BigSmitty81

Hey everyone, just giving my thoughts on the game as a whole from my experience at this point. Is this the ME of old? No, but that's not a bad thing though as I welcome the brand new experience. I understand with the new engine there will be some things not proper within the game, as core engine transitions can be challenging. I will say that the game running on Frostbite is a great thing to see as the visuals are great. I haven't encountered any of the buggy issues that were initially talked about at launch, and also the lack of emotional facial expression would be nice to see patched if possible (was done via update in Horizon: Zero Dawn). When you have the emotion of the characters play out along with the story, it helps with further immersing you into the experience. Being able to openly explore the galaxy created is great. All the tools and weapons available too along with the archetypes for your character to level up with is cool. Especially how you can switch them up at will is a great touch. So I definitely enjoy the gameplay and the mechanics in the game. I feel that it gives a good balance between the action and the RPG/exploration elements of the game. There are many happenings on the side of the main quest that you can definitely get lost in and spend hours with exploring. Overall, I'm having fun with the game. I expected a different game and it's definitely not the same Mass Effect from Gen 3, but this is a refreshing experience as a whole.

In regards of NBA Live 16, the game defintely stepped up in the mode areas, and made much needed key refinements in the gameplay area to help it build up even more in regards of creating that progressively organic, basketball gaming experience. While it's not where it truly needs to be yet, there's no denying what has been done here and there's some solid gems that if built upon going forward, will boost this title to be a true titan in the gameplay realm. I'm basically covering the aspects of the game that I play. Pro Am/Summer Circuit - This is a mode that's been requested to return for the longest time and I'm glad to say that it's FINALLY back and better than ever. The key is to play fundamental ball here. Can't just spam the same move and treat it like it's And1 or like in past 2k titles. Especially if you play with friends in the same mindframe. Summer Circuit presents a legitimate challenge against the CPU. They capitalize on your mistakes and will fundamentally find the gaps on offense using all the proper tools to get to the rack or create an open shot opportunity. Love that about the mode and is very refreshing to see in a basketball game online mode. As far as the Pro Am, it's definitely best that you play the mode with like minded players as it'll be very challenging to play with randoms that usually are playing for themselves and take the fun out of the mode. Overall, this mode is the strongest aspect of the game, especially with the best quality in my opinion of how you progress via "sweat equity" by playing the game and not via monetary purchase. Plus the Gameface HD FREE app captures your face better and easier than any other method out there (take note 2k). Gameplay - In regards of the gameplay mechanics, I love the "Live Motion" player movement in the game. The contextual movement throughout the court with the respecitve player footwork and how virtually every bump, press, shoulder rub, screen, etc. are all visually depicted respectfully and you barely feel as if your player is losing control or moving unrealistically. This especially looks very nice when it comes to the plays called and the flow shown on the court as well. Very fluid, without too many hiccups and very little over animation going on. The shot meter with the various release points is a nice and much needed addition as well along with the new playcalling wheel too. Makes it systematically easier to call plays, whether you press the bumper for the chosen play or hold it down and select your own play for the specified player or the type (ie: screen, isolation, post up plays). While there are more individual and sequentially tied animations to depict the post, jumpers, layups, rebound/putback/block attempts, and dunks are nice to see, the animations still feel rigid to a modest degree and still lacks the logical fluidity needed to truly put it on the competitive level of 2K basketball. Going forward, logical fluidity and minimal control loss need to be the focal points for the game to truly advance and truly represent the hashtag #RiseTogether. I'll end it with this point, even though this game will get slept on by many, this game does present a legit challenge by the AI whether you play any of the modes in the game. There's also solid basketball fundamentals to be enjoyed and appreciated too (spacing the floor, logically sound defensive rotations on screen situations, legit job on shot closeouts from screens as well, plus with the add-on of sliders now, tuning the in-air collision frequency adds more of a dynamic when driving to the rack in traffic, especially with the improved ball tangibility (still not as dynamic like 2K16 has, but it's better than 15). Also, getting to the paint needs to be more challenging as it's still too easy to score in the paint and need more active hands on the passing lanes as well. Also need more erroneous passes, and need manual passing options (ie: lob, bounce pass) along with the signature dribble animations/styles for the current players as well. Like I said, the game isn't where it truly needs to be, but it's undeniable about the true progression made here. Just need to keep the development course going on strong with the updates throughout the year and what Live 17 would have in store at that point.

