everyone seems to be jumping on the Madden-bashing bandwagon these days, so i'll say it first: I'm not going to try to change your mind if you hate EA Sports. i don't care. ESPN will get outsold, year-in, year-out. Madden favors a more lifelike realism in gameplay, and ESPN leans toward a looser, flashier, arcade-ish depiction of football. I prefer Madden. i'm a longtime Madden player (since '92 Madden on Genesis!), i've absorbed some of the criticism this year. I'll be honest -- I wasn't expecting much for my $50 with this year's edition. but after playing thru some games and simming thru two seasons, i was pleasantly surprised by how fresh this game feels. the defensive options are a little overwhelming at first, but once you practice them, it gives you an ENTIRELY NEW VIEW of playing defense in a video game. the Hit Stick owns. the run blocking feels a lot tighter, and defensive AI feels a lot more stingy, even at lower difficulty settings. also, the AI doesn't seem to give up after the first quarter. in previous editions, why did the game feel close in the 1st Quarter, but the rest of the game would be a cakewalk? that no longer seems to be the case. the AI seems to keep up much better and you can't get lazy running the same plays over and over. however, i'm really curious to see if run-focused coaches will actually stick with the run, like EA claims. the graphics are noticeably improved across the board, and the menu design -- for the first time -- looks FANTASTIC. looks like EA finally hired actual graphic designers to lay out the interface this time around. this really stands out in franchise mode, where you have access to TONS of information about your team and everything seems logically (and beautifully) set up. the sound is mediocre, and the commentary is awful as usual. the Tony Bruno Radio Show and newspapers are nice concepts, but they're just window dressing. they're not nearly as substantive and informative as the weekly Sports Illustrated feature in NCAA. I *do* like the email system, however. gives a lot of personality to managing your franchise. overall, this feels like a strong improvement over 2004. they've kept what works, and improved everything else. the only major detraction is the crappy rehashed game commentary and the useless Tony Bruno radio show. definitely worth picking up if you're a Madden fan.
I've played a number of the other Madden games over the past years, and despite their bells and whistles that come and go each year, this one is always the best. You have an actual defense in this version. One tha... Read Full Review
It is MAdden time again. Some of you may be hyped up and ready but some may be the same. But Madden 05 is something to check out. With new features,a updated roster, and more MAdden Cards this game you will leave you wn... Read Full Review
