Madden 25?

[Inuyasha]

But I really like all the little tweaks they've made in this year's version, such as the L-trigger modifier for jukes and such and the differing hot routes depending on the player's position. Lots of little things they've tweaked.

The tweaks are noticeable and appreciated. But they're built upon a game engine that uses balsa-wood stilts as its foundation.

Looks like you've come around.

Even though the game has tons of things wrong with it, I still am having fun playing it. Maybe because it's the only NFL game, or I'm just trying to justify the game, not sure, but I am having fun with it. Not sure how I'll feel after my year 1 Franchise is done, but so far it's fun and thats all that counts.

[pk500]

I'm with you. I can easily see trading Madden 25 for FIFA 14 in three weeks if I like the FIFA demo. I had a $5 coupon when I bought Madden at Best Buy, which is offering a guaranteed $45 trade-in for Madden through Oct. 5. So essentially I'll pay $12 for a 3 1/2-week rental of Madden 25, which is fair.

[TRI]

Hi everyone, it has been a long time since I last posted here.


From the reviews and opinions it seems Madden is a decent game this year but still has legacy issues that have carried over for many generations. It is my hope for Madden fans that EA finally fixes some of these issues because the people buying this game every year deserve better IMHO. Browsing the operation sports forums it seems Madden 25 is getting mixed reviews. Some people like it some hate it. I certainly hope those who purchased Madden 25 enjoy it. I have never been a big fan of EA football over the years and have not purchased Madden in 10 years.

Madden 25 for PS4 and XBOX ONE should be interesting. If the game is true next generation football I will buy it.

[Inuyasha]

One cool thing - in Year 2 of Franchise, it has the new Niners stadium in the game.

As for keeping the game, I'm not sure. I may go with what PK is doing and trade it in for $45 for FIFA 14. I just know at least with FIFA based on the last 2 versions, I'm going to get at least a half way quality title out of the box.

Maybe I get Madden later in the year after it's been patched up and NFL is in full gear. But it's going to be hard passing up that $45 trade in especially when I have NCAA 14 as a solid football game to play this year.

[bulls23]

Damn, I miss NFL 2K5.

No reason to miss it. Put it in your xbox 1 (not One) and play. The backward compatibility even still works on 360.

However if NFL 2K5 was still relevant, then everyone would still be playing it, Madden would sell 0 and be cancelled.

[pk500]

However if NFL 2K5 was still relevant, then everyone would still be playing it, Madden would sell 0 and be cancelled.

That's a sweeping generalization. NFL 2K5 is relevant from a gameplay standpoint because it played arguably the most realistic flavor of console football in the last 10 years.

But it's no longer relevant graphically, for updated rosters, uniforms and stadiums, and online play features and franchise play. Those aspects of a football game are part of the package and appeal to a vast majority of gamers.

For example, F355 for the Dreamcast arguably still has the most realistic driving model of any console game since 2000. But do I want to play it? No. It features limited tracks, only one car, and its graphics -- while superb at the time -- look primitive today. But the fact remains the game still drives more realistically than any console racing game in the current generation.

[Rodster]

I have a wait and see attitude with ALL EA Sports games on the next gen consoles. I don't get the impression with the exception of NBA Live 14 that these titles NCAA, Madden and FIFA are built from the ground up sports games.

[wco81]

I have a wait and see attitude with ALL EA Sports games on the next gen consoles. I don't get the impression with the exception of NBA Live 14 that these titles NCAA, Madden and FIFA are built from the ground up sports games.

Have they ever?

They can say they're using a physics engine but if you get the same behaviors -- super leaping LBs, suction blocking, poor pass defense AI -- then it hardly seems to matter what kind of graphics they layer over the foundation?

[bulls23]

However if NFL 2K5 was still relevant, then everyone would still be playing it, Madden would sell 0 and be cancelled.

That's a sweeping generalization. NFL 2K5 is relevant from a gameplay standpoint because it played arguably the most realistic flavor of console football in the last 10 years.

But it's no longer relevant graphically, for updated rosters, uniforms and stadiums, and online play features and franchise play. Those aspects of a football game are part of the package and appeal to a vast majority of gamers.