My reviews are mainly focused on core gameplay mechanics, so that'll be my focus here. For the longest time, I've been saying that Madden needs a definitive turnkey/pivotal title that'll be the true platform to continuously build the game up from. Madden 16 to me is definitely that benchmark title as the feel of football is true and completely undeniable regarding what's going on here for sure. Let me get into this a bit deeper. WR/DB Interactions: Out the box, you had a good number of people on the EA access 10 hour trial screaming out how catching was OP (overpowered), and were getting caught over end over end on deep balls in 1 v 1 situations mainly. That's just the issue there though, people needed to learn how to use the new in game mechanics. The days of just pressing Y or Triangle are gone. You must learn to press A or X and play the receiver, spotlight the receiver if your secondary isn't great, assign the extra man or adjust your playcalling to have that safety over top to defend those situations just like they do IN REAL LIFE!! There's only a few DBs/Safeties in the league that are great 1 on 1 defenders, and even they get additional support as they'll get beat too (ex: Patrick Peterson vs Amari Cooper is a great example of this). If there were anything I'd say was an issue with this, it would be the frequency of one handed catches that would need to be toned down a bit. Otherwise, I strongly suggest people get in the skills trainer and practice field and learn how to effectively use the mechanics instead of making the blind complaints because you're not winning like you were used to back then. Times are changing for real now!!! QB Pass Placement/Inaccuracies/AI: In Madden 15 the pass innacuracies were introduced, but due to community complaints, it was toned down and the "Robo QB" was back in full effect. This year it's back and not going anywhere. In addition to dedicated pass placement mechanics, you have the most control since the PS2 days when it comes to how you want to deliver the ball, high over the shoulder lobs, mid-level passes that'll sail over LBs and in that hole within the zone where only the receiver can get it, or throwing it low and away so the risk of a pick on that curl or comeback route is reduced to nil and would only be a drop or a breakup by defender contact. Now you can clearly see the CPU AI difference between Geno Smith and Tom Brady when it comes to how they are at making reads, accuracy on throws, and how they also deal with defensive pressure when the pocket collapses. Run Game/Trenches: Regarding the running game this year, the controlled player movement is greatly improved, as the ballcarrier feels much more weighed down and attached to the field. Especially when it comes to making quick cuts, and bursting through holes, even when utilizing skill moves too, the footwork is highly noticeable and the player movement is the best out of ANY football game out in my opinion. When it comes to the run game and reading blocks, you MUST BE PATIENT!! You have to allow the blocks to develop and make the proper reads instead of mashing turbo and getting stuffed prematurely. Speaking on the Trenches the O-Line/D-Line battling is much more balanced and the sack totals aren't nearly where they were in the history of the franchise. Now it's more of a progressive win/loss battle to get into the backfield, unless you have a beast like JJ Watt/Gerald McCoy/Ndamukong Suh on the line you're controlling. Even with that in place, with the CPU QB AI, they don't hold the ball nearly as much as they used to and will already have made their read and threw the ball, or will try to buy time by moving in or rolling out the pocket and throwing the ball away. Penalties: The final part to discuss here are the penalties, they're FINALLY back and count more than a way of impacting how gameplay outcomes are potentially determined like in years past. Now the sliders determine the frequency of what penalties get called. What I like even more is that when the penalties are called, there are clear animations to show what had happened onfield. Whether it's a holding, PI, facemask or an illegal block in the back, they all have a visual depiction to go along with what penalty took place. They still are lacking every penalty legible for the game at this point, and also a challenge system a la NFL 2K5 where I can choose what I want to challenge regardless of what took place on the field instead of the game dictating what can or can't be challenged. Once again, this is a legit foundation to build upward from. In closing, these gameplay refinements make this the most realistic playing Madden title to date, and these past 3 games (Madden 13 - 15) were the building blocks that helped 16 set itself up to truly be great going forward. With some tuning/patching within these core gameplay aspects. Madden 16 can be a truly official title to set the tone of true football authenticity.

