Madden NFL 13 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here (360, PS3)

[Armor and Sword]

Quote: Originally Posted by CigarCityBandit

I chose to focus on what I considered to be positive in my impressions post. The IE is obviously FAR from perfect and I think I stated that. But just to be clear...this "DEMO" version of Madden even today, as un-refined as the it is, still plays better than EVERY PREVIOUS VERSION OF MADDEN so far. I think many of you out there need to have some patience. This is the beginning of a long road to get the game to where it needs to be.

Ok...I am a positive gamer. I am probably one of the most forgiving sports gamers on the planet as fun factor is my first priority. Given that Madden is and has always been fun for me.

But since we went to this gen of consoles....the game forthe exception of Madden 10 has been a huge let down. This is not the best version of Madden.....no way. I will never make a claim like that off a demo. When the full retial version comes out I will give it a fair and honest review. I loved 10...still do. But it also is an incomplete game on many fronts. Why they did not continue to build on Madden 10's foundation is beyond me. That game actually has a more organic feel than 11, 12 and now this demo of 13 combined. It is hard to run, change directions on a dime, players feel much more weighty, have some momentum. Could you imagine that game with this passing system and depth of CCM? Wow....what could have been. Instead They keep taking things out, adding things in and they never get any momentum building the game and adding like they used to last gen.

The problem with Madden football this gen is we have never gotten a complete game top to bottom. Madden 12 IMO had a very playable franchise mode...but the on field game play was wonky with super LB's, a stale passing game, and just awful tackling. Over time....I just got fed up at seeing the same things happening over and over and over. No matter how much I loved the off the field stuff, the awesome DPP and hot and cold streaks....it always comes back to gameplay. Always.

Madden has yet to put it all togther this gen. Where as last gen they progressed every year and by 2007 made IMO the perfect Madden game to date. It may not look pretty....but it plays and functions as a complete NFL football video game.

I want Madden 13 to be that game. But Patience? Brother it has been now going on what....six years. When are we going to be able to play a next gen Madden that knocks our socks off? Madden 10 was a heck of a start....what happened?

I am getting the game....I love football, I still enjoy playing Madden and I think CCM has massive potential to hold my interest in a coach and player role. I love the concept of an immersive fully alive franchise mode where I never have to start over. I can just change my character. I find that new and innovative. I can enjoy this game depsite it's obvious flaws and I am not going to base my purchase on a demo....I understand it is an unfinished game on the demo.

I also love the new play by play. Simms and Nance sound great. The stadiuym sounds and crowds sound great. The game looks beautiful. I will play on the zoomed camera as that brings out the gorgeous player models and get's you more on the field. I also feel playing on very slow is the way to go with this new engine (or module/plug in as another poster cleverly pointed out) and I am already getting a feel for the sliders to enhance the gameplay as much as they can. The game is not bad by any means.

However the core fundmental and most exciting thing about football is making tackles. And seeing organic wrap up tackles, feeling like the players have weight and momentum, gang tackles, trip ups, feeling like I laid the wood on a guy and bring him down to the turf.....on this demo it seems like touch football. As soon as you make contact...the players crumble, drop to their knees...bend backwards....man it is funky. I am really confused as to what the heck is going on. I saw an instance where a RB ran into his own blocker and just crumbled. Moving in the pocket this year is sloppy (again on the demo). It is a hot mess right now.

Madden as far as this demo...fails for me on all those fronts. And that is a big thing for long term playability and making claims that this is the best Madden to date.

Far from it.

I hope the retail copy is tuned far better than the demo and I am giving this game a shot as I have been a longtime hardcore Madden player.

Ok enough....my point and impressions have been stated loud and clear. Let's see what the retail copy brings and what the total package does for the overall enjoyment of the game.

I am still remaining positive we can get a fun, playable NFL game this year.

[SECElit3]

Just curious if any of you guys posting demo impressions have played the demo after making slider adjustments?

If not, I suggest adjusting the sliders using one of the sets from the Madden 12 forums and then posting impressions. I assure you will see a completely different game. The demo play is atrocious without adjustment.

Game is tuned for online play (more arcade experience) out of the box

[Dogslax41]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

My major issue is that tackling looks horrendous. There are barely no wrap up tackles, looks like a bowling bowl game. I can deal with what's not in the game, we've know that for months, including foot planting and the franchise features from last year left out. This build better be an old one and better be tuned before Aug. 28th.