For example, F355 for the Dreamcast arguably still has the most realistic driving model of any console game since 2000. But do I want to play it? No. It features limited tracks, only one car, and its graphics -- while superb at the time -- look primitive today. But the fact remains the game still drives more realistically than any console racing game in the current generation.

Your comments amuse me. You said you missed NFL 2K5, I invited you not to miss it. Now if you said you enjoyed NFL 2K5 back in the day, I would agree. I even pop it in for nostalgia sake every once in a great while.

However, would I rather play NFL 2K5 more than Madden 25? The answer is "hell no".

What about you? If so, then why even buy it for a "trade-in" mercy sale? Why support EA if you don't support their brand of football?

I don't get the continuing comparison between a last gen and current gen game.

[pk500]

Your comments amuse me. You said you missed NFL 2K5, I invited you not to miss it. Now if you said you enjoyed NFL 2K5 back in the day, I would agree. I even pop it in for nostalgia sake every once in a great while.

However, would I rather play NFL 2K5 more than Madden 25? The answer is "hell no".

What about you? If so, then why even buy it for a "trade-in" mercy sale? Why support EA if you don't support their brand of football?

I miss the gameplay of NFL 2K5, of the entire 2K football series. How hard was that to comprehend from my post?

EA is the only flavor of football in town. It produces a very comprehensive package of modes, bells and whistles in its Madden and NCAA products. It also is the most advanced football game graphically since it has held an exclusive since 2005.

But when you buy an EA football game, you're not getting a football sim. You're getting EA's interpretation of football. Most people are happy with that. But is it because EA produces a realistic football game or is it because they have no other choice? Gamers are lemmings. We're addicted to popular gaming franchises in sports and other genres. EA and every other publisher knows that. I'll raise my hand in guilt when accused of that.

Think about this for a minute: Is Madden the football game -- at least on the field, in gameplay -- that you would design if you were tasked to create a football sim?

You can easily make the argument that EA football is the least "simmy" of the four major sports represented in a console game. I've played the EA NHL series and the 2K NBA series, and they both are far closer to the real thing in their respective sports than Madden is pro football. I haven't played The Show since I don't own a PS3, but my impressions from here are that it's an excellent sim.

I know it's unrealistic to pop in NFL 2K5 from the standpoint of a complete football package and enjoy it as much as Madden 25. Its graphics and feature package pale in comparison. But it's telling about the evolution of Madden's core gameplay engine that a 9-year-old game from a rival still elicits praise from many corners -- not yours, I know -- as at least an equal, or superior, product in terms of gameplay.

I don't find that very amusing. I find it sad.

[vader29]

[pk500]

That is f*cking HILARIOUS, Vader!

[TRI]

Madden sales are down year over year. It seems that EA is confused and cannot decide if they want a sim game or arcade and has no direction. This is a very popular brand that has great name recognition and despite this the sales are very disappointing. Sure they are great compared to average games but when you have a monopoly on American video football games sales should be much higher. Madden is like Tony Hawk skating, it has great legacy and millions of copies have been sold, but nothing has changed much and THAT is a big part of the problem. The game engine is almost 20 years old optimized for the SEGA genesis! The graphics certainly have improved since then though. Lets see if the legacy issues are fixed next generation and momentum, weight, size, and strength are part of the game.

[MERACE]

Your comments amuse me. You said you missed NFL 2K5, I invited you not to miss it. Now if you said you enjoyed NFL 2K5 back in the day, I would agree. I even pop it in for nostalgia sake every once in a great while.

However, would I rather play NFL 2K5 more than Madden 25? The answer is "hell no".

What about you? If so, then why even buy it for a "trade-in" mercy sale? Why support EA if you don't support their brand of football?

I miss the gameplay of NFL 2K5, of the entire 2K football series. How hard was that to comprehend from my post?

EA is the only flavor of football in town. It produces a very comprehensive package of modes, bells and whistles in its Madden and NCAA products. It also is the most advanced football game graphically since it has held an exclusive since 2005.

