Madden NFL 15 Review Roundup

It's August, and that invariably means it's time for a new Madden. This year's game, Madden NFL 15, has arrived on consoles, and we've rounded up some of the first reviews for you below.

Madden 15, which features Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman on the cover, focuses on the defensive side of the football. You probably wouldn't be able to glean that from the strange ad campaign with Kevin Hart that kicked off earlier this month, but it's possible you've already heard some firsthand accounts of the game from EA Access members who got to try out six hours of the game.

EA Sports has been parceling out information about the game right up until release; we only just got a look at many of the player and team ratings recently (spoilers: the Raiders are the worst). The graphics have gotten the expected improvement, and the game's presentation has been overhauled; it now includes more substantial pregame and halftime shows, among other things.

If you're in the market for an Xbox One, you can pick up a newly released, $400 bundle that includes a digital copy of the game for no extra charge. If you simply want a current-gen copy of the game, you can get an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 copy for $50 on eBay here and here, respectively (via Cheap Ass Gamer).

Check out the first reviews below. For more, check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

• Game: Madden NFL 15
• Developer: EA Tiburon
• Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
• Release Date: August 26
• Price: $59.99

GameSpot -- 7/10

"Players still awkwardly fall over each other as plays conclude and receivers are too often outmatched by similarly skilled corners, but even so, Madden 15 is the spark that this series needed. Controlling players on defense finally feels both fun and functional, and more informative playcalling gives newer players context for the technical side of the game. The feature set remains fundamentally unchanged, but each of the core modes have increased in breadth and decreased in clutter, making it easy to dig into features that might have seemed too dense from a distance. Madden 15 looks sharper than ever, but its biggest achievement is its dedication to improving core systems that have held the series back in the past." [Full review]

USGamer -- 3/5

"Madden NFL 15 is an enjoyable football game on the surface, but it's dragged down by a thousand little issues, including a poor interface, odd glitches, the inability to skip certain cutscenes, and more. As nice as it is to see it take a step forward in terms of accessibility, it still has a ways to go before catching up with the likes of FIFA and NBA 2K." [Full review]

EGM -- 7.5/10

"...Madden NFL 15 is still more of a step forward for the franchise than a step back. I'm glad to see EA Tiburon is trying to do more every year than just giving the game a roster update, and they're putting real effort into the yearly adjustments with the franchise. It's just regrettable that some of the changes they've made here clearly need to go back to the Xs and Os on the drawing board." [Full review]

GamesRadar -- 4/5

"Madden NFL 15 does a lot of things right. The overall presentation makes a nice leap from last year's new-gen debut, and while longtime players may have some challenges with new play-calling options, the analytical data at your fingertips is a welcome addition. Connected Franchise Mode offers deep experiences for every kind of player, and the core gameplay continues to improve. Despite its challenging passing game and sometimes-clunky menus, Madden NFL 15 will make fans happy this football season." [Full review]

Game Informer -- 8/10

"Sports games like Madden are often chided for being too iterative, but in this case I hope we're witnessing the first steps in a larger progression. Future Maddens need to support Madden 15's additions so we don't wonder why once-prominent features haven't evolved. The series can't withstand another rebuilding year or worse--an entire console generation thrown away." [Full review]

IGN -- 8.7/10

"After the letdown of Madden 25 last year, Madden 15 feels like a mostly fresh start for the series. The increased emphasis on defensive play, a great new play-calling system, and the return of long-time favorites makes this year's Madden one of the best in recent memory, even if it could still use work in regards to its stale commentary and longstanding bugs. As a lifelong Madden and football fan, I'm impressed. This year's game is both exciting and reassuring that EA Sports isn't wasting opportunities to improve the series." [Full review]