Madden NFL 10 Gameplay Video: Eagles @ Cowboys (IGN)

[Valdarez]

Finally had time to break the game down. Here's my the good, the bad, and the ugly breakdown.

Good

• Play Call Screen is clean, looks easy to use, and goes back to the old school way of picking plays (in this case, old school is the best school)
• Nice PreGame WarmUp shots (good immersion, but somewhat ruined by the unison cheering seen clearly in the background)
• Weather Channel Integration (this will be really neat if it's based on real world weather, but not sure if this is the case, keeping fingers crossed...)
• Nice Presentation on coin toss (too bad is soiled by the blatant advertisement)
• Pocket looks better (hard to get a good feel, looked better, but not perfect, I'm giving the benefit of the doubt here)
• Better Route Running, saw real separation at times
• Refs on the field, looked like they were fitting in, not getting in the way, and added to immersion
• Tackling looks better (more realistic, not sure why...)
• Presentation after tackles generally looks better (except for when the camera snaps with the players)
• Nice DLine/Oline engagement, you can really see the hand work / battle going on like was outlined in the blogs (very noticeable on the first pass on the left side of the screen)
• ProTak PileUps look really good - Loved the way the refs pulled guys off the pile. Best representation of the fight for the fumble to date.
• Nice celebration at the end with the cowboys scored (didn't like the fade to black and then view of the celebration, would prefer the camera pan, or just show it... the NFL does not fade to black).
• Excellent drive summary, good use of presentation, statistics, and even advertisements

Bad

• Animations / Rendering (still see missing frames, missing animations, and players jerking or 'snapping' into place during / between movements)
• Play call screen is cleaned up, but we lost PIP replays and statistical information
• Fans still look like they are cheering in unison (very noticeable during the pregame warm ups)
• Kickoffs look like they are still cut off (should follow the ball all the way to the kick off returner or when it lands)
• Unison jumping when prepping for kickoff by the two guys to the left of the ball (need logic to make sure nothing happens in unison during presentation screens, pre and post snap)
• Kickoff appears to go into presentation mode, instead of being part of the game (why?)
• No on the field drawing of the first yardage necessary to get first down (like we see during games on Sunday)
• Passing still looks fast (no way to judge it, just looks like the ball gets there too fast to me, be nice to have some touch passes to compare against the fast ones)

Ugly

• Instant Turns (no real momentum / physic), some of the CB coverage is still inhuman and highly unrealistic.
• Running still just looks plain wrong, guys are turning circles on the field. Looks like Madden of past years. Very noticeable after the ball is passed or the run play has begun and players are no longer engaged on their assignments (zones / man). Watch McCoy circle back on the play McNabb is sacked.
• Hammonds Commentary (simply horrendous)
• Blatant Advertisements not in line with NFL presentation (snickers at the coin toss)
• Black bar does not fade away during game play (will ruin consumers screens)
• Bad camera movement after first play is run where the HB is tackled (presentation doesn't look real and is still snapping with the players, the camera should not be locked in on a single player)
• No Route Based Passing (huge let down for me... this and running is more than half the game)

Most honest break down I can give of the game play based on what I was able to take away from it. I have a feeling a lot of the Madden fans are going to like the game, and that there may be enough enhancements to interest the 2K crowd initally but the game is going to lack too many core elements to draw the 2K crowd for the long haul.

[Unforgiven]

Great post Valdarez, I agree with most of it. I have to go back and watch the OL and DL again though, I haven't paid attention too much to them

[Deegeezy]

The fade to black is not in the game. That was just the way they decided to splice different parts of the video together.

[Valdarez]

Quote: Originally Posted by Deegeezy

The fade to black is not in the game. That was just the way they decided to splice different parts of the video together.

Are you sure? They used black fades at the start as well during the pre game warm ups. Those were clearly part of the game, and not the guys who put the video together for IGN.

The reason they don't belong is that fade to blacks are not part of a live feed, which is what is seen during a NFL game. They are used in movie sequences.

[Deegeezy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Valdarez

Are you sure? They used black fades at the start as well during the pre game warm ups. Those were clearly part of the game, and not the guys who put the video together for IGN. The reason they don't belong is that fade to blacks are not part of a live feed, which is what is seen during a NFL game. They are used in movie sequences.

I dont agree that it was clearly part of the game. What we watched was an edited video movie.

[Valdarez]

Quote: Originally Posted by Deegeezy

I dont agree that it was clearly part of the game. What we watched was an edited video movie.

To me it looks like it's part of the game, but to be honest, I can't say for sure. It would be kind of silly for us to debate whether it's part of the game, because neither of us really knows right? So lets just say that 'if' it's actually in there, then I hope they remove it before the game goes gold.

[bowdown2shadi]

They edited the video and added the fade in between plays. Im 95% sure

[Maximus205]

Quote: Originally Posted by bowdown2shadi

They edited the video and added the fade in between plays. Im 95% sure

and i'm 100%. notice there are no play call screens after the kickoff