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I've played this game for about a week now I would say ten full games or so. There are some improvements that people have talked about in other reviews presentation is better (but still not great), gameplay seems slightly better in some ways, franchise mode has some nice touches to it.
I think the best way to describe playing this game is still "frustrating". That's unfortunately how I have felt playing Madden (and this year NCAA 12) for the past few years. Suction blocking (although supposedly gone) is still very much in the game. All you have to do to see this is shift your D-line far right or far left and then change their rush direction in the same way. On the snap, you will see your d-linemen literally run sideways across the line until they match up with the predetermined blocker that they are supposed to be blocked by (according to the AI). this is frustrating. Running overload blitzes rarely work because of this, but it is frustrating when they work just fine for the CPU and a free blitzer comes at you in one second or less. I was hoping for much more in this regard.
There are still tons of drops by defensive backs on both sides. Any time it rains, you can count on receivers slipping five to six times per game, even if the game is on turf. Several pass plays during a game will either hit a receiver with no reaction or go right past them without them reacting. CPU QBs take off running way too easily. I played a game where the fleet of foot Joe Flacco ran for 117 yards against me on seven carries.
Defensive backs love to make over the shoulder interceptions and know how to turn their heads for the ball just as it is about to arrive at the receiver (amazingly). Super LBs seem to be toned down a bit I really haven't seen too many examples of this where I wanted to throw my controller at the TV like I did with NCAA 12.
Play action passing is STILL very hit and miss. I would say half of the time calling play action results in an automatic sack. This has been a common complaint of past Maddens and it doesn't look like this one has changed much in this regard.
There seem to be about two to three fumbles per game for each team which IMO is too high. Interceptions are toned down a bit but again the over the shoulder ones by DBs that are beaten deep and magically catch up are frustrating.
The presentation improvements are kind of cool the first time you see them but after that, you'll just end up skipping them anyway. They're not even really that good. For instance, playing as the Steelers, the last two players introduced were Mike Wallace and Ben Roethlisberger. All the game says when these two are introduced are "here's your starting wide receiver" and "here's your starting quarterback". Really EA? That's the best you could do. The halftime show is a joke and a waste and the EA removed the "Extra Point" weekly show from the franchise mode.
Commentary is absolutely awful as many have said. I mean it is really, really, really bad. Worst commentary I have probably ever heard in a sports game.
Overall, I guess I am just underwhelmed again by this supposedly improved EA offering. It is not necessarily a bad game I don't feel as terrible about it as I did NCAA 12. I may keep playing it for a few more weeks to see if I like it more. But if I continue to just feel frustration as I've had so far, then it will likely just get traded in.
It is a real shame that no other companies are allowed to develop an NFL game. NBA 2k11 was one of the best sports games I have ever seen, and instead of resting on their laurels, 2K has actually gone out and by all accounts improved the offering for 2k12. Sadly, I know this will not happen with EA. I think they are very aware that most people will buy Madden regardless of whether they complain about it or not, because it is the only option out there. It would be great if for once EA would serve us a nice T-bone steak to all the hungry football fans out there instead of the constant hamburger helper that we are stuck with year after year. They know people have to eat, however, and so the process of underwhelming efforts continue.
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Each and every August the video gaming public is treated to the new Madden football game for the year, and with just as much consistent frequency, the game is presented with a few tweaks, a few screw-ups, and a few totally useless add-ons. Madden 2012 is no different, and for the most part the game works great with a few glaring mistakes.
What works well for Madden 2012 is, thankfully, the actual gameplay. EA always attempts to throw new gimmicks at us with each new installment, but thankfully a lot of the updating and improvements rests with the mechanics of the actual game experience. The first noticeable attribute is the tackling and blocking. Never has Madden been more realistic in this area with the players following all the way through with their blocks and tackling completely on the player with the ball. The animations and movements are very fluid and realistic for the most part, and when you make a tackle on someone he will fall the way it feels like he should. Gone are the clipping and magnet-like actions of tackling where a defender would somehow sidestep five guys with one breath and make an incredible tackle amidst a gang of six players. This is something entirely new for the franchise, and though it took some getting used to, it definitely is a feature that is most welcome.