But when you buy an EA football game, you're not getting a football sim. You're getting EA's interpretation of football. Most people are happy with that. But is it because EA produces a realistic football game or is it because they have no other choice? Gamers are lemmings. We're addicted to popular gaming franchises in sports and other genres. EA and every other publisher knows that. I'll raise my hand in guilt when accused of that.

Think about this for a minute: Is Madden the football game -- at least on the field, in gameplay -- that you would design if you were tasked to create a football sim?

You can easily make the argument that EA football is the least "simmy" of the four major sports represented in a console game. I've played the EA NHL series and the 2K NBA series, and they both are far closer to the real thing in their respective sports than Madden is pro football. I haven't played The Show since I don't own a PS3, but my impressions from here are that it's an excellent sim.

I know it's unrealistic to pop in NFL 2K5 from the standpoint of a complete football package and enjoy it as much as Madden 25. Its graphics and feature package pale in comparison. But it's telling about the evolution of Madden's core gameplay engine that a 9-year-old game from a rival still elicits praise from many corners -- not yours, I know -- as at least an equal, or superior, product in terms of gameplay.

I don't find that very amusing. I find it sad.

Very well stated! I could not agree more.


-MERACE

[bulls23]

That Ray Lewis parody was awesome. Thanks for posting it, made me LOL. That guy had Ray Lewis down and even looked a lot like him.

Your comments amuse me. You said you missed NFL 2K5, I invited you not to miss it. Now if you said you enjoyed NFL 2K5 back in the day, I would agree. I even pop it in for nostalgia sake every once in a great while.

However, would I rather play NFL 2K5 more than Madden 25? The answer is "hell no".

What about you? If so, then why even buy it for a "trade-in" mercy sale? Why support EA if you don't support their brand of football?

I miss the gameplay of NFL 2K5, of the entire 2K football series. How hard was that to comprehend from my post?

EA is the only flavor of football in town. It produces a very comprehensive package of modes, bells and whistles in its Madden and NCAA products. It also is the most advanced football game graphically since it has held an exclusive since 2005.

But when you buy an EA football game, you're not getting a football sim. You're getting EA's interpretation of football. Most people are happy with that. But is it because EA produces a realistic football game or is it because they have no other choice? Gamers are lemmings. We're addicted to popular gaming franchises in sports and other genres. EA and every other publisher knows that. I'll raise my hand in guilt when accused of that.

Think about this for a minute: Is Madden the football game -- at least on the field, in gameplay -- that you would design if you were tasked to create a football sim?

You can easily make the argument that EA football is the least "simmy" of the four major sports represented in a console game. I've played the EA NHL series and the 2K NBA series, and they both are far closer to the real thing in their respective sports than Madden is pro football. I haven't played The Show since I don't own a PS3, but my impressions from here are that it's an excellent sim.

I know it's unrealistic to pop in NFL 2K5 from the standpoint of a complete football package and enjoy it as much as Madden 25. Its graphics and feature package pale in comparison. But it's telling about the evolution of Madden's core gameplay engine that a 9-year-old game from a rival still elicits praise from many corners -- not yours, I know -- as at least an equal, or superior, product in terms of gameplay.

I don't find that very amusing. I find it sad.

I wish EA would make a football game more like 2K5, but it has been said many times that the 360 does not have the memory or specs to do it. You can infer from what EA and other developers have said in the past that many of the best features of 2K5 cannot be done on current consoles. The HD graphics art take up much more of the total memory/processing power than on PS2 or XBOX1. The features I'm referring to are:

1. Halftime show highlights and commentary
2. Pro Bowl individual helmets
3. Realtime physics vs motion capture. NFL 2K5 never had realtime physics, why don't you give EA credit for that. Physics take up loads of processing power that motion capture on PS2 XBOX1 did not.
4. and most important Football AI

I blame EA most for not improving the presentation. A real time ticker is a simple thing to accomplish, NCAA already has it. Commentary on par of what 2K does currently on their NBA Series is all about effort. Those two things alone with boost Madden to another level without involving more memory or processing power.