I still have extremely high hopes for this just in response to the experience with FIFA. When they released their demo the physics system left the game largely unplayable. I mean it was awful. Then by retail release they had tuned it and it quickly screamed by Pro EVO as the futbol game to have. Are there still moments where a knee gets locked like jar jar binks, yes. Do guys sometimes get launched into the air unrealistically, yes. But instead of that happening 60% of the time they toned it down to about 5% of the time and it plays a much more realistic game of footie. I can see the same thing happening with this year's madden

[falconfansince81]

did not look through 134 pages, just posting my criticisms:

• all madden vs all pro: all madden still seems to just jack up players ability rather than there AI, all pro seemed to play pretty well but user interaction is still required a lot of the time.

• gameplay: feels similar to m12 despite the infinity engine, i guess it only relates to the collision system. VERY glad L1 looks to have been nerfed, but i think they over nerfed the hitstick...usually i just engage in a regular tackle now.

• passing: noticed a big improvement after playing a few games, trajectories seem to differ among the qbs and i was able to float in more passes over lbs without them superman picking them at the line.

• running: the jukes still feel a bit stiff and not very organic, i was hoping the right stick would be more like a half step to the side rather than a full lunge horizontally.

• physics (weight, strength, force): non-existant...alex smith hip tossed justin tuck last night...nuff said.

• presentation: sounds like the m12 theme mixed with NCAA's music, hopefully there is more. i know they have two new commentators, but it reminds me of joe montana sports talk football. all the blue bothers me and i find it distracting, but i'm sure i'll get used to it.

• kicking: much better, maybe 60 yarders won't be automatic for once.

• graphics: i like the motion blur, hoping this is a lower rendered version of the game for demo purposes cause they look pretty lack luster overall.

• user catching: there is definitely a big difference in timing, feels like with the new trajectories it is harder to time the catch...but when you do, it looks really nice.

overall demo rating: 9/10
gameplay rating: 6/10

[Armor and Sword]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

My major issue is that tackling looks horrendous. There are barely no wrap up tackles, looks like a bowling bowl game. I can deal with what's not in the game, we've know that for months, including foot planting and the franchise features from last year left out. This build better be an old one and better be tuned before Aug. 28th.

Agreed on all counts. $15 dollar rental if this is what we end up with.

[StrawHat Patriot]

Will we be able to do Surprise Onside Kicks? I know it's not the right thread but I couldn't find a way to do it.

[Darkwolf90]

I've played about 5 games so far, and it looks pretty good to me, I'm still enjoying the demo. I'm playing on pro because I'm still a little rusty, I'm going to move up to All-pro later today. So far my highlights are an accidental helmet to helmet hit trying to dive with Marshawn Lynch and hitting helmet to helmet with a Redskins defender, they both fell after the collition, to bad there is not Helmet to Helmet penelties. Another funny moment to me was when I scrambled with RG3 and I slid down to avoid a Seahawk DB and ended up slide tackling the DB, I laughed for a while after that, but all in all good work on the Infinty Engine so far. I've hit a few guys after they dove and even one that as already on the ground after falling as he caught the ball.

I've had one Pass Interfernce call which definatly made me happy, its been a long time since I've seen that in Madden, good to know its back. I hope with longer quarters in the full game will allow for more Pass Interfernces during a game. Gang tackles look great and feel natural, it easy for player to get involved in the tackles, I've seen up to five defender tackling one guy, and some time more. Impacts with other players effect the way guys fall, feels good. I'm hoping well see some injuries caused by stuff like getting hit by the LB and hitting a blocker or another player who changes the ball carries direction.

I haven't seen too much suction blocking and I'm starting to think its gone, but I'm not 100% sure as of yet. I have seen a few guys who tried to tackle the ball carrier while they were being blocked. Even had Amad Brooks hit Eli Manning right after getting free of a blocker, it looked great. WR and DB interaction looked pretty good to me, more so when trying to make a play on the ball or the WR, seen some great tackles and pretty good impacts. Overall I'm enjoying the demo and can't wait for the full game on Aug. 28.

[jeremym480]

I played one game last night and I have to say that I liked most of what I saw. I do feel that the players are a little bit "loose", but hopefully that will be tuned more in the retail version. I played on slow, but even slow felt faster than normal to me. I need to play more to develop a more definitive opinion, but as of right now, I see Madden as slightly better than NCAA, but there's not a huge gap between the two like a initially thought there would be.