August 13, 2007 - The Madden franchise is one of the longest-running in videogame history. It began around the same time as The Simpsons (and looked just about as ugly at that point) and has since grown to become a national phenomenon. Like anything that manages to last nearly two decades, Madden has gained a near equal number of ardent fans and passionate detractors. No matter what developer Tiburon does with its football title, the fans will always support it and the haters will always cry foul. Fortunately for those who love Madden, the gang at Tiburon finally got its next-gen act together and created the best version of its seminal football series since Madden NFL 2005. In fact, Madden 08 feels in many ways a throwback to 2005. That's a good thing. Madden 05 rocked.
The biggest and most notable improvement this year is in the animation and tackling system. Gone are the majority of pre-canned animations. Just because you see Ray Lewis wrapping his meaty arms around Shaun Alexander doesn't mean the same overused tackle animation is about to kick in. The new branching animation system works in tandem with some new, more realistic football physics, to dictate the outcome of such contests. Depending on a player's skill, positioning, and momentum, a large variety of animations become possible. The end result is some of the most varied tackling ever seen in a football game.Gang tackling is also a big part of Madden 08. While open-field tackles by competent defenders is certainly possible, it's more likely that the first only tackler will slow down the ballcarrier. Just hold up LT for a second so Asante Samuel can speed in and lay down a hard lick. In many ways, this creates a more organic and altogether more realistic version of football from what we've seen from Madden in the past. But it also allows for strong backs to fall forward and gain extra yards where, in real football, they often wouldn't. Playing with LT or LJ is always going to help you net some yards on the ground, but you'll see such talented players stumble and sometimes even slide along the ground for a few more yards than is reasonable. Three yard runs become six yard runs too often.
This evens out in the end, since running backs cough it up like the IGN Emphysema Ward. Fumbles are problematic. Even if you refrain from a juke or spin move and hold fast to covering the ball, it will still pop out far too often. Sure, that's something you might expect from the likes of Shaun Alexander or Tony Romo, but even sure-handed ball carriers such as LT and Chad Johnson drop the rock consistently.
Part of this can be attributed to Hit Stick 2.0. This evolution of the Hit Stick now allows defenders to choose to tackle high or to go for a cut block low. Low tackles go at a running back's legs, making it a great tactic to use against bulldozing backs too tough to take down square at the shoulders. And it often flips the back off his feet, which can lead to devastating mid-air collisions. Oddly enough, these types of plays don't usually result in turnovers. It's when a big hitter takes on the ball carrier high that the ball tends to squirt out. In the average game, you might see 8-12 turnovers between fumbles and easy picks. It turns runs after the catch into a game of Russian roulette. With a lead late in the fourth quarter, you may actually give yourself up with an open-field dive just to avoid the chance to having the ball pop loose.Forgiving the propensity towards fumbles, the bulk of Madden gameplay is excellent. And yes, it's a far more enjoyable game than what we've seen in the past few years. The battle at the line of scrimmage is now more realistic and features (for the most part) intelligent blocking from your O-line. Get in a goaline situation and you won't see the classic pinball effect as big-bodied linemen stutter in repeated collisions while the running back bounces around like a pinball. Before, the goaline was a joke in Madden. Now it's the real deal. You better get Reggie Bush to leap over the pile or squeeze through a tight hole if you don't want him getting stuffed.
Receivers have also been given an upgrade. Chuck a ball near the sidelines and most receivers will actually try and stay inbounds for a legal catch. Imagine that. They'll drag their feet or try and pitter-patter just inside the line. A player's ratings determine how cognizant they are of the sideline, so don't expect your fifth receiver to suddenly show grace on the field. These sideline moves coincide with the addition of new spectacular catch animations. If a player has a swank rating in this attribute, expect to see the ghost of Lynn Swan on the field making mind-boggling one-handed grabs and other amazing acrobatic feats.
This ties in to the heavily-hyped new weapons system. The idea is that while there are many great players in the NFL, there are some who excel in very specific areas. Quick Receivers such as Steve Smith and Deion Branch are great at running routes and shaking coverage; Elusive Runningbacks such as Maurice-Jones Drew are more likely to slip out of tackles; and Smart QBs like Peyton Manning can read a defense in order to audible to a better offensive play. The weapons distinction is linked to specific ratings. Anyone over a 90 rating in one of the categories earns the weapon tag. While that does make the whole idea of weapons seem a tad artificial, it plays perfectly in the pre-snap chess match featured prominently in Madden 08.
