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(More customer reviews)This review was created a few hours after I got Madden 11 for the sake of getting crucial info out to consumers as quickly as possible.It will be edited and maintained as the game changes and more information becomes clear as I increase my familiarity with the product.
****ORIGINAL REVIEW BEGINS HERE: As a professional software tester and avid (read: hardcore) Madden gamer, I feel that there are some things that Amazon customers should be aware of before making the purchase.This will focus only on gameplay (especially as pertains to online), not commentary or other add-ons that can enhance or take away from the experience.
This edition of Madden is great for new players, but it will leave the old-timers like myself somewhat confused and angry that our old controls are gone.The new Gameflow playcalling is utterly useless to experienced Madden players (it is optional, thankfully), but casual gamers will find the game immediately more accessible.
The biggest difference is the Strategy Pad.Hot routes, audibles, defensive assignments, etc are now accessed through a top level menu by hitting the cross pad.This is a huge problem for hardcore Maddenites because it means that we have to press more buttons to do the same amount of adjustments that we did in Madden 10.More time spent adjusting means less ability for preplay setup, and those precious fractions of a second mean the difference between running a complicated scheme and a vanilla defense.
The good news is that the old controls are being patched in, hopefully by September, to appease those of us carrying pitchforks and torches.
The turbo button has been taken away (default setting, can be changed) in favor of encouraging a two-stick control method for runners. The right stick controls the upper body, the left stick controls the lower body.It isn't as intuitive as EA would have you think, but it isn't terrible, either.The old button controls also exist.The runner is easier to control now and running is very smooth.
OFFENSE:
The offense has a lot of power in comparison to last year's installation.Defenses, due to less adjustment time and a few tweaks to offensive performance (that needed to be made -- more on this in a second), are on their heels from the get-go.There is an exception to this, and that will be mentioned later as well in the DEFENSE section of this review.In any case, Wide Receiver performance is greatly improved.No longer does the wideout run uncontrollably in the wrong direction after catching a comeback or screen pass.Rocket Catches are also laughably easy (casual gamer note -- Rocket Catches are when the receiver spins, jumps, and catches the ball in an earlier point of its trajectory than he would by default).The running game is also harder to defend, it seems, especially against "stud" backs like Peterson and Johnson.
DEFENSE:
Harder to play, softer coverages in every way than Madden 10 (especially zone), unless the following is taken advantage of.This is a glitch, and will almost certainly be patched because it is a gaping hole in the AI.The offensive line does not "see" spies.If the defense manually puts someone on QB spy and blitzes with them, interior linemen do not pick them up.Executed properly, QBs cannot get out of their auto-drop before being slammed to the ground.Even max-protect with RBs does not work to counter this if the defensive player knows a certain trick (that will remain unmentioned here -- I don't want to contribute to more abuse of the glitch).This version of Madden is made to shift the balance of power to the offense, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is comparatively harder to play great defense in 11 than it was in 10.Overall: Once the game is patched, I think it will be good for everyone and may earn another star or even two.As-is, there are some severe issues that remove some of the depth that hardcore Madden fans enjoy.Madden 11 is checkers instead of chess, but I do hold out some hope that the desired depth will be added via patch.
EDITS:
(8/26 note: Edits will be posted at the top of the EDITS section now to keep the relevant information closer to the top.In addition, if anyone does not find this review helpful, please leave me a quick note in the comments section and I will address the issue ASAP).***8/26 Edit 3***
Run blocking, especially out of I, Strong, and Weak formations, needs to be patched but has not been addressed in any press release by EA.The lead blocker (a fullback, usually) will often get through the first level of defenders on interior running plays and simply stop without attempting to block anyone.This usually occurs after adjusting blocking in the direction of the run. As a note to players, interior runs are far more effective unless your opponent has no idea how to stop sweeps, and this is probably as it should be.
***Second Edit***
EA has released an announcement that they will be patching the QB spy glitch, tweaking pass defense to make it stronger, and improving Play Action blocking.If they do this, the game will be significantly improved (8/23/2010)
***FIRST EDIT***
Another major issue is the required auto-dropback for QB's in Shotgun formations.You cannot control the QB for about one second after he has the ball in his hands.I assume this is to discourage what may have been considered (by EA) "abuse of QB scrambling."It's very difficult to see how this adds to the gameplay, however, as it severely limits quick throws/WR screen effectiveness and causes the QB to be a sitting duck.
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Product Description:
Madden NFL 11 is the 22nd version of EA Sports' classic video game football franchise. Featuring cover athlete Drew Brees, Super Bowl XLIV MVP and quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, Madden NFL 11 incorporates a blend of simpler, quicker and deeper new features with time-tested classic features expected from a game in the Madden franchise. Features included in the PlayStation 3 version include Franchise mode, All-new GameFlow playcall system, dual stick control, extensive online functionality and more.
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