THIS IS KIND OF LONG BUT PLEASE READ IF YOU LOVE THE GAME LIKE I DO.
This past summer, I purchased a PS3. I did this almost solely to play this souped up new madden coming out on it. I had played the previous years incarnation on the 360. I found it to be a below average football game, with robotic movement, clunky menus, and a very generic feel overall. It just wasn't madden. However, this years game had to be improved, right? It couldn't seem unfinished and clunky this year. Right....? Needless to say, I was wrong. We all remember the outrage of the choppiness of the PS3 version, but that's not what I am speaking of. I am talking about the general low quality of the next-gen game period. I am sick of seeing it get decent reviews is mags. As we get closer to spring, I am fearing that we are going to be stuck with this abomination for another year. So sitting here at 1 AM, I have decided to say something, and look forward to seeing what anyone else has to say about this. When I played the PS2 version of madden the first time, there was NO WAY I could ever be satisfied playing an older version again. Everything was so much smoother, and better looking. I was totally spoiled and there was no going back. Why in the hell do I not feel the same way about this new creation? I had the PS3 version of the game for a week, before I took it back and got the trusty PS2 version.Why did I take it back in such haste, where to begin.... We will start with the menus in the game. The very top menu is adequate at best. I would still much rather have a computer like menu as opposed to the hall of fame thing going on on the game, but whatever. My major gripe is with the play selection screen, and the player editing screens. Whoever's idea it was to make it so that your icon goes from play to play instead of through 3- play pages is a complete idiot. It takes longer, and makes it so that your opponent can inadvertantly see your play. The player editing screens on the other hand, are even worse. They seem as if they are going to make your sysyem freeze. They do not flow together smoothly at all, and make the screen shake like the game reset or something. That is inexcusable. Some people really enjoy editing player ratings, and the menu system on the ps2/xbox was ETERNALLY BETTER. When we get to the actual play on the field, I will start with the positives about this new game engine. I like how the receivers make more of an effort to stay in bounds, and the offensive line does not block like a junior high special ed team anymore. Now for the negatives. The animation is very hit or miss. I will reiterate that I mean on both systems, forget about the ps3 choppiness. For every fancy pileup tackle, there are players magically sliding across the field after a collission. For every receiver tiptoeing the sideline, there is a quarterback who moves and throws like a robot. How can anyone in their right minds consider this game engine to be better than the previous gen? I am sure there are God knows how many more animations in the new game, and better textures, but who cares if most of the new animations are uneven and buggy? This is new technology people. Different quarterbacks should move differently. I want to see the difference between Peyton Manning's spastic movements, and Tom Brady's smooth glide into the pocket. I want to see Ben Roethlisberger breaking tackles in a unique way to him. The technology is almost limitless now. Why is the animation in reality SO HORRIBLE. THE PS2 MADDEN HAS DEFINETLY AGED, BUT IS AN ETERNALLY BETTER GAME ENGINE. It is better balanced, has more depth, and just feels better in a way I can't describe. I will also touch on the FEATURES TAKEN OUT of the game. Why are there no more formation shifts? Haven't you been able to do that for years? WHY TAKE IT OUT?!! I also realize how much I am about to use the word "why", and I do not care. Why can't you slide your offensive line's blocking anymore? Why can't you make any receiving route go to the first down marker anymore? That was an awesome idea. Whoever took that out should be sewing soccerballs in Pakistan. Why aren't there formation specific audibles anymore that you use with the right analog stick? Another good idea forgotten. I could go on. I won't even start on the terrible(almost non-existent) announcer. Or I won't even talk about the lack of a field goal net. All of these things point to a new development team in charge. Instead of taking what was good from the previous generation and building upon it, they have decided to scrap that and create a new game. I would be all for this if the new game was BETTER. However, it is NOT. I am supposed to be happy that they remembered to put defensive hot routes back in the game this year?! Please. Whoever ensures the quality of this new product deserves to be fired. First from their job, and then from a cannon into a mousetrap factory covered in fireants. I could do a better job than you in delivering a true upgrade to fans who really know the game. You have done a terrible job. This game reeks of cookie cutter, dumbed down, inferiority to it's predecessor. THAT SHOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE!!! In closing, I was very happy to learn that there will still be a ps2 madden this year. I will not buy the new mad...or I mean "EA Sports NFL Football" on the PS3 if it is still this crappy engine. There are many things that I probably forgot to mention about the game that I despise, but it is late and I am tired. I was serious when I said that I could oversee the creation of a better football videogame than whoever is in charge of the new gen disgrace. They have done a lazy, awful job. I will pray that someone who can do ANYTHING at tiburon or ea sees this post. GET SOMEONE ELSE IN CHARGE OF MADDEN FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!
Jonathan Delozier- madden player of 10 years, but maybe not much longer
He's saying that Electronic Arts or EA. Makes bad games. He is right. Never ever buy an EA game, I don't care how much market share they have. They're horrible.
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