Madden NFL 25 Impressions Thread

[urlacher51]

Quote: Originally Posted by Gotmadskillzson

Additional Thing I Noticed The star player on offense for what ever team you are playing against no matter if it is the QB, WR, TE or RB, no matter their size or play type, break a hell of a lot of tackles on 3rd and long. On 3rd and long it seems like they turn into demi gods and defenders just bounce off of them.

I think players with the clutch rating might be the problem, just like in All PRO Football 2k8 guys that had that ability would go crazy on third and fourth downs.

[IrOnKoBe]

Very disappointed theirs no madden intro this year too hype me up

[Hooe]

Cross posting from what I wrote elsewhere.

Been playing the Season Ticket release a bunch Friday evening and Saturday. Noting first that I thoroughly enjoyed Madden 13, here is what I think so far -

I really like the way Madden 25 feels (normal speed, X360), but out of the box the gameplay is significantly tilted to the offense. Just like NCAA, the run blocking plays out nicely but is a bit juiced. The highly-touted new LT-modified ball carrier moves are great and really help make elite players stand out, and I actually don't think they hurt the game balance too much. Most notable to me - even on All Madden, with default slider settings QBs don't seem to ever just throw ordinary incompletions. At one point I had ten straight completions with Mark Sanchez in a game, and I do a fair amount of downfield passing.

That said, the QB Pass Accuracy slider is pretty powerful; I set it at 0 just for giggles and suddenly couldn't hit the ocean from a rowboat. The last game I played yesterday evening, I had the setting at 5 for both User and CPU and it felt like I still had plenty of control even though more passes were missing (using Matt Schaub), and CPU Blaine Gabbert had plenty of off target passes when he actually threw the ball, JAX's play calling was very run-heavy.

One other thing that I like is that I feel like I actually get reasonable feedback from the game when playing as a pass rusher. Playing as guys like DeMarcus Ware, Jason Hatcher, and Chris Long, I could see more clearly than any previous Madden game the effects my control inputs with both sticks had on my battle with a blocker. It is still hard to get to the QB, but to me it actually feels like a battle worth fighting now.

One final gameplay note, I haven't touched the read option in the Season Ticket build at all. In the demo, it didn't appear to be as unreasonably successful as it is in NCAA, but I confess that my sample size here is far too limited to form any sort of opinion on this.

Things I can't adjust that really bug me - seeing on-field players in sideline cutscenes, the dumb and too long coach fist-pumping cutscenes after touchdowns, and background players not appearing during touchdown celebration cutscenes. The cutscenes in general are hit and miss, and it feels like a lack of attention to detail in the presentation department, visually at least. The crowd audio sounds better than I can ever remember it being in any Madden game. I like that appropriate licensed music is in the stadium PA (though it is quite repetitive), and I really like the stadium specific sounds such as Go Pack Go! or the air raid horn which apparently plays at Cowboys Stadium after touchdowns.

As to commentary, it is obvious that EA's commentary stitching tech has improved significantly, but there isn't enough audio so it can get a bit repetitive. Also, when Nantz and Simms start up a canned bit about the team's previous season, they completely ignore the game unless a touchdown or turnover occurs, in which case the bit is interrupted and is not revisited. There are some bits with multiple clips, though, such as a conversation about the Cardinals hiring Bruce Arians which was visited a few times over the course of a long drive, so there's some good happening, just not enough of it.

Haven't played Connected Franchise much at all yet, waiting for a roster update. I suspect I will be playing a ton of it, however. While poking around, I did see that, as a commissioner of an online CFM, there is an option to clear cap penalties on a per-team basis, which could prove useful if a league member goes rogue or stupid.

Basically, so far my opinion is that Madden 25 is a polished version of Madden 13 but it isn't going to play out realistically without slider help. If you liked M13 and are willing to play a few games to change the game balance to your liking, you'll like Madden 25. I thoroughly enjoyed 13 so obviously I like this one too.

[NDAlum]

I long for a slider set where there is defense.

All-Madden 49ers vs Cards

1st play for me: 77-yd Kap run on read option
3rd & 18 for ARZ: 60-yd seam down the middle of the field on Cover 4

I want to be able to make it nearly impossible to score with sliders.

[JMD]

Ok, I've been playing the Early release version on the 360 since Friday. Funny I didn't renew my season ticket but I still had 3 days left on Friday so I was able to download the game.

All in all it's Madden football. With Madden 25 I'm still in the Slider adjustment phase. I usually spend two weeks tuning the game myself. So far I like the game and the more I tweak the better it gets, but it does take time and several games against many different teams to get there. Once I get it playing decent in play now, I move on to the career mode, then I start my franchise or whatever they call it now.
So at this point, yes I like the game over all, and as I did with Madden 13, I will get this game to play as realistically as possible.

That said there is one area that sliders can't fix:
What really bothers me about the game is the fact that EA just can't get the calls on the field right, and once again the play challenge system is useless. My current game I'm playing now: Me -Chiefs, CPU -Bears at solider field. It's been a hard fought game for me. Alex Smith went out for the game in the first series and I threw two pick 6's in a row with Daniel to go down 14-0.

