Madden 12 Review
Developer EA
Publisher EA
Platform Xbox360, Ps3
Release Date Out Now
Despite bickering owners and player lockouts the NFL is again fully playable in this year’s Madden 12. The long running series has some nice improvements that open it up to the more casual player but they also have some new features that give the veteran a more rounded NFL experience.
Madden has always been a game that required a serious input from the player an average game could last anywhere from 40 to 60 mins. So players had to free up a lot of time before sitting down a few games. A very important feature is the game flow feature which automatically picks a good play (I don’t quite say the best play as it’s not always perfect). This removes the menu’s and play tactics that slow down the flow of a game, bringing the gametime down to closer to about 20mins.
This is a feature that can be used whenever you like within a game but you are still free to take your time and plan your plays with the precision you are used to. This brings me onto the next feature the custom play book. This doesn’t allow you to design your own plays but rather lets you pick the best plays from other teams and to put them into your own play book to use at your disposal. So if you like a particular offensive move the Cowboys have but like to use the defensive plays of the Chiefs then you can.
Another new feature that the team are particularly happy with is the amount of new camera’s including on pitch hand held camera’s that really get you in the action and recreate the experience of a Sunday spent watching the games on TV. This was done by creating a camera rig that the camera man could actually manipulate just the same as the real thing but film virtual characters.
Some less obvious improvements in the game engine include tweaking of almost every aspect of the players attributes ever so slightly, players are much more lifelike and evolve within the game for example a big hit on a quarterback can have the desired effect of shaking him up causing far quicker releases and a more nervous handling of the ball.
EA have held off introducing the real time physics engine that Fifa got this year but that not to say the player are unresponsive. All the twists and turns are there for your offensive wide receivers and all the big hits from your defensive line are all easy to implement within gameplay.
Madden is a specific market and fans have come to expect a certain level in gameplay and presentation and Madden does deliver but perhaps the series has stagnated slightly especially when you consider the vast strides seen in Fifa.
Score 7/10
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