Since I'm mainly about gameplay, that will be the emphasis for my review. If you're expecting this to be Tiger Woods PGA Tour 16, you're gravely mistaken. Since the announcement for the game last year at E3, the game was being built from the ground up using the Frostbite 3 engine (which mainly is used for the Battlefield series). Historically speaking, when you have a game start anew engine-wise, that typically means there will be setbacks (ie Madden 06 on 360, PES 2014 with the Fox Engine implementation). Rory Mcilroy PGA Tour is not exempt from this rule either. In regards of the swing mechanics, they're very straight forward for all 3 types. I personally enjoy the Tour difficulty level, but the Arcade or the classic 3-click method all will give you a generally clean swing with a moderate amount of forgiveness when it comes to making a mistake on a swing off the tee or on the fairway. Don't get it twisted though, if you don't have the attributes (generally when building up your career player) and you swing incorrectly or it's off at times, you'll under/overshoot the target and can land in the rough, water, or clean out of bounds. I also like the ability to customize the control scheme for not only the camera view and swing with either the left or right analog stick, but also what visual aids & boosts (ie: manual spin) to keep on or off. Like I initially stated, with a new beginning means that while there are great things with having a new engine (ie: short load times, no load time between courses, greater graphical fidelity & quality, crisper gameplay mechanics to an extent) there also shortcomings in comparison to what we've been accustomed to in the past. Initially, there are only 8 courses to start the game with. Lack of rain weather effects (which we've seen beautifully done in the Battlefield series on this Frostbite 3 engine). All the golfers have just about the same body type & look like a modified Battlefield character to a modest degree. My biggest gripe is that Augusta is missing from the game and "Simulation Mode" from TW14 was removed. Even with these aspects lacking, the closest competitor The Golf Club wasn't well received out the gate either and had multiple updates/patches (even recently added a season mode paid add-on to compete with EA's effort). So with Mcilroy not being a yearly release, it'll be interesting to see what updates and content are given along the way. We already know that there will be 2 new courses between August to September (which are free btw), so that's great. If the update/patch treatment goes anywhere along the lines of what's been done with NBA Live & EA UFC (which also started with a new engine from the ground up), then once the updating is finished, this game could truly be poised and positioned to be even greater than any of its past predecessors.

Last year I called NBA Live 14 the "Darko Milicic of basketball gaming" due to how rough that game was, yet the raw upside potential the game had going forward if nurtured and developed correctly. I can most definitely say that if Darko was given the treatment this game has received in Live 15, it would be clear to see that the game has the potential to be a legit contender for the best basketball game out in a few years time. Since I'm all about the gameplay, that's where my emphasis will be. Gameplay Positives: From what was done last year, the ball physics are done the best yet again, and now another layer of tangibility is added with the ragdoll physics that take place on shot contact in the game. It shines brightest with the activity that takes place in the paint. Whether it's the contact of a big body defender preventing a clear drive to the hole with a hard contest or a ball handler like Lebron James going hard to the rack for a posterizing dunk over a not so hot defender like Mike Dunleavy. Also on jumpshot attempts. It's good to see for the most part when being called for a shooting foul. I go into instant replay and a good amount of the time, when it's a shooting foul from outside the paint, it's nice to see where the contact was actually made to draw the whistle. This needs to happen in all sports games where physics and positioning dictate gameplay outcomes over hard-coded animated sequences at all times. I also like the dribbling system in the game that was brought back from NBA Live 10, as it adds a lot more control which was missing to a moderate extent in Live 14. The startup refinement to the post game is nice to see, but needs a lot more detailed work and depth added as well for both offense and defense. On the defensive side of the ball, I do like there were more steps added when facing the ballhandler, also the fact that the animations added don't have too many animated sequences (even though some still exist) where you feel like you have no control over the outcome of the situation. Plus the shot feedback/fatigue gauges on the player (with the option to turn off is a nice touch) is a much needed addition to the game as well. There's a good base here, with plenty of room for growth, depth and development for sure in future installments if capitalized on correctly. Gameplay Negatives: Problems with the game is that even with the 600 animations added in this year, it still does feel stiff in terms of the overall player movement, dribbling, post play, and defensive transitional animation flow. You still have animated sequences that'll pop into place unrealistically to play out just for the sake of matching what the offensive player wanted to do. Even with the phsyics in place, you still have a good amount of times where the defender's physical stature isn't being properly accounted for and the offensive move performed gets free reign over whatever the defender does (ex: Jarret Jack drives down the lane for a layup right at Dwight Howard and will follow through without meeting any resistance as Howard gets knocked down or will flail back due to the ragdoll physics). The defender will either get ran over as if he's