It’s football season, and that means one thing — “Madden” has released on consoles again. The question on everyone’s mind is: are they going to take advantage of the new-gen consoles? To answer it briefly, sort of.
“Madden” gets a release every year so it is no surprise to see it hit the shelves. Last year saw the subpar “Madden 25” release for last-gen consoles before hitting the PS4 and Xbox One later on. The game was not as polished as people expected, letting a lot of fans down. So EA was smart in building hype around “Madden 15” this year, touting it as the first true new-gen football experience, built from the ground up.
The first thing you’ll notice when you start the game is the beauty in the graphics. From small details like tattoos and scars on the players to the way the grass looks, everything screams new-gen.
However, there are some weird textures as well, the weirdest being the one you play in snow. The animation just doesn’t look right, but this is nitpicking; the game is gorgeous.
Unfortunately, looks will only take it so far. Gameplay is where “Madden” both innovates and stalls. EA has been talking a lot about how it has changed the defense mechanics this time around. Playing defense is no longer a chore of picking a play and waiting to see if it works.
Now you have more control over the action, especially with the new defense camera, which zooms in on the player for a more personal view as you tackle. The downside to zooming in is that you can’t take in what is happening around you, opening you up for more mistakes. While it’s fun to use for a few rounds, if you take the game seriously you will be using the classic style of play.
As far as playing offense goes, it is still the same as other Madden titles, just a bit tighter in the controls. Audibles are easier to run and the with the new coach suggestion options that uses an algorithm to determine the best plays for your situation, you’ll feel like a pro.
Alas, unlike other “Madden” titles in the past, going in as a newbie is a lot harder. This is the first “Madden” title that assumes that you know football right off the bat, so jumping in with little-to-no knowledge of the sport will aggravate you to no end. Kudos to EA for giving their fanbase what they want but they may have turned it into a niche market.
That being said, if you love football, there’s no other option out there, which is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you have a PS4 or Xbox One. For the last gen players out there, you may want to skip out on this one, as the older hardware can’t seem to handle the gameplay very well. For the rest of you, welcome back to football.