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| PLATFORM: XBOX 360 |
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 ou’d expect EA’s lauded Madden franchise to offer a lot of weight to an otherwise so-so unveiling of the Xbox 360. Instead, like the other EA Sports titles supporting the launch, it isn’t firing on all cylinders. I understand that developer EA Tiburon had to drop features in order to devote more time to developing the new engine in the game, but even from a gameplay standpoint this Madden has a ways to go before it reaches the high standards of the franchise.
Unfortunately, this game didn’t just drop some features in a move to next-gen – I could handle a title that eschewed bells and whistles for a foundation of solid gameplay. No, this title has literally gone back in time and reacquired a number of bad habits from its past that year-in-and-year-out work on the franchise had erased from the current-gen games. The interior running game is once again suspect, and collision problems can cause players to morph through each other like ghosts.
Perhaps the most striking area that has taken a step backwards is the animations. They’ve always been the series’ bread and butter, and there are some moments in this Madden that will have you jump out of your seat. You’ll see sweet sideline catches, quarterbacks’ bodies absorb punishing hits, and running back jukes that will even have you fooled. But this absolute reliance on animations also hurts this game. There is a lack of responsiveness between commands for your running backs and their execution, and some animations will automatically trigger, locking you into certain moves. The game’s animation can cause problems with players’ change of direction. This makes it tough for a user-controlled player in the secondary to cover receivers, as adjusting to the ball leaves them at a disadvantage because your guys make unexpected moves. That being said, the battles between receivers and the defense are similar to current-gen in that the AI takes away the deep ball more often than not. Unfortunately, the interplay between the offensive and defensive lines is as problematic as ever.
The game alternates between moments where it feels like the Madden you know and love, and others where it feels too slow and unresponsive to be the franchise you’ve grown accustomed to. Even old favorites are different. Hot routes now take twice as long to call at the line of scrimmage, Vision Passing is optional to the point of being non-existent (and you can still get away with throwing outside of it), and Franchise Mode has axed the scouting phase of the Draft.
It may sound like I’m being hard on a series that is still finding its way on new hardware, but at a minimum I wanted this game to give me a reason to stop playing the current-gen version of Madden – but it hasn’t. At the same time, I have no doubt that the work that has been put into the player models, stadiums, and getting this game on its feet is going to pay off in spades later on down the road.
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There’s always next year. A popular saying amongst sports fans and the sad state of affairs for Madden’s transition to the new frontier of gaming. Rather than porting over the existing content from the current-gen versions, Tiburon decided to start from scratch. I certainly applaud the idea of giving football fans something new, but at the very least, this incarnation has to be of equal quality to the game that everyone has been playing since August. It stands head and shoulders over the current-gen game visually, but gets crushed in gameplay, presentation, and franchise options. Owner and Superstar modes are nowhere to be found, pre-snap defensive playmaking is greatly simplified, and you can no longer challenge plays or hone your skills in mini-camps. This list goes on and on. Huge thrills can still be garnered through the gameplay basics, but that’s all this version really has to offer. |
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7.75 |
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| CONCEPT: |
| Regardless of the fact that features were dropped, this next-gen first step still could be a lot better |
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| GRAPHICS: |
| Player models are good, but collision problems are annoying |
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| SOUND: |
| I actually miss Madden’s color commentary. The homer radio play-by-play guys are boring |
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| PLAYABILITY: |
| It feels similar to current-gen Madden, but not totally the same. Because of the delay between your commands and the animations, you are giving up some control |
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| ENTERTAINMENT: |
| This isn’t more fun than the current-gen Madden, and you may be disappointed |
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| Copyright
1991 -
2008
:: Game Informer Magazine
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