Madden NFL 11

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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).

***9/27***

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm done. I've played enough after patch 1.03 to make me think that this will never be fixed or even equal M10. I strongly suggest you stay away from this game if you are interested in improved gameplay over M10. It ain't there, and probably never will be. Zones are busted and defense is just generally broken. I'm trading in to get $ toward Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Best of luck to those of you who decide to stick it out.

***9/23***

A quick note about 1.03. This patch seems to have increased the efficiency of the defense. In my first game after the patch playing the same defense (mainly 4-6 speed package cover 2 man as a base using a safety and both DE's in a variety of different ways) I forced 6 turnovers against someone with a .600 win pct online. The big difference was that interceptions weren't almost always dropped. Zone still seemed unplayable, though. I haven't seen any other differences yet, but I'll post back here when I do.

***9/9***

Patch 1.02 was released a couple of days ago, patching in Madden 10 preplay controls in addition to some unidentified gameplay "tweaks". The addition of the preplay controls is nice, but it is becoming increasingly apparent that defense in the game is broken. The hit stick is worse than useless -if you use it, you will miss the tackle at least 70% of the time (remember, I'm a hardcore Madden fan -it's not like I'm just bad at using it). Man coverage gets beaten badly by many routes, and zone gets beaten worse. Deep passes are a 50/50 prospect (far too offensively powered). Receivers often drop the easiest passes when wide open unless user-caught. Rocket Catching, which I originally reviewed as laughably easy, is only laughably easy with certain receivers on certain routes (outs and C-routes). Unlike Madden 10, lesser teams (like the Raiders) are not really playable unless the user is ready to have silly, uncontrollable things happen (like dropping multiple passes, having the QB inexplicably throw 20 yards off-target, etc). Maybe the second patch with fix things, but I hesitate to suggest that anyone buy this product due to the severe play imbalances that exist. I'm strongly considering trading in. I've given it a month, and I'm at the end of my rope. As someone with a better than .800 win pct online who is saying this, I implore you to consider the average Madden gamer. The frustration just simply is not worth it. In Madden 10, two people who knew what they were doing could adjust and stop the other person. There was an answer for everything. In M11, an excellent defender will always be beaten by a pretty good offense.

***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. 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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Against what appears to be the tide of public opinion among users (as opposed to yes-men reviewers) I paid full price for the new iteration.I am not a hard core gamer, so little glitches that irritate some do not bother me all that much, but I felt compelled to share some thoughts. I am playing exclusively Franchise vs. CPU, so I can't speak to online issues.

The appearance of the game is nicely done, although I don't see any significant improvement there from Madden 10.I do like the two-stick running. Once I got used to it, I did feel like I had more control, and the running is more realistic. Unlike one reviewer I read, once you get the hang of it I do find it to be somewhat intuitive. Overall, I think the running is much more lifelike and a big improvement from last year. The other thing I noticed about the game (and NCAA 11) which I kinda like is that when you are tackling you had better be in position or the guy is gone.I played several games where the RB just runs through the line and goes--once for 98 yards on 3rd down. That made me a little cranky. It seems like the RB's will break a lot more tackles than in the last version, which I found hugely frustrating as I am still getting used to play. I am a big Rams fan, and granted they suck, but I mean I played against Adrian Peterson and he was tossing would be tacklers aside like Superman. I get that he's Adrian Peterson, but I also got abused by some third string RB for Tampa in a pre-season game. I didn't bring anyone down until the third contact.It was as frustrating as it is to be a Rams fan in real life.

The "Strategy Pad" is abysmally stupid and inefficient. It makes me really wonder what the people at EA are thinking about when they make these totally unnecessary changes. This thing adds nothing to gameplay. It's kind of a huge FU to those of us who have been supporting the game over the years. I am not that great on the controls, but in my opinion it takes twice as long to make adjustments. I was playing Jets v. Pats the other day against the CPU and was getting torched by Wes Welker. I went to double team him and could literally not get it done before the ball was snapped, like, 8 plays in a row, and EVERY play was a pass to a wide open Welker--I kid you not, every play until they scored. I almost threw the six-axis thru the screen.Pretty infuriating. Which brings me to my next criticism. Gameflow, IMO, is useless for anyone who has played the game before. I was trying it out in this game, and it never occurred to my brilliant coaching staff to double team Welker. I couldnt tell who my personnel were, and on offense they call the same plays over and over again. At first I thought it was a cool idea to "be in the helmet" and have the coaches talking to you. But, oh my, the stupid things they say. "OK, lets run it up the middle and hopefully the blocking will be there...Ok, take a five-step drop and hit your receiver"--you know, stuff the coaches really say. Once, on defense the coach tells me to watch out that I don't get torched long down the sideline, and guess what happened? Anyway I played the Jets/Pats over without Gameflow, and found it to be pretty enjoyable. The other thing I noticed is that offense is way too easy and defense way to hard. I played all weekend and every game was 38-35, 42-30, etc. And I echo what someone else said about the CPU making superhuman comebacks in the third quarter.

And who the heck is Gus Johnson? I never heard of him, but what a dork. He sounds on some of the play by play like he's trying to be a cross between John Wayne and Rod Serling. And great commentary. My QB drops back, and Gus says (in this really excited voice) "IT's A PASS!!!". Like, no S#@% Sherlock. I dont know why something so simple as reasonably intelligent commentary just seems to elude EA.

Having said all that,I must admit I find these failings do not really significantly diminish my enjoyment of the game play. If you can get past some of this stuff, it is highly entertaining. It should come with a gift card for anger management class though.