not there at all, or he'll get slid out of the way as the player on offense makes his move. This is a must fix for the future. The success of shots being made, ability to steal the ball, convert on alley oops and block shots is way too high. The success rate of these elements is what makes the game more arcade-like then a truly pure basketball simulation title and it really needs to be balanced out properly going forward if possible. In conclusion, this isn't viable for the best basketball game to date (not yet), but in my honest opinion, it is the best NBA Live title to date since the days of XBox 360/PS3 with Live 10. Like I stated at the beginning, as long as EA keeps building this game up properly, in a few years it could be an elite top tier basketball title. Right now though, this game gives you an arcade/sim-like experience as this game has an arcade basketball feel with simulation gameplay elements. Hopefully this will balance out as the title progresses forward in future patches and most definitely in future Live titles.

(I'd give it 8.4) For years, Madden has been lacking a title that was a truly, definitive standout title that truly was a “next gen” title or didn’t beat the 2k football franchise. Well, while they haven’t achieved being the greatest football title in all the virtual world, Madden 15 in my opinion is by far the best title released to date and is truly a platform to truly build from. This game is a turning point as this is the pivotal title where the franchise can truly build upwards from as this game is a solid base to build from. Here are my thoughts on the gameplay elements in this years game: Passing Inaccuracies & QB AI: For years, in order to get that differential between great, average, and poor QBs you had to make slider set adjustments out the gate, otherwise you could take Jordan Palmer and he’s throwing with pinpoint accuracy as if he’s Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. Now with these inaccuracies in the game by default, you’re really going to feel a difference between your starter and your backups. Now, I do feel it does need some tuning as the completion and accuracy of the passes thrown has a tendency to be very high at times, so some slider shifting may be in order for now to assist with that matter. This is something as a nice addition, but they truly need to expand upon this going forward with distinct throwing motions, release points, trajectories and velocities (ie: Dan Marino threw low/mid-level bullets in comparison to Russell Wilson or Tom Brady). When it comes to the QB playing smarter, this game has it done the best of the Madden franchise. You’ll see QBs check it down when the option isn’t there. They’ll also tuck it and scramble if there’s no option available, or if they see that matchup or they have a great weapon on their team (ie: Jimmy Graham, Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall), they will exploit those matchups to the max. Just like I stated earlier, this also does need slider adjustment aid as the QB has a high tendency to just take sacks or won’t throwing the ball away when the options aren’t there. This is something that definitely needs to be patched. War In The Trenches 2.0: Since the removal of the D-Lineman moves after Madden 09, we’ve been taught to utilize trench battling moves solely on the analog stick, without any button input, even on hit stick tackles (which I’d miss due to these controls). Now it’s most definitely revamped with not only the re-introduction of your power & finesse moves having a dedicated button controls, but now you can steer the blocks to cause disruption on a passing play, or possibly clog a hole on a run play. They’ve also taken from the NCAA Football franchise with the jump the snap ability as well. What I like the best about it is that whether you get it perfect or late, it’s not a guarantee that you’ll beat the blocker at all times. It depends on the player skills and fatigue levels as well. This makes it more of a strategic chess match regarding how you play in the trenches now, as you can try to steer blockers into position and beat them at the last moment to get that sack, or possibly get a reach tackle instance trying to fight through that blocker. The other tutorial mechanic is the defensive “Vision Cone” which helps users become more comfortable playing other defenders (LBs, DBs and Safeties) with utilizing the cone to help with the proper timing of wrap tackling and hard hit tackles too. Defensive Coverage AI Refinement: I’ll state this, the defensive play in this game directly reminds me of Madden 2005, one of the best defensive AI efforts by EA back then. I definitely appreciate how the onfield secondary adjustments have been simplified to the extent of being able to press a button and flick the analog stick to make DB, DL, and LB pre-snap adjustments (still needs to get more like how APF 2k8 had them setup when making individual and group pre-snap audibles). The zone play logic and AI is A LOT SMARTER!!! You’ll have to really mix up your playcalling as the same year over year simplicity of route coverage has gotten tougher. DBs will break logically, and realistically harder on those passes and routes, especially the elite defenders like Patrick Peterson or Richard Sherman (curl routes will get picked for an easy pick six if you’re not careful). When you see your WR make that break and they have that opening available, you gotta have that timing down, as well as be mindful of the QB you’re using, as the skill ratings of your personnel is gonna be very vital here, so if the window closes, either check it down or throw it away. Don’t force it or you’ll definitely risk a swat or a well read ball for a pick. In conclusion here, I’m pleased to see this game truly evolve from it being about “how to execute in Madden”, to becoming “how to execute in football via strategies & concepts”. There's A LOT more work to do here, but the series is FINALLY progressing in the right direction.

