Madden NFL 12 Demo Available Now, Post Impressions Here (360, PS3)

[guaps]

A few notes after playing one game of Madden 12. FYI, I played as the Bears.

Pros:

• Presentation looks good.
• The new gameflow is very usable.
• When playing run defense, defenders seem to be good at disengaging their blockers and chasing the ball carrier.
• Defensive linemen seem to be able to push the OL backwards, albeit at a slow pace.
• Dynamic Player Performance changes and reacts to the game, but I haven't seen how it affects the game yet. E.g. WR Knox dropped a pass over the middle between three defenders, which changes his status to drop open passes, but I didn't notice any difference in his ability to catch the ball.
• Most of the suction is gone and tackles looked good overall. E.g. stopped Grant from picking up a first down as I was able to change his forward progression and make him fall sideways.

Cons:

• While there is no visible suction, there is still warping (cause by lack of momentum). Especially for offensive linemen who are out of position, but somehow get in position and suck the rushing defenders into animations.
• Having rushers sucked into animations is very disappointing. Had a play where my DE was inches from hitting the RB (on a stretch play), but got sucked into a blocking animation with the FB instead.
• Super LBs are still in the game. For one, they can jump and intercept/knock down passes, but they also don't have to respect momentum.
• Sometimes QB accuracy is off. E.g. QBs miss easy passes in an unrealistic manner.
• Defensive backs are still psychic, but also appear to be a bit too passive for my taste. Maybe it was just because I played with the Bears, but many of my CBs allowed passes to be completed instead of knocking down the ball.
• On one play Packers HB Grant trucked DT Toeania, which just looked odd.
• Run blocking AI still needs work. Had two running plays where several defenders were left unblocked while my players weren't doing anything. E.g. had a loss of 3 yards on one running play, because my C, RG and FB didn't bother to block the NT.
• Still see a lot of skating.
• Replays are too short.

I'll try and play some more games (next up the Packers), so I can give some more impressions.

[Tomba]

Where do I begin.

Ok the broadcast presentation
Absolutely refreshing.

It feels as if time is passing by realistically and when you turn game flow off and go the conventional route it plays off even better showing you stadium views of Soldier Feild(which looks fantastic).

Camera angle on kicks and field goal kicks are superb! My goodness it just looks and feels right. i am loving the kicking this year.

Replays are also done accurately.

To put it short even the beginning entrance and stdium view was just spectacular.

Will these things get old though? Not with 32 teams and stadiums to be honest as well as time of day etc. So i think we're in for the best progression of football since 2k5. Madden 12 feels like MLB The Show 11 when playing it and thats the highest compliment i can give it in the presentation department. Awesome EA!


Gameplay

I immediately had do some slider adjustments thanks to my closeness with the NCAA 12 engine now. So it helped me determine a good set right away.

Once done. I was lovin it. I can not stress how much the broadcast does to the gameplay. It's the waiting inbetween the nuances that matterjust like in baseball that not many seems to get. it's that waiting for that one play that one down before everything starts that matters and madden 12 does that in spades(Again so far who know if it gets old?)

tackling running THROWING(ohh man passing) is all fairly good and the best Ive ever played in a Madden. It's VERY hard to nit pick this game because it's taken everything that wa sdecent with madden gameplay and then just slowed it down and by that i mean added that real element of being able to be seen as a real game on tv(I could only imagine how good of a game NHL 12 would have been if they had the brains to do the same!...again RANTING over)

Other than that. DarN it's ONLY a DEMO! I want more nowzser!

Season pass here I come

[feeq14]

Had an NCAA moment where it became obvious that defenders were cheating in reading the run. However i was able to actually turn reaction time down and suddenly my defensive backs werent crashing into the backfield at the snap of the ball.

[DeuceDouglas]

I loved the "This telecast is copyrighted by the NFL for the private use of our audience. Any other use of this telecast or of any pictures, descriptions, or accounts of the game without the NFL's consent, is prohibited." thing at the end. It's a very small thing but I thought it was really cool.

[dirtysouth1295]

Quote: Originally Posted by monglord

What is with these stupid sideline cams at the starting 2 or 3 seconds of every play I barely have time to set my defense up because of it. Please tell me there's a way to skip past it/turn it off

I hate that too. I just flick the right stick and it lets you do audibles and stuff.

[jmurphy31]

I think Rogers is way too quick to tuck and run --plus he seems a bit fast in my opinion. I also dont care for the broadcast cam pre-snap (i feel like it gives you les time to make adjustments). Tackling feels a lot more intense this year (meaning it seems like almost every hit is a "hit stick" hit)

CPU AI at end of half and game is not very good
For example before half CPU call a TO when it is 4 and 2 with 5 seconds left just to punt it away.

in the fourth quarter with the game tied and they are alreadey in FG range, they call three timeouts with less than 2 minutes remaining...So not only do they stop the clock, but I am saved 2 TO's

[StevoIRL]

It certainly does enough to distinguish itself from last years offering but my god there are a number of issues that REALLY annoy me.

First off I find the pace of the game all wrong, last year was all about setting the game to slow and making to more authentic and to me it felt right. This year when you put it on slow (after the chaos that is normal) players seem to spend most of the time walking instead of running around.

The AI really annoys me. Punt returns are suicidal, there is ZERO blocking. They run back have a look at you and open up the gates for you to be hammered.

Iv seen on the pass WR's running away from the ball when it's thrown to them, it's beggars belief what is going on.

AI defensive is even more appalling on the run. DE's will disengage and turn around and start running towards their own goal line and will completely ignore a RB running parallel to them.

[seasprite]

Quote: Originally Posted by jmurphy31

I think Rogers is way too quick to tuck and run --plus he seems a bit fast in my opinion.

I agree as well. I even had gameplay set to slow and Rodgers would take off wayyy tooo often and have the speed of Vick. The lateral movement and speed, especially with the QB's, needs to be toned down quite a bit imo.