The demo is now available for Madden fans to download and play to their heart’s content. At 2GB in size it is a nice size for a demo with 5 minute quarters and the ability to change the difficulty level (as well as change the accelerated clock back to normal speed so you can enjoy the demo for a bit longer each time you play.
You will have the choice between using the Ravens or the 49ers in a Super Bowl rematch in Baltimore. The other match-up has the Packers and Seahawks playing on the not-so-frozen Tundra of Green Bay.
The demo is solid and plays like you expect Madden to play. There have been some obvious tweaks and changes to the momentum of players as they don’t go into sprinting as fast as they once did in past iterations. Also noticeable is the fact that player collisions seem refined this year. If you are using a bruising runningback like Frank Gore and you flick the R-Stick forward at the right moment you can expect to blow up smaller players on defense.
On the other hand, if you are on defense and want to lay out an opposing player with the ball and you have someone like Patrick Willis – it will be a fun “oooooh!” moment as the heavy hitting defender knocks the snot out of the ball carrier. While this seems like something to cast away as ‘something that should have already been in the game’ it is a nice addition none the less.
Shouldn’t This Stuff Already Be In The Game?
Yes, you are right. We have been waiting for basically this entire generation of consoles to have a Madden title that plays and feels like this. It still feels like a crisp handling Madden game where the players move at the slightest command of the analog sticks. While many Madden fans tend to worship the control scheme and feel of this game it is still a bit arcade-like and feels at times like it is still focused on being an offensive shoot-out rather than a good football game. Granted – this is what the NFL wants in their new approach to the game (flag football much?).
This also brings to light the new ‘run free’ feature that gives players a more dynamic running ability based on their style and ratings. As mentioned above, players like Gore will run people over and then there will be players like LaMichael James that can juke others out of their jocks. It is a nice addition but it isn’t really something ‘new’ as much as something that is just being featured in this title.
Dear Phil Simms – STFU
I can’t stand this guy during his broadcasts in real-life and in Madden he is ten times worse. If you got sick of hearing him bad mouth the wrong player or make some sort of lame comment about WRs not being able to be touched – it gets old by the second quarter. Turn off the commentary and turn up the crowd noise… although even that isn’t as good as it should be. The sound quality is garbage and I’d recommend getting some decent music to play in the background rather than hear anymore of what we have been getting for the last 25 years.
Connected Franchise Mode
This is once again something that EA is trying to push as something new that was really removed before coming into this generation of consoles. Owner Mode (what it really is) was in Madden 2005 and is finally back almost ten years later. The only thing with this is that I am left wondering what in the hell I care about my team making more money for if there is a salary cap. In a baseball game this is vital as your team needs more money for better players. In this game you will most likely be able to spend your money on something you will never see in-game like cup holders at every seat or heated toilet seats.
The new feature seems to be directed on towards bringing more fans to your games depending on the prices you set for things in the concession stand along with ticket prices, etc. News to EA… NFL games are expensive forms of entertainment. You have to be crazy not to expect a cup of crappy beer to cost $8-9 per cup (no joke). So, before you get all excited about some ‘new feature’ like this it would be wise to look at it with a critical eye and ask – “What does this mode/feature really add to the game?”
As we get closer to the release of Madden 25 there will be a lot more hype built up on the internet focusing on how amazing this game looks and how many new features there are in place. Don’t fall in the trap… read up on Madden 25, play the demo and above all else don’t buy this game new without knowing the details first. We will keep you posted.
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