EDIT-have played a number of games and I have discovered that with a little slider tweaking, you can make the gameplay not so heavily offense-oriented and much, much more enjoyable. Check out the forums at

Buy Madden NFL 11 Now

Where to begin... This game has taken a MAJOR step backward AGAIN this year. The Franchise mode is terrible (scouting is weak, signing players is time consuming and irritating, less tracking of statistics, interface is cumbersome, etc.). The AI is incredibly dumb, Games are typically 40-50 points per team on All-Pro. All-Madden is just as rediculous, yet even more frustrating with AI doing anything to stay "competitive..."

I rarely write such a poor review, and can chalk up a poor purchase without complaining about it. However, it just infuriates me that as soon as EA got NFL exclusivity, the Madden games have consistently gotten more and more unrealistic and downright less enjoyable to play. As a long time Madden buyer, I've dedicated some significant time to the Madden franchise over the years. However, post NFL exclusivity I find myself playing less and less. This was the first time I've purchased the game in three years. After a week of playing it, I wish I had waited another three. I should note, I'm no "fanboy" of one particular game or developer. I just feel paying $60+ for a game should result in some sort of improvement and satisfaction. I doubt anyone would be willing to pay $60 for some graphic improvements, updated (sort of) rosters and the addition of useless "gameplay" (which can't be turned off in Online play, actually making it more frustrating).

I've heard rumors that EA may be completely overhauling Madden 12, and I sincerely hope they do. As a child I would have cost my parents $60 for this trash. As an adult, I feel ripped off and taken advantage of. I just want to play "Madden." It may be titled Madden, but this isn't "Madden." My recommendation is you save your money and play Madden 2002, as it's seriously better than this years joke...

Edit: After owning this game for a few months, it has proven quite effective in preventing dust from getting on a small sliver of space in my dvd rack. Now priced at $40 it is a much more affordable "dust guard." On a serious note, why I haven't traded this game in is beyond me. Actually, maybe its because of the ridiculously low values u get for used sports games... sigh. And I love (sarcasm) how EA found one more way of screwing their customers by assigning codes to force 2nd hand owners to purchase online play. Ugh...

Maybe if we all start refusing to pay $60 for updated rosters we can send a message. Needless to say I will be doing my part in 2011.

Read Best Reviews of Madden NFL 11 Here

I decided to give Madden a shot this year, and it was a huge mistake. In short, EA knows they have a cash cow and do everything very sloppy. There is no reason that NCAA Football come out a month earlier and always offers a more polished in game and out of game experience. This game has a shocking 2.5 star on amazon, and more people need to get the word out to NOT BUY THIS GAME AND FORCE EZ TO FIX THE FRANCHISE!!

First the short positives. The graphics are gorgeous, EA keeps perfecting and perfecting the look of real football and has this game looking fantastic. Also, the updated engine (a modified version of the FIFA engine) has the physics of the game looking much more believable and simulation-worthy. Last but not least is the 'locomotion' running game. The two stick running game is very intuitive and offers fantastic control whilst carrying the football. Unfortunately, my praise ends there.

Overall, Madden is a poor offering, and here's why. First of all, the haven't done anything with the franchise or superstar modes, both have been the same since virtually the PS2 era. The price is horrific for a yearly release title, and then to beat more money out of used game sales, they charge ten bucks if the online pass has been used just to play online. And while the physics are great, they still managed to pile on the legacy issues and unrealistic gameplay by 'warping' receivers making impossible catches, players dropping easy catches, and seemingly telegraphed picks/completions/runs, etc. My Madden 09 has the same problems and nothing has been done to correct them. The sloppy presentation is broken and illogical. Everything is very broken up on the commentary, there are slight robotic pauses in nearly everything Gus Johnson says. (i.e. they weren't willing to say 'first down', 'second down', and 'third down', but 'first', 'second', 'third', and 'down and piece them together.) Also dumb comments like Kevin kolb being one of the NFL's primere passers when he's barely played had me laughing. All-in-all the presentation and commentary is horrible, unless you like to listen to overly emphatic pitches for Old Spice (Be a man...MAN!). And also EA botched Ultimate Team badly. The mode that is great in FIFA in NHL is miserably handled in Madden, which just further shows the developers of Madden's laziness and carelessness. (i.e. they have a cash cow, so why bother?)

But my biggest beef with Madden is now that each game is just a pile of advertisements. Having sponsors of the game or ads on the field are fine, but every play of the game seems to have a sponsor. You're littered with ads from the stats, to the reviews, to the commentator. You really cannot get away from it. And now once you hit the two minute warning, it will take forever to get to the end. You've got to hear all about Verizon, Old Spice, Doritoes, Gatorade, and others. Every. Single. Game. It really hampers the fact you're playing a game and it's more like a chore to sift through advertisements.

All-in-all this year's Madden is bad. Really bad. The additions, sans the running game and engine, are handled poorly. The legacy issues are still there, so you should just play '08 or '09 where they still are there, but the advertisements are running rampant.

But in all honesty, EA has no reason to fix this game. It will still be the best selling sports game in the US, so they'll remain complacent and not fix things that have needed to be fixed and continue adding in more ads year after year. The only way to get them to fix this heralded franchise is to hit them in the wallet and DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!

Want Madden NFL 11 Discount?

Most everyone has played a game in the Madden series. That's exactly the problem with Madden 11: If you've played Madden in the last 5 years, you've played this one.

Graphically and in terms of gameplay, very little has changed in several years. Of course, a new feature or two is introduced each time around, but it's essentially the same game with a roster update. It feels as though EA is pushing everyone to online play, and forsaking all else.

Franchise and Be A Superstar modes are very shallow. In fact, they are even more shallow than they once were. There's very little fun to be had in Be A Superstar when you can't choose your team, you're locked into multiple seasons with the team that drafts you, and there's zero depth beyond playing the games.

I don't think I will be purchasing Madden in the future I owned Madden 11 for 2-3 days before trading it in. That was all the time it took for me to be "done" with it.