Madden NFL 25 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (360, PS3)

[JaymeeAwesome]

Quote: Originally Posted by kehlis

I can respect that, I really can. But by asking what the game does right and just trying to ignore what it does wrong is the wrong way to go about it IMO. An above poster mentioned it would be great to have human error as a part of the game and I 100% agree. The problem is, the clock management being given as an example is absurd and not something any NFL coach would do and the scenario listed above is no different than any of the previous examples listed. There's a difference between human error and absurdity. If there are good examples of clock management I too, would love to hear them. The problem is, a CPU coaching doing something that makes sense isn't necessarily anything to gloat about or get excited about. A coach doing something absurd is going to catch your attention 100% of the time.

Or every CPU coach is like Bill Belichick and you don't know why they made the decision they did in crucial moments. I love him to death, but as a Patriots fan, he drives me crazy and has the tendency to make me sit on the edge of my seat.

[Big FN Deal]

It took my awhile to figure out how to express my impression of the demo but I finally realized that I think it's an interesting beta or prelude to M25 on the new consoles. If M25 on the current consoles was the only Madden until next year, I would have to give the demo an incomplete, even with all its' improvements.

I'm going to need M25 on the new consoles to really utilize the things touted for the Ignite Engine to enhance the experience found in M25 on current consoles. The player movement needs to be very fluid, the living worlds need to add immersion and the AI needs to differentiate players.

[friscob]

Quote: Originally Posted by jaymee13

I haven't seen the invisible issue on 360. Which console are you guys seeing this on?

Only a Ps3 issue

[JaymeeAwesome]

Quote: Originally Posted by Armor & Sword

Alright. The M25 demo is finally here. Before I even give my impressions of the demo understand where my opinions are coming from. I have been a Madden player since the games inception. I have seen and played it all when it comes to football and baseball games and you can throw in a good portion of basketball, hockey and boxing. Heck even tennis and soccer. I am a console sports gamer to the bone. Madden has never been a true simulation of the game of football. Ever. What it has been even at it's very best is a insanely fun game to play against your buddies locally ( in the early 90's we had countless sleepless nights of playing madden 93 tournaments), it replaced tecmo bowl for us as it had a real play book, window passing, and of course John Madden on the cover. It was a revolutionary title. It evolved to the PS1 and by 1999 became again a ground breaking football game with franchise mode. Fast forward to 2004 and Madden 2005 comes out....and it was and is considered the very best of this storied series to date. It also had a great game up against it and back then there we many different NFL titles to choose from. But I always played Madden more than any other series. Why? Because Madden has and continues to be a game that you can pick up and play and enjoy and have fun with. It can be as complex as you want to make it with all the defensive line shifts, individual assignments, line protection shifts, WR shading, secondary shifts, audibles, hot routes....or you can just pick your play and have at it. That hybrid approach to this game is why you have millions of people buying this title each and every year. We at OS are a unique group. We demand more. We want sim. We live for sim. But at the same time........sim in a mass market target audience does not sell and EA is not after a niche buyer. So what can they do right in our eyes? Well sometimes they really get it right (Madden 99, M05, M10/12) and sometimes they really get it wrong (Madden 96, M08, M11). What I have done is learned how to make the game more sim by customizing sliders, having a few simple house rules and just play Madden and have fun. The formula works.......when the game works. So lets talk about the one thing that has never worked this gen....and again does not and therefore something I have learned to live with. Penalties. Yeah it is a major wart......but it is,what it is. Something is not working that can't seem to be fixed this gen. Oh I get penalties. But they are the same ones we all know. Holding, false start, clipping, roughing the passer. We do not get enough PI or any others. So now that's out of the way lets get to the demo. Madden.......it's so nice to have you back....and I mean wow...your really back...finally......this gen. I played 3 games once as Baltimore, Green Bay and San Fran. On slow, All-Pro. The things I was keying on we're OL/DL interactions, the running game, the IE 2.0, replays, stat swipes, presentation in general, player weight and momentum, the modifier controls, hit stick, AI, player models, sidelines....just taking in the game. I am very pleased. Actually I am so pumped to get this game. I found all 3 games to be tremendous. I had a blast. Pros 1. The running game is amazing. Momentum, planting, the modifier system, the blocking, the IE 2.0, it all works like butter. Running with Ray Rice was a totally different experience than running with Bernard Pierce. Lacy and Franklin felt like thunder and lightning. Hands down this is the best the running game has ever played. Ice skating running playing on slow is a thing of the past. It feels like a real running game. I was able to bounce a run with Ray Rice for 72 yards and here is how it went. I called a simple off tackle run from the I formation. I hit the hole and got through and was able to use the modifier to juke the OLB out of his cleats I then hit my speed burst and went down the sideline for 72 yards and got ankle tackled at the 3 yard line. I jumped out of my easy chair and was hooting it up. It felt and looked......real. 2. Passing game - fantastic. I have command of my QB. I can lead my WR's. I made some insane grabs....I do not user catch. So I saw so w amazing animations...and playing on slow brings out the IE and catch animations...heck all the animations in all their glory. 3. Defense felt good. I was able to get some pressure...not too much and not too little. OL blocking and pass rush were the only sliders I tinkered with tonight. I play with a no switch rule and my DBs and LBs did a very nice job in coverage when I called the right defenses. I was able to make pre snap adjustments. Seemed like I had time to make at least 2 sometimes 3 if needed. Love the option keys that were added. 4. Graphically this game is truly gorgeous. Better than M12. The colors are rich, and the game just shines. 5. IE 2.0- wow....this is a huge area of improvement. The hits crunch, the game feels awesome when you blow up a WR running across the middle. I absolutely jack up Boldin. On one slant....it was sick. The tackles feel smooth. The ability to lower your pads as a RB and knock back a CB on his ***.....wow. Or when you get,hit...lose your balance the. Stagger....the game looks and feels amazing IMO. M13 was a hot mess.....M25 we have physics!!!!! 6. Replays. Ok...I am aurally loving some of these close ups....just pure eye candy!!! Stadium. Fly overs looks great, I do miss the pre snap ea K ups of M12...and really wanted those back. But post game replays are vastly Improved from the garbage that was M13. 7. Play by Play and Color is vastly improved from M12 and I like the sideline reporter as it is a very nice touch. Are there things I would like? Of course. The PA announcer should have all the names not calling numbers. And that goes for Simms and Nantz as well. Cons Same legacy issues of penalties. Not a true TV broadcast presentation yet So I am really happy. As long as the connected franchise is working properly for offline players like myself, custom rosters will be shared and of of course classic rosters are going to be amazing. This is shaping up to be the very best Madden this gen.......and dare I even say....ever. I already have plans on developing an All-Pro slider set with house rules in place to give a truly sim like experience. Those who know me and the way I approach my sports games will like them. I will no doubt look at the legacy camera and zoomed camera. I will also experiment with the broadcast camera as well. I can't stress enough how good the run modifier controls feel and respond. I also can't say enough of how refined the game looks. It is a graphical tour de force. And I'm an tell you on the zoom camera it will be very nice. Slow speed is the way to go....with custom sliders, classic rosters, full editing control as well as owner mode and fantasy draft...this,is shaping up to be the best Madden package we have ever had. Fun factor - 9 Controls - 9.5 Graphics - 10 Sound - 9 Overall 9.5 demo score Madden is truly back people.

