Madden NFL 25 Review (360/PS3)

[Methlab]

Folks we have been playing basically the same football game for close to 10 years.

We need variation. It is nothing against EA, we just need options. I miss the heck out of 2k. I'd love to see any type of football game made. It really was a horrible decision by the NFL to do this. They punished us as gamers.

[Demoncrom]

Haha , want to see what a great football game looks like when reviewed - please tell me the list of features madden still does not have yet:

http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/07/16/espn-nfl-2k5-3

[MontagueBall]

I'm sorry to say but 'run free' simply does not exist. Time and time again on pitch plays or any sweep, my RB's will 'stutter step' or stop in their tracks then continue. This allows defenders no where near the play to make the play. I've also seen this on many a pass play with receivers running across the field in an open seem, and once I throw the ball the receiver will take a 'hop step' or his feet will run in place for a one step and ruin the flow of the play leading to an incompletion. This happens on break away runs with RB's as well, allowing slower defenders to catch them. AND on nearly all pass plays the receivers stop almost dead in their tracks before turning up field and when they do this their speed is a crawl as blazing fast defenders pursue. WHY IS THIS???

[CarryTheWeight]

My expectations were very low to begin with and I'm actually more impressed with the game than I was in years past. Am I impressed enough to spend 60? Nope, but that's what Season Ticket and Redbox are for.

I'm holding out hope for next-gen M25 but my expectations will continue to be very low heading into that version of the game as well.

As for presentation, it's good but not the best it could be. Inconsistency and wasted potential are the things that hold this series back the most. That, and as I pointed out in another thread, they tear down and rebuild more frequently than my bothersome Buffalo Bills.

[THREADCLOSED]

Quote: Originally Posted by Demoncrom

Haha , want to see what a great football game looks like when reviewed - please tell me the list of features madden still does not have yet: http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/07/16/espn-nfl-2k5-3

reading this made me shead a tear

[jwilphl]

Quote: Originally Posted by victorkingchamp

My biggest problem with Madden is the presentation. A few awkwardly animated cutscenes does not equal presentation. Why are the replays done from such a weird camera angle? Why no decent halftime show and weekly breakdown show? Nfl 2k did it. Why has the commentary been lacking for so long? Nba 2k nails it. Why no interactive sidelines? allpro 2k8 did it. Why not show other key players taking the field, instead of the same 2 or 3 animations for the QB every game? Where are the authentic stadium sounds? Why not show players running into and out of the huddle? When a RB or WR gets subbed out due to fatigue, why not show him signal to the sidelines for the backup? Why don't the players ever toss the ball to the ref after plays? Why are some of the tackle animations so cartoony Where are mascots and cheerleaders? Why can't EA do subtle animations for celebrations instead of the over the top cartoony ones that they use now? Just have the players high five, butt helmets, spike the ball..etc. MLB The Show and Nba 2K both have gameplay issues but, their overall presentation of the sport allows ,me to be more forgiving. Madden is a mix of C+ gameplay and D- presentation IMO. I know a few people that are not fans of NBA2k13's gameplay but they love the presentation because it replicates the excitement of the sport. TL DR version: If Maddens presentation was an A+ I could be more forgiving of its C+ gameplay. But Maddens presentation is worse than the gameplay.

Thank you sir for articulating what I've been thinking for nearly ten years now. There is no excuse anymore at all. It is simply a lack of effort. That is the problem with no one pushing them to improve. I've seen the NCAA title start to move in the right direction in this department, but it has taken seven or eight years just to begin.

Don't get me wrong Madden has done a few things, but it is very, very little in comparison to what could be done. The presentation is really the only reason I am able to enjoy NCAA Basketball 10. The gameplay is mediocre but the presentation is so authentic and immersive that I can overlook it. Unfortunately for Madden, as you said, both categories are average at best so there is no redeeming value.

Quote: Originally Posted by MissionMaximus

On a related side note from gamespot Peter Moore of EA: "We don't deliver offline experiences any more" http://www.gamespot.com/news/ea-we-d...y-more-6413672

After reading his article, I think I can understand why EA is in such a bad state. I'm about to go off-topic so if you want Madden info feel free to stop reading.

Based on what Moore said, either he doesn't play games at all or simply reads the paper to discern gaming trends rather than active involvement in the community. The online component of every game is growing because developers are making games that way, it may have very little to do with what people actually want. Just look at Sim City.

EA claimed the entire time that people "wanted" the game to be connected, shared, online-only, etc. However, I have yet to see any proof, even a poorly conducted survey, that actually shows gamers no longer desire a single player, offline experience. Maxis designed Sim City how they wanted it, not how the end-user wanted it. On almost every website or forum I visited before and after SC's launch, the overwhelming majority wanted it to be just like the previous iterations: a single-player offline experience. EA did not care (I'll assume EA insiders had most of the creative control). EA wanted to control its licensing and prevent piracy, feeding its growing add-on market. SC will be another money pit like any Sims game, where quite literally the cost of purchasing all expansions runs around $400-$500.

I get he has to tow the company line and EA is in the business of maximizing profits like any other corporation. An online experience is rife with potential for what I call "after-market" transactions, much more so than single player offline games. As such they are going to move away from them. As a gamer it is disappointing. The legalities and necessities of business hurt our experiences, it seems, rather than enhance them.

[thuglove2005]

Quote: Originally Posted by Introvese

Fingers crossed for next gen to be good. Hoops & football are the only reason i buy these systems. Last gen Madden has to be the biggest disappointment in videogame history. Period!!!!!

ikr so true

[Big FN Deal]

@jwilphl, my issue with EA is that they take ish to the extreme, yes online can be a profitable focus but that doesn't mean the offline experience has to suffer. Games should be built for an incredible offline experience that gamers can share and enjoy together online, if they choose to.

Keeping the topic on Madden, I don't get what was so difficult about adding online capability to franchise mode, I can just picture HC09 with online multi-player functionality and true game play. Nope, Tiburon needed to create an entirely new online mode, which could be played offline solo, as if that's the only way offline players play. They just do things backwards and odd, imo, for no apparent reason.

However difficult making football games is, Tiburon is making it unnecessarily harder, imo. Tiburon honestly reminds me of those stories or movies about evil genies that grant three wishes but take them completely out of context in a way so people don't actually get what they wanted. lol