Today we have our very first review of an EA sports title: Madden NFL 10! Though we’re good at almost, if not all games, we thought it wouldn’t hurt to bring in an expert in the house; we kidnapped brought in our “guest” writer Justin, a long time fan of the Madden franchise, to take a look at this game and give us some insight. Don’t worry Justin’s mom, he’s alive and well.
“Fight for every yard” is this year’s theme for the Madden franchise. And it’s apparent from the get go that EA has successfully brought this theme to life. Through the pursuit of realism and authenticity, Madden NFL 10 has brought us the closest experience to real football a video game has provided thus far. In this review I’d like to point out a few of the many additions and improvements made on Madden NFL 2009, as well as talk about some of the issues that come up with this new installment.
Gameplay
Perhaps the biggest addition this year is the introduction of the new “Pro-Tak” Animation System, providing “procedural animation steering, branching and real-time manipulation”. This is the crux of what brings the aforementioned theme to life. This feature encourages the player to tackle from the correct angle or use multiple tacklers to bring down their opponent. Compared to last year’s Madden 2009, getting past even one defender proves to be a battle, making big offensive plays quite the challenge. Thanks to the Pro-Tak system, the game’s overall flow and movement look less like a video game and more like a real NFL game.
Along with the Pro-Tak system, there have been a number of great gameplay additions. One of those is the QB Pressure Alert. When an opponent is near the player’s QB, the controller will begin to vibrate. This allows the player to pay more attention to their receivers down field ad still be aware of what’s going on around their QB. Another improvement with regard to the QB is the throw. In Madden 09, if the QB was being BLITZED while attempting a throw, he would either be sacked or throw a perfect pass to the receiver. This year, the QB can throw the ball while being hit, but obviously the throw will be altered and likely be up for grabs for both the offense and defense.
Another interesting new feature is the “Fight for the Fumble” pile ups. When a fumble occurs and more than one player is around the ball, a rapid button press mini-game commences. Both players battle it out for the ball.
A big problem with the Madden 09 gameplay was the defense’s ability to swat or intercept the ball even when the defensive player was out of position. It was to the point where the defensive player could be facing the wrong way and still make an interception. That’s no longer the case with Madden 10; the defensive player must be in proper position to make a play on the ball, which makes the gameplay more real and like an actual NFL game.
The QB sneak play was another glaring issue in last year’s game. The QB was able to get at least two yards on almost every QB sneak play, making two to three yard touchdown runs automatic. But this year the QB dives forward instantly, avoiding defensive hits as a real NFL QB would in a similar situation.
Presentation
As mentioned above, emulating an NFL game with as much realism and authenticity as possible was a huge goal this year for Madden, and it’s not just the gameplay that reflects this goal. In fact, the mantra for the new design team for Madden NFL 10 was “Everything you see on Sunday, see it in Madden NFL”. For starters, this year Madden added halftime and post game shows. These shows will play all the best highlights from the match as a sport analysis breaks down what happened during the game. After winning the Superbowl in Franchise mode, there is (finally!) a satisfying Superbowl celebration. The game celebrates your glory by dropping confetti while the player’s team receives their trophy. In past Madden titles, winning the Superbowl just felt like winning another regular season game. On a close play such as a touchdown or a first down, the referees will now get together to have a discussion before they make a game changing call. In Madden 09 the franchise did a great job with the broadcaster commentary, making sure the player heard a variety of different comments.
Unfortunately Madden 10 used a lot of last year’s commentary which hinders the overall new feeling of this year’s Madden. But the game did update a bit of commentary for each team and certain players, just not as much as I had hoped and anticipated. This year more uniform combination were added for all 32 NFL teams and the player can now choose to edit their team’s uniforms in many different ways. The player can mix their home, away, and even throwback jerseys to their liking. Shoes and gloves can also be edited to the player’s aesthetic. Players can even save their favorite jersey combination to use in both offline and online game modes.
Online Gameplay
Since online gameplay was introduced in the Madden series, it has always been one-on-one, but this year, online co-op was introduced. Two players can now team up online against the CPU, adding another dimension to online gameplay. Although I did wish that they had gone further and allowed for some 2v2 gameplay where you could team up with a friend to go against two other players online, they’ve definitely taken the right step forward.
An issue Madden 09 had with online play was how long the ranked matches took; matches would take nearly an hour to complete! But with the introduction of the accelerated clock, ranked matches can now be completed in about 30 minutes. After picking a play, the play clock winds down 15, 20, or 25 seconds depending on how long you took to pick the play. Many more online settings have been introduced, such as saved depth charts, selectable weather, uniforms, etc. Players will no longer have to wait on the pause screen while their opponent slowly decides which players they want to use at each individual position.
Online franchise is another new online game mode which allows up to 32 players to join one league. Each player chooses a team and sticks with it for the entire season. The season tracks all the stats, follows the real NFL schedule, allows trades, and includes live drafts. Of course, its not as in depth as the offline franchise; no halftime shows, no preseason, and the sliders cannot be adjusted. However, there is a very cool new feature that allows you to manage the team you’ve created not only from your console, but from any web browser, or a custom iPhone/iPod Touch Application. You can manage your team from anywhere!
Overall
Overall,the biggest improvements were in gameplay and presentation. The gameplay was far more realistic than last year and many issues that I thought were problems had been dealt with very well. The online additions and improvements were cool, but I really did want to see more depth in online gameplay. I’m still waiting for the day when online Madden will become a truly multiplayer title. The presentation does make each game feel more like an NFL game, although it can sometimes delay gameplay. There were only minor changes made to the Franchise and Superstart modes, which was a little disappointing. But when it comes down to it, the most important thing, at least for myself, when playing a Madden game is gameplay, and I’m pretty sure most Madden fans will not be disappointed with this year’s title.
Our Score: 9 /10
Live out your NFL Sunday fantasy!
Madden NFL 10 Features:
Pro-Tak - This all new animation technology provides unprecedented control over the outcome of every play. Drag defenders towards the first down marker, including up to 9-man gang tackles, fight for a fumble at the bottom of the pile, and evade the rush with all-new quarterback avoidance actions. Enhanced play at the line of scrimmage features a new blocking system that allows the quarterback to step into the pocket and gives the defensive line more contorl over the rush
Fight for Online Dominance - Compete with up to 32 teams in a true online franchise. Featuring real NFL scheduling, live drafts, player transactions, league message boards, and more – all manageable from your console, remotely from a PC, or via a custom iPhone App. Your Madden NFL 10 online franchise is always just a click away.
Online Co-op - For the first time in franchise history, team up with a friend online and battle against the CPU. Work on game strategy, practice plays and see what it’s like to play from a different position with custom camera angles.
Unprecedented Authenticity - Referees peeling players off a fumble pile, the chain gang rushing in to measure for a key first down, authentic throwing styles, and all new player equipment ensure that if you see it on Sunday, you’ll see it in Madden NFL 10.
The Emotion of the NFL - New TV broadcast-style presentation and cinematic cameras bring the suspense and intensity of the NFL to your living room.
The Extra Point Show - Check out the happenings around the league with the dynamic, network-style show hosted by Fran Charles and Alex Flanagan of NFL Network. Featuring news and information from each week’s games, The Extra Point recaps all the excitement of your Franchise.
Madden NFL Your Way - The most customizable version of Madden NFL to date! Alter gameplay options to adjust the experience to your liking. A revamped play calling system and menu takes you to kickoff faster than ever before. Speed up online matches with accelerated clocks, streamlined presentation and more.