The biggest and most notable improvement this year is in the animation and tackling system. Gone are the majority of pre-canned animations. Just because you see Ray Lewis wrapping his meaty arms around Shaun Alexander doesn't mean the same overused tackle animation is about to kick in. The new branching animation system works in tandem with some new, more realistic football physics, to dictate the outcome of such contests. Depending on a player's skill, positioning, and momentum, a large variety of animations become possible. The end result is some of the most varied tackling ever seen in a football game.Gang tackling is also a big part of Madden 08. While open-field tackles by competent defenders is certainly possible, it's more likely that the first only tackler will slow down the ballcarrier. Just hold up LT for a second so Asante Samuel can speed in and lay down a hard lick. In many ways, this creates a more organic and altogether more realistic version of football from what we've seen from Madden in the past. But it also allows for strong backs to fall forward and gain extra yards where, in real football, they often wouldn't. Playing with LT or LJ is always going to help you net some yards on the ground, but you'll see such talented players stumble and sometimes even slide along the ground for a few more yards than is reasonable. Three yard runs become six yard runs too often.
This evens out in the end, since running backs cough it up like the IGN Emphysema Ward. Fumbles are problematic. Even if you refrain from a juke or spin move and hold fast to covering the ball, it will still pop out far too often. Sure, that's something you might expect from the likes of Shaun Alexander or Tony Romo, but even sure-handed ball carriers such as LT and Chad Johnson drop the rock consistently.
Part of this can be attributed to Hit Stick 2.0. This evolution of the Hit Stick now allows defenders to choose to tackle high or to go for a cut block low. Low tackles go at a running back's legs, making it a great tactic to use against bulldozing backs too tough to take down square at the shoulders. And it often flips the back off his feet, which can lead to devastating mid-air collisions. Oddly enough, these types of plays don't usually result in turnovers. It's when a big hitter takes on the ball carrier high that the ball tends to squirt out. In the average game, you might see 8-12 turnovers between fumbles and easy picks. It turns runs after the catch into a game of Russian roulette. With a lead late in the fourth quarter, you may actually give yourself up with an open-field dive just to avoid the chance to having the ball pop loose.Forgiving the propensity towards fumbles, the bulk of Madden gameplay is excellent. And yes, it's a far more enjoyable game than what we've seen in the past few years. The battle at the line of scrimmage is now more realistic and features (for the most part) intelligent blocking from your O-line. Get in a goaline situation and you won't see the classic pinball effect as big-bodied linemen stutter in repeated collisions while the running back bounces around like a pinball. Before, the goaline was a joke in Madden. Now it's the real deal. You better get Reggie Bush to leap over the pile or squeeze through a tight hole if you don't want him getting stuffed.
Receivers have also been given an upgrade. Chuck a ball near the sidelines and most receivers will actually try and stay inbounds for a legal catch. Imagine that. They'll drag their feet or try and pitter-patter just inside the line. A player's ratings determine how cognizant they are of the sideline, so don't expect your fifth receiver to suddenly show grace on the field. These sideline moves coincide with the addition of new spectacular catch animations. If a player has a swank rating in this attribute, expect to see the ghost of Lynn Swan on the field making mind-boggling one-handed grabs and other amazing acrobatic feats.
This ties in to the heavily-hyped new weapons system. The idea is that while there are many great players in the NFL, there are some who excel in very specific areas. Quick Receivers such as Steve Smith and Deion Branch are great at running routes and shaking coverage; Elusive Runningbacks such as Maurice-Jones Drew are more likely to slip out of tackles; and Smart QBs like Peyton Manning can read a defense in order to audible to a better offensive play. The weapons distinction is linked to specific ratings. Anyone over a 90 rating in one of the categories earns the weapon tag. While that does make the whole idea of weapons seem a tad artificial, it plays perfectly in the pre-snap chess match featured prominently in Madden 08.