This year's edition of Madden football is a modest addition in regards of the gameplay refinements yet again that we have been demanding for as a community. Now is this the complete product that we've all been hoping for at this point? No it's not, but it does once again take the steps toward the authenticity that we've been demanding for over the years. Just how well they execute remains to be seen, as well as what does this game show us in terms of what to expect when the next generation of consoles are released in a few months? Infinity Engine 2: In comparison to NCAA Football 14 and Madden NFL 13, the gameplay is definitely cleaned up in regards of what's been promoted. The physics play out in a cleaner, more dynamic fashion. For those that may not recall, the Infinity Engine in principle, is a physics driven engine that's layered on top of all the animations within the game. So, sometimes you'll get dynamic physics-based interactions, as well as scripted animated outcomes, or get a mix of both in some instances, which brings out more organic gameplay. Couple this with the Force Impact System, and now you have the potential to have some of the most violent trucks and Hit Stick tackles occur to date in an EA Sports football title. The intent of the FIS is make that differential of collisions/interactions between players based on speed, weight, and mass respectively on offense and defense in relation to player skill ratings. It's very rewarding to see that big TE or power back bowl over smaller DBs or out of position LBs with trucks and stiff arm punches alike. As well as on defense laying that blind side hit on the QB, or that WR cutting across the middle getting blew up going for a catch by an LB or DB with a good speed and force behind them. With all these good elements, there are issues along with it. Due to the confines of the animation-based principle of the game, you have situations where scripted animations do overtake the dynamic physical presence of other players. At least the issue regarding the stiff-arm being overpowered is addressed here. Secondly, there's still a good amount of suction tackling taking place within the game as well. I've had instances where players would purposely get shifted into position as a tackle/stiff arm/Truck is supposed to take place in a particular part on the field. Which leads to unrealistically scripted gameplay outcomes on both sides of the ball, an issue that's been hindering EA football for years. In the near future (hopefully), it would be nice to see EA have more dynamic physics based gameplay that rivals titles like the 2010 title BackBreaker. A game that's based on behavior based interactions with dynamic physics and no pre-determined animations in sight. "Run Free", and the Option: For the past few years there hasn't been a truly established run game in regards of precise player movement since Madden football on PS2. The EA themed "Locomotion" technology, hasn't been implemented in the cleanest and authentic fashion like some of their other titles such as FIFA 11-13. They definitely made a nice refinement with the addition of the hard cuts in regards to the directional changes made by the ball carrier. You can see and feel the difference between a power back and a speed back in regards to the ability and sharpness of cutback, juke moves, or just general changes of direction within the game. You still do see some sliding and gliding and players legs quick shifting to compensate for the respective footplant/cut move accordingly. With the "True-Step Locomotion" technology making its debut in Madden NFL 25 next-gen (and in the FIFA 14 demo (to preview): available Sept. 10), we should see the quality of the overall player movement increase dramatically. In spite of the shortcomings, the addition of the new and various juke/spin move combos (utilizing the right analog stick or combined with the precision modifier) nicely adds depth and personality to a vital element of the game that has been long overdue. In addition to compliment the hard cuts element, you have the revamping of the run blocking AI, so this aids in the blockers making more realistic and logical decisions when blocking downfield and addressing the nearest threat to the ball carrier on running plays