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As training camps begin to crank up in anticipation of this year’s NFL season, EA is busy putting the last bits of polish on its annual Madden entry. After two years of finding its way onto next-generation consoles, the 2008 version is finally beginning to show exactly what the more powerful systems mean for Madden and its legions of fans.
The most startling aspect is the number of player animations. Madden 08 uses a new branching animation system that determines the best transitional animations to use. As a result, the game’s pacing is a little quicker and there are fewer unnatural “stutter stops” between animations. Combined with an expanded set of on field animations, Madden 08 should bring a new level of life to the game.
This year’s big addition is Weapons feature, which attempts to separate the best players from the ones that are just okay. Weapons are the Superstars, like LaDainian Tomlinson or Drew Brees, who are the elite when it comes to their position. These are the guys that you know you can count on in key situations.
Weapons are separated into 24 different categories and act similar to the players roles featured in NBA Live. These include big hitters, power linemen, hard to catch running backs and possession receivers. Players aren’t defined by one trait and can be designated as a multiple weapon threat. For example, when lined up as a running back, Reggie Bush can be a hard guy to pin down. However, he is just as dangerous when lined up as a receiver.
During Franchise mode you can compete in mini-games that will allow you to improve or change your players’ skill sets.
Weapons are denoted by an icon, which makes them easy to identify, even if you aren’t familiar with a particular team. A number of other clues will also help point out who you should watch for. Each week you will also get a scouting report that will identify a team’s weaknesses, strengths and key weapons.
Each player has specific strengths that give them an advantage on the field. In order to get the most out of a weapon you have play to that strength. If you try a lot of fancy footwork with a power back who is more comfortable running full steam ahead, you won’t go anywhere. Every weapon will also have a counter. Going back to our power back, he may be able to barrel through guys easily, but a low hit to the legs should take him down. Other players may be easy to rattle with a big hit or susceptible to high hits.
The Weapons system will also influence other aspects of the general game. The running game has been vastly improved on the inside. Rather than always wanting to take guys to the outside, you can go for inside routes with success. The passing game has also been tweaked thanks to distinctions in different receiver types.
The influence weapons will have on Online play isn’t clear. Unlike Impact players in NCAA, not every team will have a set of weapons. Some, like the New England Patriots, have more weapons at their disposal than the Houston Texans. Although players already gravitate towards certain teams, the number of weapons on a particular team could see players doing it in greater numbers.
Madden 08 will feature an in-game rewards system. As you reach milestones in the game, such as reaching particular yardage gains or winning the Super Bowl, you unlock trophies that are placed in your personal trophy room. Player created trophies, which can be defended online, are also supported. You can even decorate the area with team logos, colors and highlight film of the team in action.
These are just a few of the upgrades planned for the series. In addition to the requisite roster updates, last year’s Superstar Mode will also see a number of changes, as will the Franchise Mode.
Though the series hasn’t been on a slide in recent years, it has been a while since it received a major shake-up. Madden 08 doesn’t completely move away from what has made the game work for so many years, but there is certainly reason to believe that Madden 08 is just what players have been wanting out of a next-gen football experience. |
