Developer: EA Tiburon / Publisher: Electronic Arts / Played on: Xbox 360, PS3 / Price: $59.99 / ESRB: Everyone [No Descriptors]
At one point this NFL offseason, it looked as if the owners and Players Association would never settle their differences. Both sides eventually came to their senses, and pro football will once again command our attention on Sundays. One game never in danger of being locked out is EA Sports? Madden franchise.With improvements in presentation, gameplay, and both online and offline modes, EA has pushed its version of virtual football even closer to the real thing.
Presentation:
Madden 12?s presentation takes great leaps over last year?s version. For the first time all 32 teams have their own unique team entrances. I did get a little pumped the first time my Minnesota Vikings ran out on the Metrodome field through the giant inflatable Viking Ship.
EA?s new ?DCAM? camera tech has allowed the developers to use scenes shot by NFL Films cinematographers. It certainly adds a degree of authenticity, even if these vignettes are your QB getting instructions from the coaching staff or players chanting in groups on the sideline. Facial expressions (like smiling after big plays) are now readily noticeable due to the new close-up cameras. The caveat to these general improvements is that these cameras catch players in awkward, still distinctly game-like animations, and some cutaways are so rough you might miss the result of a play.
The broadcast format uses a new director?s logic to create a television style look, and in general you?d be hard-pressed on a casual glance to spot the difference between the game and CBS?s Sunday programming. If you want proof, while reviewing this game I had a family member ask me what game was on, as they assumed it was an NFL broadcast.
Other details like the green dot on the QB?s helmet (indicating he?s got the radio receiver), Aaron Rogers? championship belt pose, and even the throwing angles of QBs as distinct as Michael Vick and Tim ?back-up? Tebow ensure a consistent authenticity that reinforces you?re playing as or against these real world stars.
Gameplay:
On the field, the new collision system has added various new tackling animations that make each play look different from the last, with receivers and backs stumbling while trying to break tackles, and those defenders looking and feeling pretty realistic in their range of their tackles.
Zone defenses were essentially broken in previous versions of the game, but this year I was able to call zones and not get burned all day, courtesy of the new AI logic. On the offensive side, quarterbacks can pump fake to specific receivers by holding the left trigger and pushing the receiver?s button. I found this to be particularly useful to get receivers open if not over used. If you like to control your wide receivers to make user catches, you will also enjoy the new ?Dive Catch? button.
A new Dynamic Personality Performance (DPP) rating for each player adds a layer of individuality to each player?s on-field actions. Using traits as disputable as ?clutch? and ?fights for extra yards? they can showcase those with few swings in their abilities (Tom Brady) or highlight the peaks and valleys of more volatile players like Sam Bradford. This even feeds into the commentary, with the announcers calling out a running back taking greater care with the ball after a previous fumble.
Game Modes:
It?s already so feature rich it?s no surprise that Madden 12 hasn?t added a ton of modes, but work has clearly gone on under the hood on some existing pieces of the puzzle. The trading card/strategy hybrid Madden Ultimate Team?my favorite mode from Madden 11?returns with a fresh look. Players in the 50-60 rating range help get you started, and the number of contracts on starter cards improves to 25 from an anemic 10 last year. Trading cards, an odd omission from last year, is now incorporated, but what kind of dynamic community will evolve we won?t know until the game has been in fan hands for a few months.
In Franchise mode you can now assess team rosters of 75 players in preseason, adding a GM role to deciding who makes it and who doesn?t. Offering opportunities to create a team exactly how you want you can also edit players, even veterans and rookies imported from NCAA 12, and even change player positions, numbers, and names, if you want to get your hands really dirty in the minutiae of your franchise.
As online play becomes more important, EA is offering the chance to create your own community of players. If you want to keep it tight, to your friends who you know won?t rage quit, cheat, or whine, then you can, or you can open up your community to up to 2,000 similarly minded fans. Again, it will take a while to see how these long-term features play out, but the tools are here to allow most players to find like-minded fans.
Superstar mode has received an overhaul that brings it more in line with the features available in NCAA?s Road to Glory mode. Now you earn skill points in practice and in games, then spend them in categories that shape your abilities. While a little extra depth is welcome, there are clearly some wonky consistency issues where a running back isn?t involved in some plays (aside from blocking), but still received credit for catches, and deductions for QB sacks, despite not being involved in the play. It seems like one of those ideas that?s fundamentally sound in intention, but woefully undercooked in execution.
Bottom Line:
Madden 12 has taken a step up the depth chart this year with improved presentation, subtle gameplay tweaks, and attention to modes such as franchise that establish the lasting appeal. This is the most robust feature and mode set in a next gen Madden title to date. Regular roster updates and weekly Madden Ultimate Team content is now expected, and we?ll assume more of the same. This is not a revolutionary game by any means, but it builds upon the established strengths of the franchise. Most importantly this is a fun game of football, one that immersed me in all of the elements that make the NFL exciting to watch on Sundays.
Source: http://blog.machinima.com/insidegaming/2011/08/26/madden-12-review/
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