I tied the game up at 14 only to fall behind again, just could not stop the Bears offense.

Now back to my complaint about EA's programming. I pull within 10 points in the 3rd 31-21, then on the Bears next possession Cutler throws a long pass to Marshall in the end zone, he catches the ball , drags one foot and the other foot comes down clearly with the front half of the foot out of bounds. I was not given the option to challenge however the booth did a review. So I'm thinking good this one's coming back. But no the play is reviewed, all replays show the foot out of bounds yet "the call on the field stands" Touchdown. You have no idea how much this angers me. I know, it's just a video game, but come on, this is a very important area of the game and they just can't get it right.

Second example same game. There are 42 seconds left I'm down 31-47 and obviously I have no chance. The Bears kickoff to me. McCluster clearly fumbles the ball during the return, a Bear player dives for the ball but does not land on it until he's a good yard out of bounds. Once again the incorrect call is made , instead of it being a fumble out of bounds, Chiefs ball, the CPU gives a fumble recovery to the Bears. Yeah the game was over at this point, but still why can't EA get this right?

Example 3 Last night playing Chiefs -me , Pats -CPU. My linebacker hits Brady , his arm was moving forward, it was called a fumble. I watched the replay , again it was clear that Tom Terrific's arm was moving forward yet it's a fumble and the Chiefs ball. Am I asking for too much here? Should I not be expecting after 25 years of making football games for this to be done correctly?

Frustrating. Even when the bad calls are in my favor it pisses me off. I want the game to get it right. Maybe Next Gen?

[celtics6]

This game is terrible. The first few games were an adjustment and i was enjoying it but after a few games you realize this is the same madden all over again. I call it madden mode where it feels like you are playing the most mindless predictable game ever, EAsports has gotten enough money from me.

[Gorilla Glass]

Quote: Originally Posted by N51_rob

One thing that is annoying no matter what is how receivers with low route running (TJ Graham; 67 route running) is just abusing my DBs (DeAngelo Hall, Josh Wilson) on slants, outs and digs. I get that he is fast, and that should be where he creates miss matches, but literally undressing DBs on routes that require technique is a joke. Once again it seems like despite having 200 ratings, only one really matters...

You definitely need to shade and disguise coverage. That's the only way I'm able to hold anyone.

[psychraider32]

Quote: Originally Posted by JMD

Ok, I've been playing the Early release version on the 360 since Friday. Funny I didn't renew my season ticket but I still had 3 days left on Friday so I was able to download the game. All in all it's Madden football. With Madden 25 I'm still in the Slider adjustment phase. I usually spend two weeks tuning the game myself. So far I like the game and the more I tweak the better it gets, but it does take time and several games against many different teams to get there. Once I get it playing decent in play now, I move on to the career mode, then I start my franchise or whatever they call it now. So at this point, yes I like the game over all, and as I did with Madden 13, I will get this game to play as realistically as possible. That said there is one area that sliders can't fix: What really bothers me about the game is the fact that EA just can't get the calls on the field right, and once again the play challenge system is useless. My current game I'm playing now: Me -Chiefs, CPU -Bears at solider field. It's been a hard fought game for me. Alex Smith went out for the game in the first series and I threw two pick 6's in a row with Daniel to go down 14-0. I tied the game up at 14 only to fall behind again, just could not stop the Bears offense. Now back to my complaint about EA's programming. I pull within 10 points in the 3rd 31-21, then on the Bears next possession Cutler throws a long pass to Marshall in the end zone, he catches the ball , drags one foot and the other foot comes down clearly with the front half of the foot out of bounds. I was not given the option to challenge however the booth did a review. So I'm thinking good this one's coming back. But no the play is reviewed, all replays show the foot out of bounds yet "the call on the field stands" Touchdown. You have no idea how much this angers me. I know, it's just a video game, but come on, this is a very important area of the game and they just can't get it right. Second example same game. There are 42 seconds left I'm down 31-47 and obviously I have no chance. The Bears kickoff to me. McCluster clearly fumbles the ball during the return, a Bear player dives for the ball but does not land on it until he's a good yard out of bounds. Once again the incorrect call is made , instead of it being a fumble out of bounds, Chiefs ball, the CPU gives a fumble recovery to the Bears. Yeah the game was over at this point, but still why can't EA get this right? Example 3 Last night playing Chiefs -me , Pats -CPU. My linebacker hits Brady , his arm was moving forward, it was called a fumble. I watched the replay , again it was clear that Tom Terrific's arm was moving forward yet it's a fumble and the Chiefs ball. Am I asking for too much here? Should I not be expecting after 25 years of making football games for this to be done correctly? Frustrating. Even when the bad calls are in my favor it pisses me off. I want the game to get it right. Maybe Next Gen?

That automatic renewal is sneaky. Check your account.