Madden 12 is...to our surprise (after the debacle that was Madden 11) a GOOD game. Not average, not very good or ELITE. But good gameplay in most instances and better results in regards to gameplay strategy make this the best Madden on this generation of consoles. It also helps that the defense actually works this year. The game looks really good, and although we're a bigger stickler for gameplay authenticity than graphics, there is a certain amount of Immersion that a great looking game provides. Madden 12 has its highs & lows and we'll detail a few of them here. Things that don't have anything to do with gameplay like the commentary misfires, custom playbook issues, UDFA problems and weather issues in Franchise and uniform errors you simply won't find here. These things are certainly important, but we've decided gameplay is the core of a good sports gaming experience.
Communities - This is where Madden 12 really shines. It's the reason we bought the game, because the default settings don't give us the realistic brand of football we like.You heard it here first, this feature WILL CHANGE ONLINE SPORTS GAMES. What makes it really stands out is the amount of features it has. They quite simply went above and beyond and added things they really didn't have to. More on communities later in another post...it deserves a full breakdown.
Man Lock - While some previous gen features have made their return (rolling our eyes, all next gen games should have AT LEAST the feature set of the previous gen) this great strategic mechanic is still strangely absent. Madden 13 perhaps?
Online Setup - Here again, M12 stands out. Smooth gameplay, great and intelligent matchmaking (the decision to remove records in Play Now was ingenious) provisions to deal with quitters and ways to quickly get into games. We'd still like the ability to save Formation Subs in the same place we do rosters (less prep time is a Godsend) but Madden's Online setup sets the standard.
QB Sneak - One word. AUTOMATIC. Madden 12's first black mark. "Doctor, prep this patient for Tuner Sets, STAT!" We've tested this since it was mentioned to us a day after early release. we're like 12 for 12 or something. Money plays skill sports games. This and the FB Dive need major tweaking, its irresponsible to allow money plays like this in gameplay. Let's see collision detection do a better job of preventing these plays from dominating short yardage, and both of these positions are fumble prone and this should be displayed in game.
Passing Game - A little stumble here, and its surprising because we'd assumed better defenders would have rectified this. The passing game is just too dominant at its core because too-high ratings make receivers catch too well. Defenders rarely if ever, separate the ball. If a ball isn't picked off or deflected: its a catch, no matter how big a shot the offensive player takes (yes--sadly those kill-shots you see are only for show) or how average or poor the player on the receiving end is. Even HBs who you'd never see make a tough catch, hang on to check-downs in coverage while getting pummeled like its routine. Why is this bad? Because offense and defense have to be balanced. We need to see more plays like this and this. Those aren't drops mind you, they're Pass Breakups. Those defenders arrived at the same time the ball got there (or just after) and jarred the ball loose and sometimes get a hand in to separate the ball. Those are good plays, and we need to see them often when people throw to people who aren't open. Bench players shouldn't be the only ones who don't have Cris Carter hands. FACT: There are no negatives for throwing to covered receivers or into small windows and there should be. So yes, its another year of watching people run crossing routes with finesse receivers because the physical side of the passing game is missing. These crossing routes sure weren't missing it. (the Dawkins hit at the :50 mark is a catch 90 % of the time in Madden) In our Community we turned WR catching waaaay down. Hopefully this will be resolved next year as its been as issue for too long. Passes into coverage and into tight windows shouldn't have a high success rate--even physical recievers with great hands (Fitzgerald, Johnson and Hines Ward come to mind) should only hold on like 5 to 6 times in 10. Average and Below average recievers? 2 maybe 3 times of 10. Lowering completions to covered receivers/adding pass break ups will only help gameplay/lessen money routes and make the game better as a whole. It'll also allow guys like Polamalu, Harrison, Dawkins and Ray Lewis to impact the game even though they aren't interception machines. Chaos Theory is good for gameplay. Here's another video of defenders with pass breakups.
DPP - Madden's newest feature seems solid, but its still going to require a bit more observation to make sure its not overdone. Early returns are good.
4th Down Percentages - The fourth down percentages need to come down to dissuade arcade style play. At a basic level going for it on fourth down indiscriminately is NOT football. John Madden himself has criticized Tiburon for not making a true football game that reflects true 4th down percentages. It seems the development team understands that the percentages of plays like the surprise onside kick can't be high, so how did they totally miss the boat here? The NFL fourth down conversion rate is about 34%. That's not even four times in ten! There's a reason why teams don't go for it on every 4th down. Defenders view it as a lack or respect, they strap up and flat out bring it on 4th down and play at a higher level. In this brief we list several reasons how to lower conversions (batted passes, penalties, off-target passes) Currently we're seeing all manner of lunacy like catches in coverage and balls deflected by defenders still caught by receivers on 4th down. . If anything, 4th down conversions should be harder, gameplay should do nothing to reward 4th down attempts in any capacity.
