Does Madden 15 fit the bill? We think it does

I’m a video game junkie. Correction. I am a sports video game junkie. I’m not one who plays Call of Duty or any of those shooting-type of games.

But when it comes to football, baseball and basketball, sign me up and let me play!

So for that reason, I was very excited to pick up Madden 15 this week and slide it into my Playstation 3 for a two-to-three-hour test drive.

This is the luxury that a Sports Editor gets when it’s raining cats and dogs on Friday morning, and he’s unable to make his 45-minute morning commute to the office.

So with the game in my console and the controller in my hand, the first thing I noticed about this version of Madden is that there was a real emphasis placed on adding realism to the gaming experience. It was very easy to tell from the get-go that the game’s creators were really trying to make the gamer feel like he/she was a part of a real-to-life NFL experience.

We start each game with Phil Simms and Jim Nantz doing a broadcast stand-up, previewing the matchup on the field – a nice touch that’s been around for a few years.

But subtle things put their efforts over the top and make this new feature a success. For example, in the first game that I played, I was the Dallas Cowboys and I locked horns with the Washington Redskins.

With the score tied at 10 with a few minutes to go in the second quarter, I decided to go for it on fourth and inches inside Washington’s territory. I got stuffed on a quarterback sneak, turning the ball over on downs.

As that happened, the camera panned to the sidelines to show my coach Jason Garrett. The disgusted look on his face said a ton and added realism to the experience. Likewise, it then panned across to the Redskins’ side where the team’s coaches and players were exchanging high-fives and jubilation.

EA Sports made a conscious effort to make the Madden 15 gaming experience feel like an NFL Sunday, and on that front, the game’s developers succeeded and deserve a pat on the back for a job well done.

Now, let’s talk about the gameplay.

For years, I’ve been a Madden lover, but I’ve always argued that the game was totally one-dimensional with offense owning a commanding lead over defense in terms of the facet of the game most fun to play.

Not so fast, my friend!

In Madden 15, the defensive gameplay has been totally revamped, creating a different experience than we’ve ever seen in this video game’s franchise.

For starters, a gamer has the option to utilize a new defensive camera, which faces toward the quarterback. Replacing the old visual angles where you’re looking up the field, a gamer can now stare into the quarterback’s eyes as he makes his decision on a given play. From there, you’re also able to aggressively chase the football once it’s handed off or given to a receiver.

If fortunate enough to get free and get to the ball carrier, users now control the type of tackle that they can make on a given play. You can opt to go hit and try and jar the ball free, or you can opt to hit below the waist to take a ball carrier’s legs out from under him.

With each tackle decision, you also have the option to control how much force you wish to place on a tackle. Of course, the more intensity you apply, the less accurate your player’s effort will be.

The new defensive features are different – insanely different than anything we’ve seen in Madden’s history. I’ve played four-to-five games in the new settings and they are entertaining, but I’m still not quite sure if I prefer this to the old gameplay.

It’s growing on me, though, and I’m sure that with a little more time to get acclimated to it that I will be a fan.

Offense hasn’t changed too much in this year’s series with the strong emphasis on defensive play. But Madden has added a new playcalling system to its arsenal, which adds for a more crisp and prompt play-selecting process.

Of course, the best parts of Madden (for a sports nerd like me) are the franchise modes and all of the different things that you can do to make yourself into an NFL executive.

Those modes are all back, allowing gamers to take part in either online or offline franchises. Very minimal polish has been given to franchise mode this year, which is drawing the ire of some gamers online. But to me, I think it’s a good thing. Franchise mode is annually the most entertaining feature on Madden. Why reinvent the wheel and change something that already works? Why risk ruining the most fun feature in your game?

So with football season here, it’s always time for Madden – the Christmas Day of sports video gamers like myself.

EA Sports had a lot of pressure to make this year’s game a success after ending its NCAA Football franchise this past year.

With only one chance to hit a home run, it appears that Madden is that – an entertaining and fun game that will entertain football fans for the next season.

This one is a safe 8.5 out of 10 – one of the better sports pickups that I’ve had in the past year.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton scrambles to find yardage against the Saints during a virtual game played on Madden 15. The depiction looks realistic, which is one of the things Sports Editor Casey Gisclair said makes this year’s Madden a top-tier video game. Boasting new features on defense, the game is better than versions of the past, according to the Sports Editor, who sampled the game throughout the past week. We rate Madden ‘15 as an 8.5 out of 10. 

COURTESY PHOTO