Madden 15 Retail Impressions (PS4/XBox One)

[skipwondah33]

I'm glad the screens have been addressed. From what I've heard on Madden 25 (PS4) that's all people ran because they worked so well

Of course they worked on PS3 version as well

Jaymo I've been seeing great sideline interactions thus far, of course I'm seeing them with agile players but I've had a number of times where my RB and WR caught the ball then turned up field smoothly, TIPTOEING!! the sideline when needed . I had a nice TD lastnight to Michael Floyd where he caught the ball about 3 yards away from sideline, then transitioned to going up field and staying in bounds. It was nice to see

Had another instance where on a punt Dri Archer caught it going towards the sideline just shy of OB, then he turned up field then tiptoed the line and gained 35 yards.

These are the things that are pretty cool to see




That wouldn't have happened at all last version IMO. Especially on a Curl route where the defender was playing off. But he tracked the WR, then tracked the ball. Not only that but he would have been tackled before getting 10 yards.




This was just cool because I thought he was tackled. Didn't anticipate this happening. That 90+ trucking/break tackle rating helped out.

Game was on All-Madden

[jaymo76]

Just heard about the huge bug in CFM OWNER MODE. Apparently because owners make so little money, people cannot sign free agents in the off season as they have no money to sign the contracts. Wow! If true this needs to be fixed ASAP.

[Rudy]

Word is a lot of the next gen sliders are backwards (run block slider) or mixed up (reaction affects man coverage, coverage affects zone potentially). QB accuracy affects run/pass balance as well.

I was hoping run block slider would be reversed on PS3 but I think it's just completely broken. Playing on All-Madden I tried 0 and 100 and it's hard to tell the difference. This crap is so frustrating. You should be able to tell a huge difference between 0 and 100. At least you next gen guys will get a patch. I don't know if I will. Third and shorts are still automatic on PS3.

[jaymo76]

Rudy, does PS3 have the owner mode bug as well?

[skipwondah33]

Kicking 50 yards isn't the easiest. That fan is awfully small. I've missed more kicks in my 9 games than I have past 2 versions of Madden combined.

I have the kick arc off but that isn't the reason.

[jaymo76]

Kicking 50 yards isn't the easiest. That fan is awfully small. I've missed more kicks in my 9 games than I have past 2 versions of Madden combined.

I have the kick arc off but that isn't the reason.

You speak the truth my friend. I didn't realize how hard kicking actually is until I began my CFM. Janikowski is now like 2/5 and his confidence has slipped to 30. I usually t it up right but when going up on the stick I tend to veer too much to the left... it's been ugly! Kicking in skills trainer is easy. Even in the gauntlet I hit the hurricane kick but in CFM... brutal. Like they said in the pressrow podcast, kicking finally works they way it was supposed to during the entire PS3 cycle.

[skipwondah33]

Yeah the fan is small man lol

I haven't hit in the center yet. Even on kick offs. If there is wind that's even worse.

Love it through don't care how many I miss

[Rudy]

Rudy, does PS3 have the owner mode bug as well?

I'm not sure. I don't do owner mode so I haven't followed that info closely.

Kicking is still easy on PS3 but the kicks are very short. I've got kick power at 65 now.

I've always maintained that EA would really benefit from a game changer who was used exclusively to test sliders. They need to spend far more time in this area for the offline guys.

[jaymo76]

Here's my .02c. Take it for what it's worth.

Having played OFFLINE Madden 15 (PS4) exclusively the past week I can say that I am definitely enjoying myself. This Madden is the best PLAYING Madden in A LONG TIME. Though it still lacks the level of presentation from Madden 10 and 2K5 and has less franchise options than that of Madden 05, the gameplay is possibly the best it has ever been! Now to be clear, the “MADDENING” moments still exist and many things that drive you nuts about the franchise still exist and will continue to drive you nuts. However, the development team at Tiburon took a big step forward with this release and their renewed focus on gameplay has revived the playability of the series. Simply put, playing games is fun AND challenging. While the depth is still lacking within the modes, the gameplay itself is very rewarding and enjoyable. Slider tweaks are essential but once you find the sweet spot you will be good to go until next summer!

