Developing for a new console is always a massive challenge. Studios get a vastly shortened window with which to work in, so it’s understandable that launch titles don’t tend to be their finest work. As we enter the second development window for the annual EA Sports franchises, bigger and better things are expected.
Thankfully, they’ve been delivered.
The overall presentation continues to evolve into a scarily realistic televisual broadcast. In addition to in-booth cutaways to commentators Jim Nantz and Phil Sims, there are picture in picture video introductions of each quarterback as they take the field, using actual HD video footage. The only slight regression here is the sideline reporting, which often sounds like it’s been recorded in a broom cupboard rather than the side of the field of play. This worked fine on previous incarnations so it’s puzzling how this has been allowed to happen. The commentary from Nantz and Sims is flawless, and is the most authentic feel in a sports game ever. There are hundreds of player specific tangents, but also there is an appropriate tone of delivery in every circumstance. So the level of excitement matches the situation every single time, and really adds to the drama.
The game also boasts the Player 2.0 intelligence system, which vows to improve player emotion, contextual awareness, head tracking and more. However, I still found many examples where a line backer is stood with his hands out staring down the field in some hypnotic trance as a quarterback is sprinting past him and beyond.
There have been some key changes to the defensive side of the game play. You can now switch camera angles, meaning that you’re no longer restricted the decades old bottom-up view when you don’t have the ball. Pressing in your right thumbstick will not lock in on the player you are highlighting, giving you that player’s specific point of view on the next play. There’s also the added feature of being able to time your jump perfectly with the snap by pressing the RB, allowing your defensive lineman to have head start on the guard attempting to block your progress to the quarterback. Time it perfectly and good things will happen, but time it late and you can forget about doing any damage on that play. Time it too early and you’ll be flagged for offside, giving your opponent a free 5 yards. This makes fake snap calls a particularly effective ploy.
On the offensive side of the ball, EA has made some interesting changes to the play books. In addition the the option of having your coaches decide what the next play will be, you can now choose from a list of plays that other Madden players have called in that same scenario, be it a 1st down on the opponent’s 1 yard line, or 3rd and 20 from your own 10. The play calling menu also keeps track of how often you have called a play, and how successful it’s been on average when you’ve used it. There’s also the introduction of situational specific playbooks. For example, if you’re winning the game late and trying to waste some time, your coach will call from the new “Chew Clock” playbook, which will infuriate your opponent whilst you allow the play clock to run right down. As well as the 2 minute offence, there’s also the far more realistic 4 minutes offensive playbook.
The Ultimate Team mode continues to top every other “collectible” game mode in the sport genre. Right out of the box there are over 200 challenges to work through and earn coins and cards, and EA do a fantastic job of releasing new challenges and collectibles on a weekly basis. Some of the smaller sets such as “All home uniforms” and “Stadiums” are repeatable collections, so finding duplicates in packs is not the headache it once was.
The other game modes such as Connected Franchise are largely the same, but there have been some interesting tweaks to the Skills Trainer mode. This is where Madden normally takes you through the changes since the last version and gives you drills to get used to them. This year however, they have been more creative. As well as passing and running drills with varying degrees of difficulty, there’s also a Gauntlet Mode, that challenges you to run the ball from one end zone to the other navigating not only the opposition players, but also members of the media and photographers.
Visually the game has never looked better, but Madden still skimps on audio. With game modes such as Ultimate Team, you find yourself in menus for long periods at a time, and the only music you have to entertain you as you navigate is 
generic dramatic brass band symphonies, the kind you hear in old A-Team montage sequences. I’m not adverse to instrumental music, but I do long for the days of actual menu tracks like Crazy Train and Thunderstruck. Having been to a few NFL games, music plays a big part in the game day presentation but here I feel it’s been pushed to one side which is a big oversight.
Also, the sideline reports feel very “tacked on”, and not in keeping with the high standards of the commentary. The reporter’s delivery is very monotone, way too generic and doesn’t sound like it’s coming from the side of the field at all. It sounds like it’s being recorded in a cupboard. Given the attention to detail on the presentation aspect, it seems bizarre to move away from that mindset on something like sideline reporting, which is a feature with a low ceiling of success to begin with.
Overall, Madden 2015 is the first time that an annual sports franchise has truly felt “next gen”. This is quite the achievement; Sport franchises such as Madden have very few real life updates to incorporate into a game year-on year. Other than minor rule changes or uniform updates, American Football has not changed at all in a long time, so innovation is difficult. EA has evolved Madden over the years to the point where it’s almost perfect, and Madden 2015 moves an inch closer to the perfect recreation of the sport. Hopefully they will give the same dedication to it’s sister franchises such NHL and NBA Live.
But after a number of years where the franchise seemed content to remain largely static, Madden 2015 is a successful attempt to make Madden important again.
Maddy Richards
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