Best simulation version of Madden in many years. Some tweaks here and there sure, but out of the gate plays very well. Comparing it to the past 8 versions so. My experience only comes from playing UvU on All-Madden. Did play 1 ranked game which even didn't feel too bad on All-Pro.

Hopefully game does not get neutered because the majority thinks it's too difficult like I'm already hearing. "Kicking is too hard now", "QB fumbles to much when I try to throw last minute like I've been able to do for years and it only be an incomplete pass", "Pass rush gets in too fast", "I can't just run Inside Zone all game from Gun Trips Offset"

Of course these aren't the actual worded complaints, but similar.

Gameplay

Gap Play
- Really love the Gap play that I am seeing. Guys actually try to follow their assignment instead of just running mindlessly to ball carrier all of the time. This allows for runs that previously dominated the game the past 2-3 versions to be defended with stock plays, instead of having to put together Mortal Kombat fatality combinations via hot routes to stop them.


OL/DL

- Last year OL and DL ratings didn't appear to matter IMO. A terrible OL could block like a great one and a great OL would block terribly. Through 15+ games against other users, I can definitely tell the difference of having a terrible OL vs a good DL, and vice versa.

For example I played with Seattle vs Texans. Everyone knows Seattle's OL is terrible and it definitely showed. Regardless of what JJ Watt was at the Line he dominated his matchup if he was blocked straight up and often times when he was double teamed. I must have been sacked or hit while throwing 5-6 times in the 1st half (had to stop game to eat). Often times in previous versions he may as well be another guy because you wouldn't feel his presence. The rush came in as quick as it should have I felt. Had another game with me as the Jets vs Cowboys. Had some neutral plays, but most of the time if Sheldon Richardson wasn't double teamed he destroyed Doug Free. Other times the Cowboys Line showed their dominance in matchups. The pass rush is definitely quick on All-Madden UvU especially when blitzing and having favorable matchups.


Playcalling & Assignments (Defense)

- Last version you were rarely rewarded for choosing the correct stock play call for situations/concepts and plays. Didn't matter if the playcall and execution was all perfect, players did not play to their assignment and weren't aware of what the other was doing. This relates to Gap assignments and Coverage.

I have already seen on many occasions of stock plays and assignments executed as they should successful or not, play out as intended. When I play I'm use to making at minimum of 5-6 adjustments to any given play, something I still will do to create unique looks. However simply calling the correct play and having your guys follow their assignment, when executed properly is lovely to see. Which leads me to assignments when user controlling a player.

In the past controlling a LB or Safety on a stock blitz was about the same odds as only betting one number playing Roulette (in my experience). For example the popular, successful Mike/Will Cross Blitz by Dick LeBeau and Pittsburgh. If you manually controlled one of the blitzing LB's the chances of that blitz working were impossible damn near. I've tried that blitz by manually controlling the LB for as long as I can remember. The only way it could work was letting the AI execute the blitz. *Note I never tried using "defensive assist" where you just hold a button and the CPU does it for you. Now if the OL does not account for the blitz, execution and timing goes well you can manually follow your assignment with this along with other blitzes. I control a LB/MLB 99.6% of the time so love that. Same with following your gap assignment against the run. When you don't do what you are suppose to you will be penalized. When you do and it works out love the reward and risk of doing so.


Kicking

- Love everything about kick meter and difficulty. From the vibration and having to manually aim the kick. One thing I do wish they removed was the kick arc somehow. Just make it real difficult. I'm already pretty proficient with it after so many games, but I still miss a PAT every now and again when I relax. Already have missed more FG's/PAT's than I have in 10+ years of both Madden and NCAA. I fear EA will cater to the masses as they did back on Madden 10 when the kick bar was introduced. Again though alot of that was lag induced. Tried the "pressure moment" kick by calling a TO but my modem rebooted kicking me out of the game when I forced my opponent to kick that way.

Had an XP blocked as my opponent timed it up nicely. As always I relaxed on kicking the XP like it was done years before without a care in the world. I have a pattern of kicking the FG around the same time every time because we have been able to kick without thinking for years.

Like the fact that you just can't "aim low and let it go" anymore.


Coverage

- Enjoy seeing and using the new coverages. Nice to have Buzz Zones/Curl-Flat zones work this version. They did not last version. Also nice to see players work in relation to what the other is doing. When using hybrid coverage the zone assignment does not appear to get confused with the man coverage assignment. Example last version if there was both man and zone coverage on one side of the field, a zone defender would abandon his deeper Buzz coverage assignment to cover a receiver who was defended by man in the flat. So instead of covering a Corner route from a TE, he would leave that open to go to the flat.


Run game

- Like the run game, trying to find holes that aren't predestined to open up. I'm not much of a runner, mostly because I just love to throw the ball and not very patient at running much. I do feel in control of the RB unlike the past 2 versions when I never felt in control when running. Have my feelings that it would be very easy to run with all the new ball carrier moves and other things, but it actually isn't easy which I chalk up to the gap assignments/play actually working as intended. Gun Inside Zone is defended FAR better than it has in been past 2 years. It was comical how much one run from one formation was able to be used to no end without a true way of stopping it. Without 6 different hot route adjustments. This regardless of what OL you had.

Additional stuff

- Commentary as said before is great, what a difference that can make. Learned something I didn't know about Antonio Brown from it.

- Just found out that there is a "give yourself up" option by the QB. Also known the Tom Brady and Peyton Manning go to move...still salty about that BS Manning got away with



You can do this with the QB instead of taking a huge hit

- Little thing, I like that in the Highlights the game now shows you who defended/deflected a pass. Though you can't see the replay, just a nice little add to me.

- Love the new plays and formations added to the game. Cover 3 Match and Cover 2 Carry are two of my favorites. Also like the built in hybrids in the game.

- Some don't like the fumbles by the QB, but I do. In the past you could get away with throwing in a crowded area or while getting hit without consequence. Now the fear of strips, pop hits, etc makes that risky. Getting an incompletion every time the QB should have been sacked was a pain. Now it's rewarding to see the possibility of a strip. I have caused fumbles when looking over the replay several times it should indeed been a fumble. When the QB's arm is going back and it hit. Other times you can see where the QB's arm is moving forward and it is not a fumble.

- "Nano Detection". Like that this was programmed into the game, although it likely wouldn't have been of any effect to me since not many ranked games are played. Really just like it because it shows/hints at the direction this Madden team wants to go.


Final Thoughts


Long winded thoughts on the game, but overall I am very impressed with this version of the game. As I said some tweaks here and there are needed but that is to be expected. Still would like to see less suction/warp catching by WR's.

Stock out of the box though this is the best simulation version of Madden.

Don't have any Franchise, MUT or Draft Champion impressions because those are modes I do not play unfortunately. Will post more stuff when I have time and have played 50 or so more games. Want to play more games with different times than I have already played with.