Madden 12: Point by Point, an Objective Review (updated till Madden13) - mirrored32's Blog

mirrored32's Blog

Madden 12: Point by Point, an Objective Review (updated till Madden13)

Posted on February 5, 2012 at 03:59 PM.

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Madden 12 has some awesome elements in it that make a good game. Being Madden is the only NFL licenced game, I felt it was good to keep a tab on what I 'notice' in the game for good and needs work. The priority of EA's Madden 12 is in the pudding. 1. Must be playable by release date. This doesn't mean all 'features' but workable that can be patched to work. 2. Make the best they can in a short time of 1 year. Most games these days require 2 to 3 years for a game to be fully developed. Madden is done in 1 year. Due to this stance of how the company works. 3. They reinvent the game every year. A choice that many wish for yet it is obvious that the game is never really polished when released in that short of time.

Madden 12 has a lot of good in it and work that needs to be done. My goal is stat these perceptions as objective as I can within my understanding of what the game intends. It is my attempt to be so as I do this. Emotions rise high due to desire for this game to be as perfect as ever being the only NFL licensed game.

This is the Madden fans as much as the desire from us fans for EA to get a objective view in the challenging NFL product.

Here is the legend:

+++ Amazing or Outstanding
++ Great
+ Good
- Annoying
-- Bad
--- Broken

++ Broadcast mode camera

+/- NFL films replay style replays.

+ Historical Jersey's (aka 1990's throwback)

+ dirt on players elbows

+ sweat on skin of players

+ Players Jersey name expands and contracts well with font and jersey.

+ implementation of flak jacket

+ helmet scratches as game goes on

+ dirty jerseys

++ (DDP) Dynamic Player Performance

- DDP effect shown only when game is paused

+ HDR grass fields and rubber pellet kick ups

+ players can slip in weather

+/- Depth of Field Focus of camera

+ animated sideline photographers

+ real angle stadium camera shots

+/- hot/cold streak

+ cheerleaders

- halftime show

+/- draft same as last year

- challenge play cut scenes can be skipped

+ challenge play cut scene music

+ crowds chantings like 'go pack go' song, stadium music

-- Create-a-Player (CAP) engine - can't delete a player after creation.

-- CAP can't edit all features of players after creation.

++ Ratings like QB Accuracy in short, med, long, OL blocking details like footwork and strength

--- audio snaps/spike that hurt user's audio system

+ toughness rating

+ fatigue slider

++ Consistency/Confidence traits

+++ player traits

-- Commentary lacks timing, effectiveness, and has lots of deep space

+ impact performer recognized during game play

+ Commentators are recorded well

+ Commentators Gus and Chris are quality commentators

-- Pro Bowl doesn't remove Superbowl players

- Pro Bowl players don't have team helmets

-- preseason play removes players per quarter though often doesn't do it correctly, aka players on 1st string may be playing

+ stadium sound systems effects on music make it sound like a stadium

+/- new crowd audio

+ field graphics of NFL playoffs and NFL kickoff field paintings

+ fans have show wearing player relevant player jersey's

- No Extra Point show in franchise mode

++ Players smiles and shows to be speaking showing emotion

+ Blimp Shot of Stadiums

+ kicker stat and cut scene shows when appropriate to game winning kick possibility

+ Teams Offense and Defense Starting line up animations and commentary

+ showing relevant players on sidelines doing things (aka QB with helmet off practice passing)

++ Franchise mode's quick fire FA bidding

++ Franchise mode's cut days

++ Franchise mode's question marks on new players that were un-scouted.

+/- Potential rating of players

- CAP potential ratings

+++ Player Traits

+ new EAsports HUD of scoreboard at top of screen

+ cut scene of player whom makes touchdown NFL films view with stats for game (bench shot)

- Starting line cut scene animations at beginning of game

+++ Player Roles

- QB walks first time onto field if commentary doesn't know the name of the QB he says "the quarterback"

-/+ Showing of QB stats when he walks onto the field is cool though doesn't work for CAP player. if no stats or not worth showing how about age, height, weight and college.

++ HDR lighting

+ HDR grass/turf kickup detail

+ player injury cut scenes

+ detail of game play sliders

+ game manual is in game

-- Manual lacks more game play details like ratings meanings, player trait meanings

+ injury substitution menu with reason play is being considered for injury substitution or not

+ animations for the style of QB, etc like Mississippi etc.

+/- broadcast style cut/fades between quarters

- stadium billboards/advertisements are fictional

+/- Breast cancer awareness month

+Franchise Mode having players recognized as the season goes on for their achievements ( Suh has had 10 sacks this season )

++ in game statistic QB's 4th quarter comebacks brought up when relevant to game play situations.

+ quit game and restart game

++ can import NCAA players

++ presason scouting of players common ratings

+++ Cut Days

+++ Combine: Reveal physical ratings for 15 prospects

+++ Pro Days: Reveal key attributes for 20 prospects

+++ Individual Workouts: Reveal all the ratings for 5 prospects

- pro bowl commentary same as regular season

++ franchise mode IR a player

- video screens in stadiums - animations of end of quarter, loser, winner doesn't fit screen size often.

+ Playoff game intro w/different military planes flying overhead and stating the ad for the military

+ regular season scouting - the + or - 'knocks' or 'wows' on a player. (ex. +awareness, or +play action, etc)

++ Stats HUB/Franchise Stats look and feel

--- Stats HUB/Franchise Stats - Weekly Stats. (ex. E. Manning 25 of 37 for 348 yards, 4 TD, 676 Carries - 0 yards, 269156360 TD)

- - CAP players always have A potential

+ Franchise mode, Season Stats shows per game stats

- can't edit potential on players

+ playoff's fan's cameras going off

+ players in madden pro bowl play better then real life pro bowl players (get it together NFL)

- pro bowl game doesn't acknowledge whom the Coaches are for the game though it shows sideline shots of them

- pro bowl halftime show

- pro bowl doesn't change to 2nd string or third string players

- pro bowl players have no reference to which team they represent. no helmet, jersey, or even depth chart to signify whom they play for outside of the pro bowl

+ pro bowl injuries don't transfer into super bowl

- selecting team jersey's (aka throwbacks) user has to press 'cancel' to keep jersey selection if user wants to change other teams jersey

+ next game HUD shows team logos w/ weathered shot of stadium game is played in

+ super bowl game has super bowl patch on jerseys

-- super bowl halftime show

-- winning the superbowl shows white house cut scenes

+++ offline franchise mode

+ replay swipe graphic animations (EA, pro bowl, wildcard, superbowl)

+ camera shots of players post play in huddle whom were involved in previous play

- create a team doesn't allow official NFL team logos and uniforms

--- potential doesn't change in franchise mode

--- potential is not editable

+ injury slider

+ injury's seem to be tied also to fatigue

- no way to increase/decrease severity of injuries (minor cramps, stinger to severe injury)

+ injury cart