, maybe they could change the running mechanic but I'm not sure that's the LEAP consumers are looking for. What would a NEXT GEN leap consist of is my question?

They could add different types of passing mechanics just like the Show has 1 button pitching, or a more advanced pitching with a power meter.

It's not necessarily the button style I dislike with Madden, it's the way the ball feels tied to wrs and they react to passing instantly. I'd rather they use a style like you find in All Pro Football and limit the users ability to take wrs off their routes and manually catch. It looks so unnatural.

This pick up and play tethered style is too easy and its an eye sore to the game.

I agree with the article, but legacy issues like the 15 year old passing system killed madden more than the new additions that didn't work.

# 18 eddie234 @ 03/21/15 12:55 PM

The most frustrating thing is the claim of being realistic and yet their are so many things that happen in the game that would never happen in real life. Is it a game or is it like the real thing? Two or three time a game I go to throw a pass and its incomplete because he's been knock down but no penalty? Wth?

# 19 speedtrucker @ 03/21/15 02:55 PM

To me what didn't work at all:

1: WR/CB/LB interaction. Nothing about it makes me feel like they got it even close. RBs can slide between tackles, stumble through a bump from an OLineman but the ball goes in the air and physics go out the door. Bodies warp through each other as the are locked in animations that either the Catcher is going to "win" or the defender is going to "win". "Win" meaning that the defender will slide through and his hands will break up the pass despite the obvious PI and strange "his hand went through my guys shoulder and arm to break that up. Or that great animation where the WR is fading away from the call and the CB is attacking the ball but they just slide right through each other physics be danged.

I've had LBs run my WRs off their route because they were running to their Zone coverage area but nothing is called be again physics be danged and madden can't call PIs correct.

I don't care if they decide that the physics results in more breakups or drops or PI but at least it brings it into a realm of reality.

2. The presentation... I don't just mean the commentary, I mean the entire package. NCAA was great because they put the whole Saturday gameday atmosphere in there and it was legit. Madden has a quasi-NFL network CBS feel... It doesn't feel right. Especially when everyone knows that the NFL has broadcast rights that differ by conferences and nights. The Cowboys aren't playing the Eagles on CBS. I could live with the broadcasters being the same but with a "Fox" style broadcast look, or NFL Thursday night game or NBC Sunday night game. NCAA basketball was the best when they had the espn dicky V broadcast and then the CBS Kellogg broadcast.

# 20 speedtrucker @ 03/21/15 03:48 PM

Weather is another one. How could they have mvp 06 NCAA baseball that had changing weather and never use it again in another sports title.

It was great to have a game start maybe partly cloudy and as the innings progressed clouds could roll in and sometimes you'd have a slight drizzle start by the 7th or 8th inning. It was amazing, that was a great game overall.

I agree that the colors and weather in madden are just laughable. The Cowboys pants and others look like they are wearing plastic wrap... Others like the cardinals are muted where the cardinal red looks so bland and the black looks charcoal grey... Seemed like NCAA football went crisp and sharp while madden always went muted and afternoon games looked even more washed out with the strange looking sunset color shading

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