Pros:
1. GAMEPLAY- running the ball is fun; playing defense is fun; licking the ball is fun (and very challenging. If you want to score a TD you have to work for it. Exploits have been significantly tuned down (eg. HB screen money plays). The only major downside is that receivers still do not fight for the ball. This has to be a fix for Madden 16.
2. Skills trainer- this is a quick opportunity to improve your team without having to spend 30+ minutes in practice scenarios. They way confidence is done is very interesting and adds a lot to the game. Being able to see how players go up and down each week is very addictive.
3. Skills trainer mode- excellent addition. The inclusion of concept plays and learning how to run/defend them is a huge step in the right direction. I learned a number of things I previously was NOT aware of and I have been playing watching football for a long time.
4. Visuals- oh my gosh! The stadiums and the lighting are outstanding. When playing the home opener for the Raiders the lighting actually looked like I was there. The colours, lighting etc. were exactly how I remember them last time I was at the O. Co. Coliseum. For the most part players look great though there are some exceptions (huge heads on small bodies; disproportionate body builds, etc.).
5. Game flow- a great addition from the NCAA team. Choosing to go no huddle or chew clock really helps from a strategy/time management perspective.
6. Intro/Halftime- originally I was concerned these would be weak and limited. However, they are actually really good, especially zooming in over the stadium… beautiful transition! Larry Ridley does a decent job of going over highlights in the game. IF ONLY SCORES FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE WOULD SCROLL ON THE BOTTOM!!!

Cons:
1. Commentary- this is just downright bad. Simms is awful to listen to; Nantz concludes every game in the same way; many times the wrong commentary runs when describing a situation; commentary is bland and lacks specifics; there is zero dynamic commentary; preseason sounds identical to regular season.
2. Play calling screen- I get what the Madden team was trying to do and in theory it’s a great idea but in practice it is slow, clunky and awkward. Plus I find with the new orientation I am continually choosing the wrong play. I would love for the Madden team to patch in the old play call screen so that we have that option.
3. CFM:
a. Sim. Stats- the issue has been addressed for online but offline gamers are still waiting. This is huge as it effects player progression in future seasons.
b. Isolation- always the biggest issue of CFM. You feel isolated, alone and disconnected from the league. That has not changed this year.
c. Stat overlays- great idea but more ARE needed and they need to stay UP LONGER. Remember how excellent stat banners were back in NCAA 06? Bring that back (eg. Passing % in areas of the field, etc.)
d. Commentary/presentation- AWFUL! Dynamic commentary or bust for Madden 16!
e. Owner mode glitch- owners don’t make enough money and therefore cannot afford free agents in the off season. That is a real game breaker and needs to be addressed immediately!

4. Sliders- they are minimally effective at best; penalties do not work at all BUT changing them will impact how the game plays; auto-subs works well, except in CFM. There are still many reports that CFM sliders are different from CFM sliders… I tend to agree with that assumption.

Indifferent:
1. The Gauntlet- really doesn’t do much for me but if you like mini games I suspect you will love the Gauntlet. While running it the first time I was interested in seeing how well I could do. However, since doing it I have had no interest in going back to break my previous record.

Inexcusable:
1. Formation subs do not stick from game-to-game!!! This is fundamental to football yet again formation subs are excluded. How was this overlooked and/or not included in Madden 15? At the very least a patch is needed to keep formation subs set from week-to-week. For next year the NCAA styled formation subs are crucial. There is no excuse for this still not being in the game.
2. Not being able to watch and/or play any game on the schedule. This is a huge pet peeve

Moving forward I expect to see the following additions to CFM:
1. Practise rosters
2. CFM league score tickers
3. Formation subs
4. CFM draft board & player combine
5. Adding coordinators to the CFM experience
6. Adding practice mode back into CFM

Madden 15 is a solid game and I will get a lot of fun out of this title for the entire year. However, CFM still is rather dull and lacks immersion. Moving forward it will need a lot of work. From a gameplay standpoint the game receives a solid 9/10. The CFM experience for me is more of a 7 to 7.5/10.

[CLW]

today I have experienced a ton of "lag"/"stuttering" both online and offline. It is particularly bad on the play call screen.

[skipwondah33]

Have to exit game and go back in

All my games have smooth today as well as lastnight

[gigemaggs99]

Question on the play call screen complaints, are ya'll using "Quick" or "Enhanced"? I'm on enhanced and I'm really enjoying it.

I also enjoy the training challenges, I've learned a lot on how to beat different coverages with different routes. I've been watching football for a long time and I've never had cover 6 explained, at least now I know what it's supposed to mean and accomplish.

EDIT: Another thing I really enjoy about the advanced tutorials which I done 2 times now, is it shows you how to attack different coverages. Playing vs the CPU or on the practice field I have the CPU pick a random defensive play and I work on reading the coverages (top down or starting w/ the safeties) then hot route accordingly.

It seems wild that there are sites that sell strategy guides that basically teach you this, it's in the game already. I figure if I can learn how to to it on my own with my teams' playbook then I'll be ahead of the curve. If you purchase one of those guides they only show you how to attack defenses with their guide, looks like one of them is solely from the Eagles OFF PB. I figure if I learn the concepts then I can apply them to any OFF PB and go from there.

