I launched Madden NFL 15, and found myself instantly in the NFC Championship game. With Cam Newton at the helm, I was driving into the teeth of the Seattle Seahawks and their dominant defense. Maybe a Madden rookie would have been overwhelmed, but I’m a veteran, and I’d been practicing in the previous year’s game for about a week. I was up to the task. Expertly, I guided my team down the field, and found my tight end in the corner of the endzone for the game winning touchdown. It was the most exciting opening to a Madden game I’d ever experienced.
Playing the new Madden is a ritual I’ve experienced every fall since 1999. It’s something to get excited about- a great way to kick off (heh) the fall video game season with something that I enjoy and something that’s familiar. Now that said, the last few Maddens have either felt stale or (in the cases of the last couple of efforts especially) like works in progress. In a universe where Madden is the only NFL game in town, and other sports games with competition seem to be excelling, such an act became tiresome and troubling. I found myself moving from playing five or more seasons n in Franchise mode to barely getting in one and moving on to the next game on my list. The spark was gone. Madden NFL 15, however, has re-ignited my passion for the game, with its awesome presentation, crisp, realistic gameplay, and complete, feature-packed modes. It is also the first Madden in years to make itself accessible to new players, through a wonderful training mode that not only teaches valuable skills but also challenges experienced players.
Madden NFL 15 is a beautiful thing. The game is picture-perfect, with the best presentation the series has ever had. Everything, from the pre-game announcers looking like actual people (and not the frightening monsters we saw last season), to the celebrations, to the halftime stats looks fantastic. The in-game action is as beautiful as ever, and, though I have seen video of at least one crazy player flying into space (along with the notable Tiny Titan), I haven’t experienced any visual bugs or weirdness during my time with the game. It certainly is the most visually smooth Madden I’ve ever experienced. It also seems to lack the crash bugs of last year’s Madden, which would repeatedly crash on both 360 and Xbox One. While I have yet to experience a crash- the one issue I’ve experienced is that, on two separate occasions, the game would not let me snap the ball. Still, one bit of jankiness in many, many hours of play isn’t something to really complain about.
Ever since the series has moved to a physics-based engine, there have been issues with the gameplay. The first couple of efforts saw not only quirky things happening on the field, but also gameplay that was dominated by the offense. I would frequently have games where I could rush for huge gains on every play, and never miss a pass on offense (except on drops). This season’s focus on defense makes that side of the ball much more fun to play. Pre-snap cameras make it possible to play as a defensive back, and a new button press mechanic makes rushing the passer fun again. This effort also sees the re-introduction of the hitstick, making it possible to cause fumbles and generally rough up your opponent. I did often find myself going in for the much safer wrap-up tackles, but I think that may be because I am a wimp (also, I hate missing tackles). This updated tackling system actually requires player interaction (as opposed to the player AI making the tackle for you), which I found to be a welcome change. Defense was no longer simply moving your player toward another player and watching things happen.
The game also features a revamped audibles system, allowing you access to any play with the same personnel as you have on the field. This is especially important in the hurry up, where in previous games you were normally stuck running the same play over and over again as it was the only one that fit the situation. You can easily make on-the-fly adjustments as well, as the game actually shows you the options on screen, instead of forcing you to memorize, for example, exactly which button to hit to put your corners up in press coverage. The trainer (which I’ll get to shortly) does a wonderful job of introducing the adjustment system to you as well, allowing you to practice making adjustments without having to play an entire game.
One of the more compelling additions this season is the community playcalling. While you do still have the ability to select plays according to your team strategy, the game will also give you selected plays based on your situation and compared to successful plays the entire Madden community has run in that situation. The system also takes into account what plays the opponent typically runs in that same situation. After the play is over, you’ll see a recap of what you just did, your level of success, and be able to compare that to the community database. It’s a cool feature, and I’ll admit to running the suggested play (at least in single player) quite a bit. The game gives you a better sense of what plays you like, what works for you, and what you’ve run that game already. This lets you develop a better strategy going forward, and gives newbies a sense of what they need to work on.
The games friendliness to new players extends to the skills trainer. The game, after its intro segment, dumps players directly into the skills trainer. Here, veterans can learn (instantly) about the new game mechanics, and practice them. Additionally, the skills trainer guides players through commonly-used mechanics on offense and defense. It holds the player’s hand through audibles, and teaches how to read the field for a variety of different types of play calls. It’s an excellent edition, both to Madden players, and for anyone looking to understand football in general. Hooks, options routs, read option- you’ll learn about and get to practice them all. For this feature alone, Madden NFL 15 is the perfect introduction for a new player to the Madden series.
Connected Franchise mode is back, and this time around, it features game prep. Game prep allows you to train prospects (giving them extra xp) and boost the confidence of poorly performing players. It’s a nice addition, giving you practice drills which, if performed well, will give your players great bonuses. Sadly, you only get to play the drills at certain positions- at other positions (My Patriots were weak at center, for instance) you get a simmed result and no mini-game. It would have been nice to have some run blocking drills, or some pass rush drills- especially with the game already featuring the latter mechanic. Game prep has only a limited number of hours for drills, meaning you have to be very careful in what you select. There are a host of other smaller changes (weekly goals add some depth, and season goals let you know whether a player is performing to expectations) that broaden the experience, but, save for the game prep, it’s very much the same mode from last time around.
Much of EA Tiburon’s energy went into bringing the card-collecting Ultimate Team mode to full fruition. The addicting gameplay is back, with a much-more presentable format. The game once again holds your hand as you dive in, making it easy for new players to hop into both online and offline play. Card rewards can be received through play, through completing challenges in the skills trainer and, yes, they can be purchased. There are also weekly challenges- a recent one featuring Tiny Titan (EA making some lemonade out of a bug shows they have a sense of humor). Ultimate team is fun, though, ultimately (hah), your online experience will force you to spend some cash to keep up. If you want to play solely offline, though, you’ll find a lot of play here without having to spend any money.
Madden NFL 15 is the football game I’ve been waiting so long for. It’s not going to turn the Madden world on its head, as there are no fundamental, earth-shattering changes here. Madden NFL 15 is, however, the refined experience long overdue for series fans, as well as an excellent entry point for people looking to learn the ins-and-outs of both Madden and football itself.
Madden NFL 15 was review on Xbox One using a copy purchased by the reviewer at Costco, which is basically heaven until you spend all of your money.
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