Another facet of Madden that has been improved upon from last year are the receivers keeping both feet in bounds for the catch. Last year's Madden did a fine job of correcting the age-old annoyance of players running out of bounds to make a catch, and this year Madden has made it even better and more realistic.
Graphically, the game is marginally better than last year, but Madden 2011 looked great anyway, so the slight improvements really look polished. The reflections in the helmets, the facial expressions, and the on field movements and footwork look very detailed and extremely realistic. When Desean Jackson scored a touchdown against me and they showed his face close up, I was stunned at how accurate he looked. Really good work.
Most of the features from last year are still here such as the deep franchise mode and the option to use the Gameflow system or conventional play-calling. For those who don't know, Gameflow is basically when the computer calls your plays for you. This feature is useless to me as I only play Madden to be my own creative self, but thankfully it's just an option.
Something that has marred all Madden games in the past is the ability of the computer to come back in the third quarter and slaughter your offense. With old Madden's, the game would become possessed if you got a lead on the computer in the third quarter, and it would simply cheat in order to even up the score. That doesn't happen with Madden 2012, and it's yet another cool attribute that has changed this year. Another annoyance that is gone is the action of throwing ridiculous interceptions whilst getting sacked. In Madden 2011, if you were in the process of getting sacked the ball would shoot into the air and, of course, into the arms of a waiting defender. It would never go into your hands, always the defense. Moreover, it was totally unrealistic. In Madden 2012, when you get sacked, you get sacked. No balls shooting into the air, and no CPU's taking advantage of weird developer placed glitches.
Despite so many things that make Madden 2012 such a highly playable experience, there are some brand new issues that have made themselves evident, and it will really make you wonder if the Madden franchise will ever be able to get everything right.
One of the maddening things this game franchise does, every single year, is spend far too much time making changes to peripheral things that no one cares about. The kick meter, for instance. Every single year the developers feel it's necessary to change the kicking meter in some way. Why do this? Are people really clamoring for a new kick meter each year? This year's kick meter is the worst it's been for years, as well. It starts off slow, then goes fast, then slows down again, with the gauge being this weird crescent-moon shaped orb which makes it slightly difficult to tell what the hell is going on. The kicking meter was perfect two years ago. A straight bar across, push the buttons, and you're golden. Instead, the developers are obsessed with changing it, AGAIN.
Madden 2012 is unique, though, for its introduction of some new and improved problems to go with the new improvements. The first issue you'll run into is the clunky play-calling process. In the past, when you selected a play, then changed your mind and went to a different formation, your previous entry would still be selected for you to more easily navigate. This year, if you want to go backwards in the play-calling setup, it will take you back to the top of the play-calling system making it tedious and time-consuming to get back to where you were in the first place. For instance, if you call the shotgun formation, then navigate halfway down the list to the "spread" execution, then change your mind and go back to the shotgun formation, it will take you to the top of the shotgun formation instead of leaving you at the "spread" execution. Every single Madden in the past would take you right back to where you were before you called a play, but now you have to thumb through all the options a second time. With the play clock moving, this can get really annoying.
Another odd thing about the new Madden is waiting for the computer to take kicks. When the CPU scores and comes in to make an extra point, a full ten seconds will crawl by before the CPU actually makes the kick. Hurry up and kick already! What's the holdup?
Another pointless addition this year is the on-field intros to the players and such. Yes, it makes it more realistic, but does anyone really care about this? I find it hard to believe that many Madden players are jonesing for new intros and fanfare to their favorite video game football team.
And, once again, the commentary is no less than awful. It's intriguing to think of why EA can never seem to get this issue right, but the commentary is, as always, late, pointless, and completely ingratiating. Chris Collinsworth's snarky delivery has always been amusing and entertaining, but Gus Johnson has got to go. The guy is just terrible. One of the typical things he'll say is "he caught that for the first down, didn't he???" Uh, yeah, genius. Are you watching the same game I am? One of the most irritating things Johnson will do is get all excited about absolutely NOTHING AT ALL. Yeah, yeah, I know that's his schtick, but gimme a break already. He'll say things like, "THIRD DOWN AMD SIX TO GOOOOOOOOO" or just make sounds like a barn animal. Wow, really? You're gonna get excited about that? Keeping my fingers crossed that EA will axe his completely useless behind. More than that, though, the commentary is just late. You'll throw an 80 yard touchdown bomb, but if Collinsworth and Johnson are busy rambling on about something completely irrelevant they will stop at nothing in order to finish their aimless diatribes. The most exciting commentary you'll hear is when the CPU makes a great play. This only proves that the CPU knows what it's going to do before you do, making it kind of tough to follow along with the commentary.