as well as QB scrambles out of the backfield on passing plays. The of tandem pass blocking is still an eyesore, but the logic is improved and you see the most realistic pockets and blocking scenarios form in this game that haven't been seen since the Xbox/PS2/GameCube days of EA Sports Football. Needless to say, there's a lot riding on what's shown on next-gen, especially in this area where 2k Sports currently upholds the standard with NFL 2k5 and APF 2k8 respectively. To expand on the QB scrambling out the backfield, the emphasis on the Option made its way into Madden as well. With the in-game pitch and read keys to look out for prior to the snap. It's nice to see that you have to pay attention to what the defense does whether it's the pitch, handoff, or keeper. Any wrong read and be a cost in yards or possible turnover on a bad pitch. Formation/Coverage Audibles: Just something to touch on briefly. This is an element that I'm glad to see make its way into the game and once again makes that strive toward realism and authenticity. In regards of the Formation Audibles on offense, you can only switch your plays according to the package that you're in (ie: can't audible from Goal Line formation to Shotgun 5-Wide). Secondly, on the defensive side, you can make the defensive adjustments slightly faster when switching individual assignments from zone to man coverage. Even though that was a function of old brought back, it was needed, so I'm glad to see it there. Also, the "disguise cushion" option is a nice add as well. That's basically where your DBs may show press coverage, but instead of attempting to jam the WR, they'll play the receiver's route (whether within the zone or man coverage). Defense: With all the attention given to the offense this year, there still are some elements to highlight in regards of the defensive side of the ball. The "Heatseeker" control is a new element that aids the user controlled defender with taking the proper angle to tackle the ball carrier. In addition to that, the addressing of proper pursuit angles have finally made their way to being addressed in this year's title. Now you'll see defenders make the proper angles and breakdown accordingly when going for tackles or to cut across the field to swat or pick. Also, the revamping of the dive tackles that add that secondary attempt to stop the ballcarrier if they elusively slip past the defender or in a rundown effort to make that shoestring-esque leg sweep from behind tackle. It is nice to say that FINALLY the war in the trenches is BACK!! The addition of the respective animations for both the O/D-Line interactions showcase that chaotic, yet violent battle that we've been looking for since best being done (at least in my opinion) in All Pro Football 2k8. Now, you clearly get to see the separation between elite/mid-level/average/poor rushers as they fight to get in the backfield. Once again adding more depth and personality to the overall package. The secondary play is better than its collegiate counterpart, but still lacks the dynamic, fundamentally sound gameplay that many (myself included) desire. While it's slightly improved, this area needs to be overhauled altogether as you have defenders that legitimately don't react to the ball being thrown right over their head as they look at it. Now, the Read & React isn't bad, but it's most definitely the weakest link by far in respect to all that was done in this game. The DB/WR interactions need to be revamped, as well as the AI across the board. We also need to see the 430 catch animations trigger as there's too many occurrences of mirrored catch animations happening in the game. Hopefully, the next generation of NCAA Football gaming coupled with the IGNITE engine, will showcase a drastic change in the way players react in game with the dubbed "human intelligence" element to the way the secondary reacts accordingly to what the offense gives them. Overall, Madden NFL 25 gives a decent preview of what to expect on next gen in certain areas. With the next-gen consoles launching on November 15 (for PS4 at least). There will be a lot to look forward to in terms of gameplay expansion. In the mean time, This is a decently progressing football title on this current generation of console gaming.

