There was once a time when the Madden series wasn?t a seasonal institution. That time was 1987. Seriously. The series has its roots back on the Commodore 64 and Apple II. In fact, there?s a serious chance that you, dear reader, have never seen a year of your life pass without Madden NFL gracing a game console of some sort. Thirty years and billions in sales later, we are on the precipice of the latest installment. Can the team over at EA Tiburon continue to innovate, or will this finally be the year they stall on the goal line"
Coming Back for Seconds
Last season was a fundamental shift in the Madden franchise, as they transitioned from their in-house engine to DICE?s Frostbite. To the development team?s credit, there wasn?t the dip in quality that you might expect when breaking in a new framework for the first time. Now that the growing pains were firmly in their rearview mirror, it was time to once again push for new gameplay advancements. Let?s just say that if you?ve ever complained about unresponsive controls, this will be the year for you. The true star this season is the Real Player Motion system. This whole new way to approach controls emphasizes the skill of the person behind the controller. There is now a proper time and place to apply speed bursts, because it has an impact on the mobility of the character being controlled. Want to be able to cut on a dime" Just like in real life, this kind of an abrupt maneuver can no longer be done at a dead sprint. H...