Without question, the biggest annoyance with Madden 2012 is the superhuman ability of every opposing middle linebacker you will face throughout your season. You will soon learn, after playing three or four games against the CPU, that you will not be playing against defenses, but playing against one single middle linebacker who will block every other pass, make every other tackle, and make amazing glimpses into the future and call each and every route your receiver runs. You'll be amazed with what each MLB, regardless of skill level, is able to accomplish: jumping five feet in the air to make an interception, one-handed grabs, one-armed tackles, and just the general ability to suss out whatever it is you'll be doing. I had called a slant play and the hot route was to the slot receiver. The MLB slowly crept over to the slot guy, knowing he would be the hot route. I called an audible to my running back, and all of a sudden the MLB crept over to the left to cover the route of the running back to the other side. How would the MLB know this? Quite simply, he wouldn't. This is the single biggest drawback of the game this year in that, no matter what you call, you have to be ready to take on the MLB. He will just omnipotently KNOW what you're up to. What this indicates to me is that the computer obviously knows what you're calling and the code writers of the game have heaped all of the defensive challenges on one player. That's all fine and dandy, but when you're taking on one player instead of an entire defense it gets very unrealistic. It seems as if the developers have done this to make the game more of a challenge, and while this game is the most challenging it's been in quite some time, it makes these changes in trade of realism. When you check the stats at the end of the game, the opposing MLB will have 30 tackles, an interception, and a sack. Kind of ridiculous.
When all is said and done, there is much to like about Madden 2012. I would give this game three and half stars if I could, but I think three stars would be too harsh in light of Amazon's rating system. What ultimately rings true about this game is that it can't decide where exactly it's going. It's trying really hard to appeal to the hardcore Madden pros, like myself, by making it more challenging and less flashy. At the same time, it really wants to woo new amateurish fans by including things like Gameflow and adding useless peripherals like extended team intros and highly annoying commentary that would only be helpful to an 8-year-old. It's trying too hard to be something for everyone and cutting corners to get there. Any Madden fan is going to see that Madden 2012 is a slight step backwards for the franchise despite some nice improvements. One thing EA needs to learn is that you don't always have to make changes to something that already works.
Buy Madden NFL 12 Now
In the past few years, we have seen the same old features with next-gen Madden games. If you read my Madden 11 review, you'll know lack of multi-hit tackles; suction, morphing, and tumbleweeds have been the Achilles heel of Madden games. I figured Madden 11 would be different, but it was not. After another Madden fiasco, I decided if another Madden game had these issues, I would not buy another Madden game, ever. Well, there is none of those issues on this newest version of Madden. For those, who have not played the demo, this is what Madden 12 is all about.....
Build A Franchise: This feature is VERY deep. For example, the players now have hot and cold streaks. In addition, there is a free-agent bidding systems, which gives the player a certain time and a certain amount of money to sign the coveted free-agent. Also, the franchise mode has something, which is called hot and cold streaks for player performance.
Custom Playbooks: For those, who wanted this feature, look no farther! This feature allows the player to edit an existing playbook or just create another one.
Dynamic Player Performance: This could be the most interesting new feature on the game. This feature shows the affects of a player's tendencies in a game. For example, if the player has a trait, such a "drops open passes", they are not likely to be very consistent in catching the ball, ESPECIALLY in clutch time. This feature is more dynamic in Franchise mode because their tendencies can affect how they play, each week, instead of each game. Also, you can edit these traits to your liking, when choosing to edit a players ratings.
Enhanced Tackling System/Gameplay: This is my favorite feature of the game. No more motion shifting, morphing or suction animations on a ball carrier. The tackles are collision based, which means the player now has to make physical contact with the ball carrier, in order to make a tackle. In addition, location is also important to make a sufficient tackle.