Anyway you never directly answered my question: Would you rather play NFL 2K5 or Madden 25? Which are you playing more of? If you say Madden 25, then you obviously don't miss 2K5 that much.

[Inuyasha]

Nobody plays 2k5 nowadays, it's a silly question.

Some years ago I had the nostalgic urge to play 2k5 so bought it for 360 for a buck. It was not the same experience I remembered on the original XBOX. It was dated which was a given, but the translation to 360 just took a lot away.

I don't think many people will invest in a old original xbox just to play one game. I think that game is better kept for the videogame history books and talking about it in threads as the 'good ol' days' of videogame football like a bunch of old timers.

It was a great game for its time, but hearing about it now is like when you use to hear your grandpa say how he walked 20 miles to school daily back in the 30s. Enough.

[pk500]

Anyway you never directly answered my question: Would you rather play NFL 2K5 or Madden 25? Which are you playing more of? If you say Madden 25, then you obviously don't miss 2K5 that much.

Neither. Almost certain I'm doing the long rental/Best Buy trade of Madden 25 for FIFA 14 unless my sons beg me to keep Madden.

Satisfied? Or do you need just a few more posts to get your mock trial merit badge toward Eagle Scout?

[Teal]

That Ray Lewis parody was awesome. Thanks for posting it, made me LOL. That guy had Ray Lewis down and even looked a lot like him.

Your comments amuse me. You said you missed NFL 2K5, I invited you not to miss it. Now if you said you enjoyed NFL 2K5 back in the day, I would agree. I even pop it in for nostalgia sake every once in a great while.

However, would I rather play NFL 2K5 more than Madden 25? The answer is "hell no".

What about you? If so, then why even buy it for a "trade-in" mercy sale? Why support EA if you don't support their brand of football?

I miss the gameplay of NFL 2K5, of the entire 2K football series. How hard was that to comprehend from my post?

EA is the only flavor of football in town. It produces a very comprehensive package of modes, bells and whistles in its Madden and NCAA products. It also is the most advanced football game graphically since it has held an exclusive since 2005.

But when you buy an EA football game, you're not getting a football sim. You're getting EA's interpretation of football. Most people are happy with that. But is it because EA produces a realistic football game or is it because they have no other choice? Gamers are lemmings. We're addicted to popular gaming franchises in sports and other genres. EA and every other publisher knows that. I'll raise my hand in guilt when accused of that.

Think about this for a minute: Is Madden the football game -- at least on the field, in gameplay -- that you would design if you were tasked to create a football sim?

You can easily make the argument that EA football is the least "simmy" of the four major sports represented in a console game. I've played the EA NHL series and the 2K NBA series, and they both are far closer to the real thing in their respective sports than Madden is pro football. I haven't played The Show since I don't own a PS3, but my impressions from here are that it's an excellent sim.

I know it's unrealistic to pop in NFL 2K5 from the standpoint of a complete football package and enjoy it as much as Madden 25. Its graphics and feature package pale in comparison. But it's telling about the evolution of Madden's core gameplay engine that a 9-year-old game from a rival still elicits praise from many corners -- not yours, I know -- as at least an equal, or superior, product in terms of gameplay.

I don't find that very amusing. I find it sad.

I wish EA would make a football game more like 2K5, but it has been said many times that the 360 does not have the memory or specs to do it. You can infer from what EA and other developers have said in the past that many of the best features of 2K5 cannot be done on current consoles. The HD graphics art take up much more of the total memory/processing power than on PS2 or XBOX1. The features I'm referring to are:

1. Halftime show highlights and commentary
2. Pro Bowl individual helmets
3. Realtime physics vs motion capture. NFL 2K5 never had realtime physics, why don't you give EA credit for that. Physics take up loads of processing power that motion capture on PS2 XBOX1 did not.
4. and most important Football AI

I blame EA most for not improving the presentation. A real time ticker is a simple thing to accomplish, NCAA already has it. Commentary on par of what 2K does currently on their NBA Series is all about effort. Those two things alone with boost Madden to another level without involving more memory or processing power.