I really like this review because it had a lot of thought. I'm glad to see others like the game for the same reasons I do.

[ejgraham07]

So this happened while I was playing the demo. I know it's a demo and all, but c'mon EA. http://youtu.be/9gK5b_HV2hg

[JaymeeAwesome]

Quote: Originally Posted by Big FN Deal

It took my awhile to figure out how to express my impression of the demo but I finally realized that I think it's an interesting beta or prelude to M25 on the new consoles. If M25 on the current consoles was the only Madden until next year, I would have to give the demo an incomplete, even with all its' improvements. I'm going to need M25 on the new consoles to really utilize the things touted for the Ignite Engine to enhance the experience found in M25 on current consoles. The player movement needs to be very fluid, the living worlds need to add immersion and the AI needs to differentiate players.

I don't know why I'm feeling this, but my gut feeling is that M25 on next gen is going to be a port with a few upgraded esthetics. The core game, to me, should be the same. Go into next gen with low expectations and you should be good.

[kehlis]

Quote: Originally Posted by jaymee13

Or every CPU coach is like Bill Belichick and you don't know why they made the decision they did in crucial moments. I love him to death, but as a Patriots fan, he drives me crazy and has the tendency to make me sit on the edge of my seat.

Are you honestly saying you could see any coach inside of their opponents redzone in a situation where they can kick a field goal to win it actually using their timeouts to give the other team a chance to get the ball back and either tie it or win it?

THat is the exact scenario that has been described on several occasion. One user said he was prepared to use his timeouts in order to get the ball back but the CPU was calling them first.

He then had his timeouts to use when he got the ball back lol. That is asinine.

You really are fooling yourself if you think that's okay, regardless of if its BB or not.

[JaymeeAwesome]

Quote: Originally Posted by friscob

Only a Ps3 issue

I've always felt that xbox360 was a far superior machine this gen. Issues like this just enhance my feeling. Next gen should show both consoles as equals.