The hits can be extremely hard because they are momentum based. With that being said, hits never felt so good on a game because there is FINALLY no motion shifting or morphing. You follow all the way through with a hit. If your defender does not have the momentum to make a hit, he may just make an arm tackle or he might not be able to make a successful tackle, at all. Once again, location is vital to making a sufficient tackle. The multi-hit tackles are great. Each defender, who engages ball carrier, can possibly get involved in a tackle. In addition, you'll see stolen tackles, as well. No more tumbleweed animations.
Throwing on the defense can sometimes be a daunting task, especially above the Pro level. You must choose your throws very carefully. The better your QB's throwing power and accuracy, the better off you'll be. Don't worry! If you do choose to play on the All-Pro level, you will not experience the constant route jumping by defenders, which you can experience, if you have played the All-American level of NCAA Football 12. On Madden 12, defenders will sometimes jump routes, especially if his awareness rating is higher.
The blocking is excellent in the game. In fact, I would say the blocking on this game is the best of any Madden title on next-gen. With that being said, running on this game is a very rewarding experience. Unlike previous EA Sports titles, the AI of your players rarely misses an assignment. Players block and immediately look for a player to block. I have seen some very realistic DL/OL engagements, as well.
Graphics/Visuals: Once again, Madden has set the bar for graphics and visuals. Player's faces and uniforms are increasingly detailed and vivid. Everything you see on a players' uniform can be seen in this game. In pre-game, you'll see all 32 team specific run-outs. Then, there is degradation of players uniforms, based on the surface of the field. That is not necessarily new, but it is in the game. I WOULD say the degradation is more detailed, though. You'll see scuffs on helmets, grass stains, and grass stains on the uniform. On replays, you'll see 3D grass. I love to see the grass or turf flying up, as player's cleats go against the surfaces. In addition, you'll see animations, which pertains to certain players. For example, if Clay Matthews makes a big play, he'll flex his muscles. The commentary is still not that great, though. The halftime show is STILL terrible. I don't know why it is so hard for EA Sports to create a real halftime show.
Overall, Madden 12 is not perfect. However, it is a step in the right direction. If you have been disappointed in past versions of Madden games for next-gen, this is version should make up for the disappointment.
Read Best Reviews of Madden NFL 12 Here
First, a disclaimer: For those that have played Madden since the PS2 generation, I think the best two are...
PS2: Madden 2005 (and indeed, I think this is the best one period)
PS3: Madden 2010 (play 2012 and go back to 2010, the presentation is so much better)
Which brings me to Madden NFL 2012. I hestiated to buy this until my wife made the suggestions, who am I to argue? I had heard things about the "Dynamic Player Performance" and all the other improvements, so I said what the heck?
First, the good:
The game is looking great graphically. They've nailed the stadiums (and indeed, a lot of the intros), the menus are sharp and easy to read, and overall it's more polished then other PS3 Maddens.
GameFlow returns but for someone like me who has played with the Steelers for many years, and knows their best plays, it's nice the conventional option was left. I was up and running in no time even though it had been many months since I played Madden.
The online community/matchmaking process has been significantly improved and the trolls/cheaters that have plagued this game online for years is likely to be all but eliminated, so kudos for EA for finally getting this fixed.
Now, the not-so-good:
I read a lot of reviews before purchasing this game, and let me tell you that they nailed one thing: The announcing is HORRIBLE in this game. A few examples:
*I'm up 35-0 and they go "The Ravens better do something on this drive because if they don't, man it's going to be a long day". You think?
*TWO times I know i heard Gus Johnson refer to my offense as the DEFENSE...how in the WORLD does that get in a final product?
You would think in 2011 they could get this right...but no. It still sucks.
While the graphics are good, the actual game performance leaves somethings to be desired. Clipping is rampant (not the football penalty), a couple times in my first game the crowd (cardboard and pixelated as it was) got in front of the players on a cutscene, they play the SAME cutscenes after a guy scores a TD, I mean I could go on and on but this stuff should be fixed by the 2012 game now.
The difficulty has some seriously wild swings that are either way too easy or ludiciously difficult. Is it too much to ask to have a nice middle ground?
This might be the easiest set of sport game trophies to earn on the PS3. I got SIX of them in my very first game! And the only ones I see that are majorly difficult are the ones that require 100 yard returns for TD's. Past games have had a lot more specific challenges and they had to be played in All Pro...these can be earned on any difficulty level.
