There are few guarantees in life – death, taxes, ever increasing gas prices during the summer, and a new iteration of Madden every year. As in previous years, Madden 2010 is poised to be the “best Madden ever”. As in previous years, there are a plethora of message boards clogged with ravenous fans and haters of the series, clawing at each other to defend or detract this new installment – and the game isn’t even out yet. I support neither of these sides, as I choose to form my own opinion.
With that said, I had a chance last night to download and play the XBOX 360 gold member version of the Madden 2010 demo. For those that are unaware – there are “two” Madden demo’s this year. One can only be had by pre-ordering the game at your freindly neighborhood pawnshop known as Gamestop. It is the Superbowl XLIII rematch featuring the six-time Superbowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers vs. the Arizona Cardinals. It has 5 minute quarters (on an accelerated clock) to give you a bit more of an immersive experience with the demo. I did not play this one, as I did not pre-order it thru Lame Stop. I played the other version – the one featuring the Cowboys and Giants in the snow for 1 minute quarters – plenty of time to get 6 to 7 plays off.
Let me start by saying one minute quarters is so goddamn stupid. It’s basically one turn on offense and one turn on defense, and that is it. 2 min quarters would be much, much better. You can’t really get a feel for the game unless you play the demo 4 or 5 times – which I guess is why Game Stop joined forces to release another version of the demo. Makes sense. But regardless, it still gave me a chance to check things out and see a few of the new features.
Presentation - One of the big things they are touting this year is the whole “If you see it on Sunday’s, it’s in the game” angle (IN THE GAME - EA has been pitching since I was in middle school – it should be “If it’s in the game, then 60% is in the game). I will have to say though – it was impressive. Very nice overlays, cool to see the coaches, refs and line crew. Good crowd and sideline shots, and some really cool cutscenes. There were no announcers – which is somewhat of a gift and a curse.
Graphics - I was really impressed. It looks amazing. It sparkles. Even on one minute quarters, it makes you pine for the start of the football season. Players’ faces emit emotion, the crowd and sidelines no longer look like cardboard cutouts, and the colors shine. It’s seriously twice as impressive graphically than NCAA 2010.
Gameplay – Again, hard to really gauge playing one minute quarters, but I was able to identify a few changes from previous Madden’s.
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The speed of the game has been slowed down to more accurately mimic that of a real game. I personally enjoyed it, as it gives it more of a realistic feel, and you can see holes open up in the running game better. I know others would much rather have the arcade-type pass-or-ass game style. They did include the option to change the speed of the game in the final product, but not in the demo.
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The pocket forms much better in this years version, as the makers seem like they are really trying to get away from the “scramble like a maniac for 10 seconds then chuck it deep” issues that have plagued previous versions. The pocket may set up too well actually, as it is a bitch to get pressure on the QB. O-Lineman seem to hold there blocks with magnetic ferocity. There is a distinct difference between a QB with scrambling ability vs. one with out it – in this version Romo vs. Manning. Romo can get outside the pocket and move much better than Manning can. It’s good to see some distinction in the QB types
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The running game is what appeals to me, and it is well represented here. The addition of the touted “Pro-Tak” system, where gang tackling and free-flowing tackle animations form, is awesome to witness. The ability to fight for extra yards with the bigger backs – namely Brandon Jacobs – was thoroughly enjoyable. It’s tough to get to the edge, which is a good thing, as it is a realistic representation of the NFL game.
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Defense is tough. Using Tuck and Ware primarily, I got one hit off on the QB in 4-5 playthroughs of the demo, and zero sacks. I think they have made it so you need to mix your plays well, or know the defensive moves in order to get an effective blitz going. Or maybe I just suck at it. Either way, it’s too hard to tell when you only get 5 plays on defense to try things out
I’ve focused primarily on what I liked – now for some of the things that I didn’t like.
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It’s still easy to get off a decent pass when throwing off of your back foot. I tossed a perfect zipping 33 yard pass to Kevin Boss while falling backwards with Manning, which as Giants fans can attest, is completely unrealistic. It’s something that has been an issue in previous Madden games, and it looks like it made it into this one as well.
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The animations and cutscenes, although very cool, don’t seem to branch together all that well. For example, I score a rushing TD with Jacobs falling into the endzone with no one around him, then cutscene of teammates mobbing him while on his feet, then back to the field where he is just getting up off of the ground. It’s really weird to see, and I admit is totally nitpicky, but it was noticable.
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The juke moves seem much harder to branch together, but that may be because of the learning curve surrounding the gameplay speed.
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The visual aspect of FG’s is an odd choice. Again, if this is somewhere I need to go to find fault with the game, then it’s a sign that things have been pretty well done.
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The end of game overlay completely covered 2/3 of the screen, and all the cool cutscenes going on behind it. Hopefully this is just a product of the demo.
All in all, I was impressed with my brief time with the game. It had me wanting to see what the entire package had to offer, which is exactly what a good demo will do. For the first time in many years, it had me excited to play Madden more than NCAA Football. And just like every year before it, I will be plunking down my hard earned $59.99 plus tax to get it.