This year, I can honestly say that EA Sports has delivered a modest gameplay experience that is finally starting to reflect the missing fundamentals of football in the respective fashion that football communities have been demanding for over this generation of console gaming. It's only unfortunate that it literally took a generation to turn that corner toward realism and authenticity. The upside to this is that we have a lot to look forward to when it comes to the next generation from this point in regards of gameplay progression. With that being said, here are my thoughts regarding NCAA 14: Infinity Engine 2: The gameplay has most definitely been revitalized due to the addition of the Infinity Engine 2.0. You can clearly see the improved dynamic physical interactions within the game (in comparison to its first implementation in Madden 13). The physics play out in a cleaner, more dynamic fashion. For those that may not recall, the Infinity Engine in principle, is a physics driven engine that's layered on top of all the animations within the game. So, sometimes you'll get dynamic physics-based interactions, as well as scripted animated outcomes, or get a mix of both in some instances, which brings out more organic gameplay. Couple this with the Force Impact System, and now you have the potential to have some of the most violent trucks and Hit Stick tackles occur to date in an EA Sports football title. The intent of the FIS is make that differential of collisions/interactions between players based on speed, weight, and mass respectively on offense and defense in relation to player skill ratings. It's very rewarding to see that big TE or power back bowl over smaller DBs or out of position LBs with trucks and stiff arm punches alike. As well as on defense laying that blind side hit on the QB, or that WR cutting across the middle getting blew up going for a catch by an LB or DB with a good speed and force behind them. With all these good elements, there are issues along with it. Due to the confines of the animation-based principle of the game, you have situations where scripted animations do overtake the dynamic physical presence of other players, it especially happens the most with some of the scripted stiff arm animations. I've experienced numerous instances where the animation would run its full course up field for a gain of 4 yards even with defenders charging toward the ball carrier in the opposite direction. Their tackles are nullified and have no affect on the outcome of the play. This is an eyesore issue for sure that can hopefully be addressed via patch as this contradicts the principle of the Infinity Engine 2 and all its parts. Secondly, there's still a good amount of suction tackling taking place within the game as well. I've had instances where players would purposely get shifted into position as a tackle/stiff arm/Truck is supposed to take place in a particular part on the field. Which leads to unrealistically scripted gameplay outcomes on both sides of the ball, an issue that's been hindering EA football for years. In the near future (hopefully), it would be nice to see EA have more dynamic physics based gameplay that rivals titles like the 2010 title BackBreaker. A game that's based on behavior based interactions with dynamic physics and no pre-determined animations in sight. Hard Cuts, The Run Game, and the Option: For the past few years there hasn't been a truly established run game in regards of precise player movement since NCAA Football 11, but even that game had some shortcomings when it came to the EA themed "Locomotion" technology. They definitely made a nice refinement with the addition of the hard cuts in regards to the directional changes made by the ball carrier. You can see and feel the difference between a power back and a speed back in regards to the ability and sharpness of cutback, juke moves, or just general changes of direction within the game. You still do see some sliding and gliding and players legs quick shifting to compensate for the respective footplant/cut move accordingly. With the "True-Step Locomotion" technology making its debut in Madden NFL 25 next-gen, we should see the quality of the overall player movement increase dramatically. In spite of the shortcomings, the addition of the new and various juke/spin move combos (utilizing the right analog stick) nicely adds depth and personality to a vital element of the game that has been long overdue. In addition to compliment the hard cuts element, you have the revamping of the run blocking AI, so this aids in the blockers making more realistic and logical decisions when blocking downfield and addressing the nearest threat to the ball carrier on running plays as well as QB scrambles out of the backfield on passing plays. The of tandem pass blocking is still an eyesore, but the logic is improved and you see the most realistic pockets and blocking scenarios form in this game that haven't been seen since the Xbox/PS2/GameCube days of EA Sports Football. Needless to say, there's a lot riding on what's shown on next-gen, especially in this area where 2k Sports currently upholds the standard with NFL 2k5 and APF 2k8 respectively. To expand on the QB scrambling out the backfield, the emphasis on the Option was major this year, with the addition of 30 new types as well as playbooks solely devoted to the option run/pass game. With the in-game pitch and read keys to look out for prior to the snap. It's nice to see that you have to pay attention to what the defense does whether it's the pitch, handoff, or keeper. Any wrong read and be a cost in yards or possible turnover on a bad pitch. Defense: With all the attention