Dropbacks - Yes, sadly the 20 yard dropback is still in. After being told it was being nullified for the last five years, We'd like to see this one resolved once and for all with holding calls on the majority of downs someone drops back further than 10 yards from the line of scrimmage.THAT WAS HARD.
Receiver Shading - Well, this is the second time this has been implemented in gameplay (the first was 2006) and it STILL doesn't work. Not one bit. Why even add it as a feature when we're pretty sure testers realized the mechanic does nothing. Actions like this take away some of the large amount of Good Will the Madden team has obtained this year with a good product. Puzzling. While we're not sure this can be tuned or patched we'd like to see a working version in Madden 13.
Jamming TEs - Why can't we jam Tight Ends? This happens all the time in reality. They are no different from any kind of receiver. When we press everyone (or if we elect to press cover them specifically) they should be subject to the same bump and run animations as everyone else.
Collision Detection - Very good. The improvement here makes the game worth purchase. It's a wonder that we ever dealt with the other system. Improved collision detection flat out changes gameplay. No more force-fields to protect runners from second and third tacklers. It'd be nice to see a few more gang-tackles in gameplay, however.
Bad Passes & Bat-Downs -While bad passes happen occasionally, they could be a very good element to toning down the passing game a little. We're NOT talking about throwing the ball straight to the defender, however. Passes too high or too low that miss their targets would be just fine. Also, bat-downs at the line of scrimmage would provide another checks and balance for the passing game. We rarely see them. Why? This would stop the pass at its origin before it ever reached a receiver. And could there be a better way to show a dominant defensive lineman influencing a game? We doubt it. This aspect would do a great job rewarding defenders for closing on the QB but not actually sacking him (or display a mismatched OL). Let's see them use some savvy and leap to bat-down pass attempts.Especially when QBs wait until the last second to throw a pass.This element would also do a great job lowering the confidence level of persons going for it on every fourth down to use their favorite money route.
Run Formations/Pass Defenses - Great job here as well. This maligned Madden gameplay for too long. For the most part this is no longer an issue.
Punt Returns - Not as high priority as many other issues, but it wouldn't hurt if the blocking on PR was bumped up just a tad. Our AI blockers are gonna get somebody killed for crying out loud. FYI: While Madden 11 was abominable. The punt returns were actually solid.
Field Goals - We'd be remiss if we didn't mention the kicking meter now accounts for lag. That's unheard of. And while the accuracy of FGs is fine (maybe too fine, misses are rare). The length from which we can kick FGs as a result of too-high ratings (a recurring theme) is absurd. Bironas is money from 62 yds, Janikowski can hit from 61. That's from the flippin' other side of the field! Be mindful: The NFL record is 63 yards. We recently saw a suggestion where you kick the FGs/XPs like you shoot it in NBA 2K and make/miss based on player skill level/timing and other circumstances. Wouldn't this add more guesswork to the kicking game? (and properly display poor kickers better) I know this makes people nervous but it could be just the element the kicking game needs.
1-5-5 Glitch - We're hearing rumors of an alleged nanoblitz with this formation that the OL AI can't handle. We're still researching this, more information as it becomes available. Hopefully its just a rumor. Could this be a situation where we get to see Tuner Sets in action?
Toss Plays - Sigh. Sadly these are still not balanced. Especially with speed backs. Expect to see them a lot in Madden 12 because defenders struggle to get off blocks versus toss plays. We tested these consistently and found that even line shifts and blitzes to the side of the toss won't consistently stop it. Nothing short of dedicating everything to the toss (and using a safety to force the play back inside) will properly negate it. Our issue is simple: The toss should work because of the playcall/personnel/matchups, not be a money play because of its design/poor AI. Savvy players will use this to their advantage by making people over-commit to the run, leaving themselves vulnerable elsewhere. In short: vastly in need or a tuner set or five.
Jump Balls - Calm down, the jetpack isn't back--we don't think. We've spoken repeatedly on how users being able to trigger animations is very, very bad. Here's an example. While we're not necessarily appalled with Ochocinco leaping up to get a pass over a LB in the back of the end-zone. This same user was able to trigger the same animation three more times in the game for completions (the others were over DBs) While this is made worse by the fact that (as we stated earlier) its rare for defensive contact to jar the ball loose, in none of these situations did the defender leap with the receiver. Can you see how this could be a problem? Imagine how imbalancing it would be if people are triggering jump catches at will. For balance every action needs a reaction and if defenders don't have a counter: MONEY ROUTES ARE CREATED. This should be tuned quickly and here's to hoping that we see high leaping defenders AND offensive players in Madden from here on.
Well that's our breakdown. We had our doubts, but early on Madden 12 looks to be a keeper with solid gameplay and the genre-changing Community feature that allows you and your friends to play the game YOUR WAY. Kudos to EA Sports for setting a new bar for online play. As always, we'll keep our eyes out for game-killing glitches and other exploits that need fixing.
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