Madden 09 Review

Balla · 08-12-2008, 04:56 AM

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EA surprised us by naming a (supposedly) retired player -- Brett Favre -- to the cover of Madden NFL 09. Favre surprised EA by unretiring...and his politician-rivaling flip-flop antics have surprised just about everyone else. While the Favre situation got ugly, the same can't be said about the game he's representing. The mud-caked Slop Bowls, bustling sidelines, and significantly varied player physiques mean that Madden 09's finally lived up to EA's next-gen target video from three years ago that -- for three years -- looked way better than the games themselves.
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Click the image above to check out all Madden NFL 09 screens.

A perfect example of the upgrade: Beautifully realized snow games -- a quantum leap from the pseudo-sleet that passed as powder in recent years (though why do footsteps stay in the snow, while tackled players leaves no trace?). The rivalry games (Giants vs. Cowboys or Jets vs. Patriots, for example) receive a different, more epic visual treatment than regular games, which seems a tad overdone -- during a Broncos vs. Chiefs clash in the rain, the jerseys were so muddied and the lighting so dramatic that it was tough to tell the sides apart.
Beyond the visual strides, the better news is that the beauty isn't only graphics deep -- the gridiron action's eons better than last year for three big reasons: 1) Tackles aren't immediate, since ball carriers can spin out of (and struggle through) what would've been surefire takedowns in previous years. 2) If, during all of that leg-churning commotion, a runner coughs up the rock, he can now recover his own fumble -- just like in the real game. 3) Unlike last year, I no longer have to hold my breath when I throw over the middle -- the linebacker circus picks that made my hair turn gray last year are a rarity. I still saw some acrobatic picks, but nothing as consistently remarkable as last year's Cirque du Soleil INTs.
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Click the image above to check out all Madden NFL 09 screens.

As for the problems, A.I. quarterbacks are still way too accurate this year: Big-armed Raiders signal-caller JaMarcus Russell isn't this generation's Rich Gannon (lauded for his short-range accuracy), though he plays him in Madden (he went 13-for-14 and 18-for-21 in two different games). That's nowhere near realistic. Also, computer-controlled players inexplicably stroll out of bounds with daylight ahead more often than I'd like, in the name of flummoxed code -- not clock-stopping or self-preservation. Furthermore, games feel more like grind-it-out '70s-style football than modern high-octane contests; risk airing it out to up the score, and risk loads of interceptions. Even with six-minute quarters (largely the sim standard), I found way too many sub-20 point tallies, even with potent offenses.
One other disappointment: While online leagues are in the game, they're ranked via a ladder system -- no divisions to speak of...and forget the playoffs and Super Bowl. The online leagues play out more like a Premiership soccer season over in England, where the regular season is the championship.
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On a brighter note, the new Rewind feature is great -- but not for its intended purpose. It's designed to teach you the thinking side of football by demonstrating what you did wrong after a bungled play. In practice, though, it undoes those "WTF?!" seemingly impossible moments that only happen in football videogames -- the occasional plays that make the game feel broken.
Madden's the sports-gaming superpower, though, so it's hard not to nitpick some of this stuff. But even with the listed complaints, this is a football game that one-ups the stakes between the sidelines, and it's so visually impressive that it's likely to stick in your system all season long -- even on Saturdays.

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why am i tempted to buy this game..

Doctor Doom · 08-12-2008, 06:13 PM

I've played the game, and I don't like the gameplay most of the time. X-Play gave it a 5/5, which is the first time they gave a good rating for the PS3/XBOX 360 versions. The graphics have improved, there's a EA Rewind used to undo a fumble, throwing an interception, or prevent your opponent from scoring the same TD again. I just don't like the gameplay because it's more difficult throwing a decent pass or make a successful run for first down, even if it's on Pro. Madden fans and newbies will get a kick out this game, because Madden actually did most of the game correct.

Enjoy.

Slim · 08-12-2008, 06:17 PM

i get this game after work, i cant wait. balla, get it.