It was tremendously easy in Madden 2005 to manage your Franchise (players, etc.) but this interface is way too clunky for its own good, even with all the details they added. Sometimes simple presentation is MUCH better.
Why Madden went away from what they had in 2010 (i.e. the halftime show, etc.) is beyond me. The lame excuse they have in its place (a couple random highlights) is a joke. Oh, and I guess Gus Johnson couldn't be bothered to say the teams NAMES when he says what the score is at the end of every quarter! I have NEVER seen that in all the years I've played Madden.
And in the end, EA doesn't care. They know there will be a significant part of the population that will pick it up just because it's the next game in the series. Games like NHL 11 (and upcoming 12) have advanced and are now far superior to the NFL product, but of course Madden's going to sell like hotcakes so they don't care.
So, if you're someone that likes the updated rosters, and can appreciate the few improvements they put in, go ahead and buy it again. Just know what you'er getting. I don't see this game drawing any new players into Madden who haven't played it before, and Madden's got a long road to climb back that we probably won't see until the PS4/next Xbox generation.
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Each and every year I tell myself that I'm done with Madden. And what do I do? I get suckered in and buy it. But this is the last time, I traded it in, this is the first time I ever traded in a Madden game.
I remember playing the franchise mode with every single NFL team, and having a blast. This game has consistently went downhill for years. The franchise mode sucks, plain and simple. I couldn't even make it through week 8, I just couldn't take it anymore. Don't get me started on online gameplay.....
Reasons why Madden 12 sucks:
1) Where is the half-time show with highlights during franchise mode? How do you have the audacity to call this 'real football' but you're too lazy to implement a half-time show, yeah that's real football.
2) Why is the franchise mode interface so darn confusing? It's so much work to navigate around the franchise mode menu just to look at things like 'stats'. If I'm done viewing passing yards leaders and I want to look at rushing leaders, I have to exit out and go back in again, why? On NFL.com I don't have to do that.
3) Why is it impossible to complete a pass to a WR running a deep post? Although Madden has tons and tons of passing plays, there are only a few that are actually worth running. It's impossible to complete a deep post in this game. It's either batted down or intercepted. If you have ever played Madden, you know what I'm talking about.
4) Why do I get sacked EVERYTIME I play-action pass? This has been the case for the past few years, attempt a play action pass, and you'll get sacked 1 second after you finish the play fake.
5) Why does just about every deep throw end in an interception, broken up, under throw, over throw, or thrown out of bounds? (notice that completed was not one of the choices) If I'm playing online and I see cover 0, I'm going deep to Megatron because it's man to man with no safety help. If I throw it 10 times to him, he catches 1, yeah, that's the way it happens in the NFL.....
6) Why does everyone online use the exact same defense? If you've played online, chances are that you've ran into the infamous cover 0 defense. The best way to combat cover 0 is to throw it deep. Well, not in Madden 12. First of all, if you try to run a regular pass play against this cover 0, you're sacked. If you run, you're stuffed in the backfield. If you run a pitch outside, you may gain a couple of yards. If you throw it deep, like you should, you won't complete it (see #5)
7) Why do I disconnect from the EA servers and get charged with a loss even though it's not my fault? This problem has plagued Madden online for years and continues with Madden 12. There is nothing more frustrating then being up 31-3 in the 4th quarter and BOOM, lost connection..charged with a loss.
8) Why do I feel like Im on roller skates when playing defense? I usually play with a CB and it's hard as heck to cover WRs in this game. I understand momentum, but this is ridiculous. It's impossible to cover a WR man to man, even if you have Revis. If their WR makes a cut, your momentum takes you in the other direction as if you're on roller skates or something. Not fun playing as a defensive back....
9)Why did everyone that gave this game 5 stars, only write 2 sentences about it? Go into detail like the 1 star reviewers do. I'm just saying...If this game is so great, give us something more than "This is the best Madden on Earth". Tell us why.
10) When are we gonna wake up and realize this game will never change for the better as long as EA has exclusive rights to make it? I long for the days of 2K5, I'll leave it at that.
I blame myself for this, I need to stop buying the game. Perhaps I've finally learned my lesson.