One thing I'd like to know better is how to run better. I am in the process of learning which passing routes to run vs different defensive looks but I'm not sure how to attack the defense with the run game. I know the basics like, if there are 8+ in the box either don't run or try and run outside. I'm assuming there is something like, outside runs are better vs 4-3 and inside runs are better vs 3-4, but I'm not sure. I'm also not sure if there is a rhyme or reason vs Man coverage vs Zone coverage when running the ball. Are you basically supposed to follow your blockers and that's it or is there more to it? Is there a better run to call vs Nickel cover 2 man vs Nickel Cover 3?

I've been playing my 6 year old a lot, he loves playing football and I enjoy playing Madden with him. He's too young to understand all the strategy stuff so I have no one to talk it out with (yet), besides here.

One thing I did notice that's different is, since I'm the Jags in the league here I've been using them only. Trying to learn the PB and personnel. My son likes the Texans so he's been using them. In the 1st half I cannot run to save my life. Something like 12 carries for 27 yards. In the second half I run the same plays, granted I don't know for sure if my son is calling the same Def, but all of a sudden I can bust huge runs, like 12+ per run and I end up with 120+ yards per game on 20-25 carries. Is that fatigue? Has anyone else noticed they can run better in the 2nd half?

One thing that is nice, my son likes to call the same play over and over (on offense), I've noticed the Def starts to pick up on it and really shuts it down in the 2nd half. I've also noticed if I stick w/ the run, especially in the 2nd half then call the corresponding Play Action I've been able to get wide open BOMBS down for nice walk in TDs.

Back to running, I've been trying to figure out how to control the runner better too, seems like he will have a mind of his own, I'll tell him to run straight up the gut and he will take his time running directly up the field. I stay off the R2 but it seems like he has a mind of his own, can be frustrating. I've noticed this too on some out routes, the WR will catch the ball and I cannot turn him up-field to save my life, it's like he has crazy momentum that takes him OB. Small annoying things, otherwise a fun game.

Anyways, loving the game!

[gigemaggs99]

One thing I will say is the speed and difficulty of the game makes a huge difference. I tried the MUT weekly game and it automatically puts the game on ALL-Madden and either normal or fast speed. I usually play on Rookie and game speed slow. It's MUCH easier to run on this ALL-Madden and game speed, the HB hits the hole with a purpose. I'm not saying it's "easy" to run but the HB seems to not change directions and look lost like he does on rookie and slow speed.

The DBs catch Ints too, on rookie and slow they drop them all day long.

EDIT: correction the ALL-Pro setting is the one that the weekly MUT game is on. It's still kicking my butt, my team is slowly getting better, still a 68 overall.

If you want a challenge, I played my 6 year old, put his on Rookie (Texans) and put mine (Jags) on ALL-MADDEN holy cow, he beat me 61-32. Arian Foster was like Earl Campbell, it would take 3 or 4 good hits to bring him down. My QBs were having a rough day, on ALL-MADDEN they will over throw the WRs by 40 yards, airmail it to the FS. It was interesting...my son was bouncing off the walls after beating me.

[gigemaggs99]

Question, when on Offense if you look at the play-art it will put a "C" on top of one of the defensive guys. It's not always the same person, sometimes it's the MLB, sometimes it's the SS, etc... what does the "C" mean?

[Marlowe]

the "c" is the "mike" identification. http://youtu.be/tKW26xUnnzo


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JBHuskers]

Sounds like the PS4 has a new roster and tuning update.

[gigemaggs99]

the "c" is the "mike" identification. http://youtu.be/tKW26xUnnzo


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Very cool! Thanks for the video link, so on Madden 15 if you drop the FS into/around the box will it affect the mike LB like he says? I'd be interested to see if the "C" changes as the FS drops down, it would be sweet if the video game does that as well.

[gigemaggs99]

Sounds like the PS4 has a new roster and tuning update.

Confirmed, just fired up the crackstation, PS4 wanted me to update both (roster and tuning update).

[jaymo76]

Two observations in CFM.

1. I have not seem any variable weather in 15 games and 4 preseason games. Every game has been sunny/partially overcast.
2. Only one game where the cpu mixed up their unis... Rams worse blue pants (and mentioned on the twitter feed)

[Rudy]

The roster update is OK. Does not have the RG spot correct on Miami, or Cbs right. Some ratings off but the free agents are still awful. It's also a pain to edit them since there's no FA selection on the edit menu. You have to choose all which makes it longer to find the bums.