Anyway you never directly answered my question: Would you rather play NFL 2K5 or Madden 25? Which are you playing more of? If you say Madden 25, then you obviously don't miss 2K5 that much.

I'm trying to figure out the point of this.

[bulls23]

I'm trying to figure out the point of this.

This:

Nobody plays 2k5 nowadays, it's a silly question.
It was a great game for its time, but hearing about it now is like when you use to hear your grandpa say how he walked 20 miles to school daily back in the 30s. Enough.

And this:
That Ray Lewis parody was awesome

Satisfied? Or do you need just a few more posts to get your mock trial merit badge toward Eagle Scout?

I don't know, how many do you need? 28560?

[Diablo25]

Interesting use of SmartGlass - coach mode

[bulls23]

Interesting use of SmartGlass - coach mode

I recognize that Kolbe guy from when he used to work for Sony developing The Show. Good to see EA hiring creative guys like that, just hope the big corporate EA suits don't corrupt him.

Sorry, but if those are NEXT GEN graphics, I'm NOT impressed. Looks a lot like the 360 version.

Look at the screenshot, talk about duplicate information - "Career Coaching record".

Oh yeah this is about SmartGlass, right? Like that EA is going deeper with features, but not sure I would use it in my old age. I don't have enough time to play a game as it is, let alone spend extra time scrolling through all that s***.

[Rodster]

Sorry, but if those are NEXT GEN graphics, I'm NOT impressed. Looks a lot like the 360 version

It certainly does and that's probably why all the talk and hype about the XONE and PS4 has given me that so-what feeling.

[TCrouch]

I thought that about the graphics at first, too. But what I've noticed as time passed (since the initial XBox One reveal, at least) is that the graphics aren't vastly different as far as characters and clarity. I am not sure you can really get much more detailed on the primary stuff in this era of HD.

What IS different every time I look closely is the AMOUNT of stuff that's high-poly, and the "background" is much more animated and alive. Through things like Dead Rising 3, and Watch Dogs, to even the sideline of Madden on next gen. The players all have the higher-res textures on them, and the sideline doesn't have the low-poly cardboard cutouts.

Bottom line, it's like they cranked up the memory available to store stuff in, so when I just look at a video of next gen--sure, the primary action isn't lightyears ahead of current gen. But when they talk about having enough memory now to make the sideline interactive (players catching guys coming out of bounds, players scattering, etc), and have the entire field packed with more things--THAT is what makes it look next gen to me, because on some of those videos, you can see the difference between this gen and next gen.

For some people, having the "high detail area" expand further out away from your focal point in the game won't be a big deal. To me, it feels like a massive jump in creating more realistic virtual worlds/arenas/whatever. Just watch that video again, and look at the crowd in the background or the sidelines. Then go back and look at a 360 Madden 25 video and look at the cardboard cutouts in the crowd and bench on every cutscene. To me, I see a pretty massive difference, but it's not the major focus that the camera is on. That effect seems to be prevalent in every game I see--the background stuff is blown up to a massive degree.

[wco81]

At the standard gameplay angle, the increase in detail isn't going to be noticeable. You'd rather see more of the field than sharper jersey textures.

They could use polygons and details on sideline characters and fans in the stands. A lot of people care about atmosphere so cutaways of fans doing something appeal to some people.

But if those off-field details slow down the game or prevent them from delivering the highest FPS, then it's a waste of resources.


The Smart Glass stuff sounds interesting though you're not going to be reviewing tendencies and probabilities of certain plays during the game. The logging of the plays run by your opponent in the game is more useful but not realistic. Teams will get wide shots of formations to look at in the sidelines and stuff but not the actual play diagrams with routes drawn in them.

You should have to opt-in to that in order for your opponent to view the plays you've run.

[TCrouch]

I disagree. If you look at any video of the standard camera angle, you see plenty of the sideline in current gen. And it looks empty and lifeless. If they really are able to crank up the fidelity there, even at the standard camera angle during play it will have a more believable stadium IMO.

Granted, most people won't care. They care about what's on the field, and there, I can certainly understand the "meh" reception. I'm just not one of them