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

[Johns Jets]

I really like the run game in this so far (after only two games). It's actually pretty hard to get things going and you get stuffed for no gain a lot but this is how it should be. When you do pick up 3 or 4 yards it actually feels like you've achieved something. I found in previous years you tended to get nothing or 10+ yards, this years seems like you'll be able to build a legitimate long drive of small gains.

On a somewhat related note, it also seems like if you call the correct kind of play on D (as in a play to stop the run or to stop the pass) then you will usually succeed in stopping the offense. I found last year and before that often you could call the ideal play on D for what the offense had set up and still get beaten too easily.

I'm slightly worried that both of these aspects will fade a little as I get better at the game and more used to it so I kinda hope that I remain pretty crap and the game keeps playing fairly realistically and I don't start to discover exploits etc.

[guaps]

After playing two more games:

The Bears OL just aren't good enough to keep up with the Packers pass rush in Madden, but you can definitely exploit the aggressiveness of the Packers defense. The few times I've had enough time in the pocket, I've picked them apart - especially when they tried to drop a DL in coverage.

What I found is that the manual pump fake (LT/L2 + receiver button) is working great for me. Safeties or LBs in zone coverage can be brought slightly out of position or made just hesitant enough to be able to complete a pass.

Overloading the OL seems to work very well when blitzing compare to last years game. Players like, Peppers, Matthews and even A.J. Hawk play like beasts in this game when used right.

The juke move seems almost too powerful, especially combined with the zig-zag running.

There's definitely been working on the 3-4 defense. I managed to get a sack with B.J. Raji, where I pushed two offensive linemen around 5 yards backwards before getting to Cutler.

Elite players appear to be too good in Madden 12. Woodson is a beast, Matthews is a beast, Peppers is a beast etc. etc. Would have love a bit more balance between elite and average players.

[DGuinta1]

Running not as "zig zaggy" as NCAA12.

[Kevin26385]

I just wanted to mention how realistic the intro/Bears stadium is in the game...This is coming from someone who has been to every home game (Minus one) for the past three years.

The view above the stadium is sweet, you can see lake shore drive and even the gate 14 turnaround.

The detail is absolutely beautiful. The introduction is almost perfect and it gives me chills like in real life.

I think EA Sports deserves a lot of respect...Even the field wrap was done correctly. Little things like this add up to a lot of realism. I think my favorite part though is the player models. Without a doubt this is the best looking Madden has ever been. It is nice to see that Peppers, Urlacher, Cutler, etc look like their real life counterparts.

[Yeah...THAT Guy]

For those of you that tinkered with the speed threshold, what did you set it at? I'm about to start playing now.

[87Birdman]

Okay got two games in before work the first on all pro as the Packers and I pretty much just kept the bears in check and picked of Cutler a couple of times. Game felt fluid Cutler really didn't run too much except when everything broke down, but it felt right when he scrambled.

The second game I bumped it up to all madden and I don't know if DPP hates me but I was the Bears and it was ugly. I had no time in the pocket as the Packers were blowing by my guys like they were statues and then Cutler couldn't throw at all. But doesn't matter since the WR can't get any seperation, and if they did they just dropped the ball so Cutler ended the game with like a 17% completion percentage (granted I started throwing the long ball alot more since I was down big.) I can live with this stuff since yes some times Offenses just can't get anything going.

But the big thing came when I was playing D. Rogers was taking off at every chance he had, but the speed he did was further aided by my linebackers and lineman didn't even seem like he was there until he passed the line of scrimage and then they were so far out of postion that he picked up the first easliy. And the awarness of my defenders were terrible at times and I thought they should still be playing highschool. A big example I saw was when they Packers ran a toss play my outside LB on that side strafed to the middle of the field until the balll crossed the line of scrimage before reacting. So it looks like defenders will go to there zone until the ball crosses the line which makes it look real robotic. And then there is the deep ball in where my guys couldn't catch it or couldn't get open the Packers were throwing into double coverage and my Defenders would go for a basket catch or just not jump and let them catch it for big gains over and over again.

So D on All Madden seems to do so many things wrong, and I was hoping it would feel like NCAA Heisman. Because it plays so well on that mode o well...

[R0M0mentum09]

Quote: Originally Posted by Yeah...THAT Guy

For those of you that tinkered with the speed threshold, what did you set it at? I'm about to start playing now.

Seems solid. . . reminds me a lot of Madden 09 for some reason. The old Madden kick meter is back and is AWESOME! Love the presentation . . .

Cons: Still far to many big hits. . .

With how fast Cutler is it seems all QB's will have scrambling ability to some extent (and makes Vick potentially over powered)


Important stuff I changed. . .

Go to game options (upon kickoff)

Turn off auto sprint/strafe

Change game speed to SLOW

Change player minimum speed threshold to 35

These settings reset every time you start up a game (in demo).



I like the speed settings MUCH more. . . on normal speed seems much to fast. . . all QB's become scramblers

[belucheez]

Impressions after the first game. Played as Packers on Pro difficulty. No slider changes expect changed the game-speed to slow (more like normal from 2010.)

Pros
-Run Blocking is great. I am having a fun time running and I don't even get mad at the game when I get hit the backfield. I blame myself for not taking the right blockers or not flipping the play, ect.
-Running Game in general.
- Tackling: New "animations." No suction, cooler looking solo and gang tackles.
- Presentation. Even without commentary I feel like I am watching a game. The Score-box, pre-snap box, and the "Packers Offense/ Defense; Bears Offense/Defense" boxes look great.
- New kicking meter. I still wish it was the analog kicking but the button works pretty good.
- Doesn't really have to do with gameplay or anything but I like it that we got a full 5-minute 4 quarter game Demo. Thanks EA.

Cons
- Threw the ball deep to Donald Driver on streak routes 3 times and each time he burned the Cornerback in single coverage. Bad thing? Probably not, but I found it weird the cornerback didn't try on 2/3 plays. Though this is probably different.. The Wide Receivers actually jumping for the ball or fighting for it in the air is good. In NCAA they would just stand at the end of their route and wait for the ball to come to them. In here they fight for the ball so I don't always have to control them. Should make Coach-mode games fun. (Coach-mode is in, right?)
- Like I said in my other post, AJ Hawk jumped over the Center for a sack after the Center went for a cut-block. Maybe that is just how it goes on Play-Action plays, but on every play-action play it seemed Cutler got sacked because an OL would fail a cut-block and my players.
- Super-linebackers still in.
- I know this is just the demo and they had to limit the space, but I sure wish I could of seen my stats.

In my opinion the Pros far outweigh the cons and this is game will be a buy for me. It is only one game, but I think this game showed me a great deal of what the gameplay will be like.