given to the offense this year, there still are some elements to highlight in regards of the defensive side of the ball. The "Heatseeker" control is a new element that aids the user controlled defender with taking the proper angle to tackle the ball carrier. Also, the revamping of the dive tackles that add that secondary attempt to stop the ballcarrier if they elusively slip past the defender or in a rundown effort to make that shoestring-esque leg sweep from behind tackle. It is nice to say that FINALLY the war in the trenches is BACK!! The addition of the respective animations for both the O/D-Line interactions showcase that chaotic, yet violent battle that we've been looking for since best being done (at least in my opinion) in All Pro Football 2k8. Now, you clearly get to see the seperation between elite/mid-level/average/poor rushers as they fight to get in the backfield. Once again adding more depth and personality to the overall package. The secondary didn't get that much attention this year. while it's slightly improved, this area needs to be overhauled altogether as you have defenders that legitimately don't react to the ball being thrown right over their head as they look at it. Now, the Read & React isn't bad, but it's most definitely the weakest link by far in respect to all that was done in this game. The DB/WR interactions need to be revamped, as well as the AI across the board. Hopefully, the next generation of NCAA Football gaming coupled with the IGNITE engine, will showcase a drastic change in the way players react in game with the dubbed "human intelligence" element to the way the secondary reacts accordingly to what the offense gives them. Overall, NCAA Football 14 is a glimpse of the potential future of EA Sports football gaming, with Madden 25 on the horizon to be releasing on August 27 for current gen, and next-gen sometime this holiday season. This is a very nice offering for a soon to be ending console generation, especially for the collegiate football gamer.

I seen the 2 star ratings on the panel for the reviews, and I would've honestly thought that this was for Madden 06. I'm consistently seeing "no franchise mode" throughout many of these 1-2 star reviews. If you fall into this category, then you clearly need to watch the following videos: Madden playbook for Connected Careers ****/watch?v=q3qQP6V8y24 Connected Careers 101 video by Josh Looman (designer of CCM) **** Me personally, I'm about gameplay first, as that's the foundation that makes everything around it enjoyable. I can honestly, and finally say that for the first time that I enjoy playing Madden on next gen consoles, and will be playing it for the entire year!! The introduction of the physics (Infinity Engine) is huge and brings forth that realism aspect that brings the gameplay experience closer to real life emulation. While the physics do act funky at times, no game is perfect. The addition of the various pass trajectories and leading receivers into space and being able to fit passes through tight windows is giving that much needed user control that was limited or missing in previous madden titles. Also with the read and react for both offense and defense is huge as I've enjoyed playing on All Madden and can see as to why I would win or lose on certain plays and it would be due to lack of awareness, slow reaction time, or would perfectly read the play and just not make it regardless of the action performed. All in all these elements give what's truly needed to deliver that replication of what happens on Sundays. Now, this game doesn't go without its share of flaws, as there are rare times (from my gameplay experiences at least) where I'll see an instance of a "super LB" or "psychic DB" on any difficulty! While they did state that it was eliminated from the game, I can tolerate the fact that it rarely happens, but it honestly shouldn't happen at all. Also, there are instances where the physics will act very crazy and give unrealistic outcomes (remember, Backbreaker suffered the same problems at times too). The key aspect to understand here is efficiency!! Madden 13 is honestly giving you efficient gameplay and modes/features that actually work at an efficient rate (75-80% in general regarding gameplay). I understand the frustration from some regarding the lack of fantasy drafting, and editing players equipment/ratings for CCM, but think about this scenario: You edit all 32 teams player equipment and ratings to your liking, then you start up a Connected Career (formerly Franchise Mode) as a coach or player. You go check your player ratings on that desired team and you see that virtually all the overall ratings that you personally adjusted now changed. Now you may ask yourself "Why/How did this happen?" or state things like "I didn't know about this!!" or "How come EA never said anything about this?". The truth is that the player has to match the scheme that's ran, so the player ratings change accordingly. the information is out there and it was publicly stated by Josh Looman himself at E3 in multiple youtube video interviews and blogs across the web. Like the CCM mode, Infinity Engine, and the Read/React technologies, they're all first year implementations!! They should be judged as such. In conclusion, I'm not judging this as "EA has duped the consumer yet again for the 8th year" as some people may feel and I respect your feelings, as I was in that crowd too! I's be lying to deny the honest, efficient progression toward the true replication of Sunday football offerd in this installment. I can honestly play this game and see this game as a solid foundation to build from by EA Sports for the first time in years.