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 Madden NFL 09 - Hands On
| Hands on with Madden NFL 09 |
Madden 09 is the fourth iteration of Madden to hit the next gen consoles. The preceeding three have each fallen short of achieving the level of gameplay experience we had enjoyed on the previous generation of consoles. This year may well be a different deal altogether as EA promises "beyond broadcast presentation", "a new look and feel" and the "most authentic gameplay ever". I'll resist the temptation to be cliche'd and begin announcing that all of those claims are indeed true, but it would be fair to say that finally we have a game worthy of the next generation of consoles in every department and not just in terms of graphics, as has been the case to date.
Before going any further, I should add that never before have we been given access to the game this far ahead of the release date. EA, in the current climate of soliciting feedback and listening to suggestions, took everything we observed on board and in many cases made notes of things we noticed that either weren't working correctly or could be improved upon and in some circumstances were able to get programmers working on fixing them there and then. A great job by both Phil Frazier and Ian Cummings in particular.
Similar to my NCAA impressions, I'm pleased to be able to state from the outset that both PS3 and Xbox 360 versions are running equal in terms of graphics and gameplay this year. Phil Frazier, who was in attendance at the community event for a considerable amount of time stated in a recent interview that "they're both running at 60 frames-per-second this year" and that was evidently true from what I could see at EA last week. In terms of gameplay, there were no noticable differences whatsoever between either although we'll await the inevitable IGN comparison video to see if they pick up on anything.
Upon loading the game, you are given the chance to run through the Madden IQ drills in the holographic environment. This is a feature that I don't necessarily care for all that much (simply because if I am playing a game of football, I want to see the players looking like "real" football players, dressed like real players with "real" turf on the field) - although the principle behind it is one that I have a great deal of interest in. I like the idea of an adapting level of gameplay difficulty based on how well or not I am doing. I think the holographic stuff is a bit too off-the-wall for my liking - call me a traditionalist, if you like - but the premise isn't something I disagree with and with some of the other features that they have added to the game this year, really falls nicely into place.
Over the last three years it's been a case of "what might have been" and the game has been found wanting in terms of presentation, gameplay and features. It seems sensible therefore to address each of those as priorities in writing up my impressions of Madden NFL 09. I was fortunate to be able to spend a significant amount of time playing the game, somewhere between 7-8 hours of unbroken hands-on time and while that isn't anything like enough to claim that 10 months from now I will still feel as I do now about Madden 09, it's a good position to start from.
What struck me immediately when I first entered the game is the polish and effort that EA has made in terms of presentation. I'll admit, I've long been a strong advocate of the ESPN style of presentation - the pre-game show, the half-time highlights and the endless stream of overlays detailing stats and drive reports - but have now come to realize that the competing forces of the NFL Network and ESPN are a significant problem in pushing the series down one, single format of tv-style presentation. Therefore, EA has attempted to create it's own generic, broadcast style network and it's achieved something that none of the most recent versions have come close to reaching. Out, thankfully, is the radio play-by-play announcer and IN is Cris Collinsworth and Tom Hammond. In a conversation with Jason Ostresh, who is the producer responsible for presentation, I discovered that none of the commentary this year was recorded with both announcers in the studio at the same time. I can say without hesitation that listening to the audio you would never realise that this was the case and, even though EA plans to have both recording audio in the studio together next year, it's a pretty good effort for year 1. Apart from a few instances that we pointed out to the production team - where the commentary didn't relate directly to what had happened on the field - the vast majority of the commentary was accurate and relevant. Ostresh admitted that Collinsworth isn't a fan favorite with everyone but you won't find his contribution too overbearing and he and Hammond gel well together.
On the opening kickoff, a panoramic stadium perspective reveals camera flashes as fans in the stands snap pictures. Speaking of which, a similar panoramic shot before a field goal shows that nets behind the goalposts have returned. Details such as these were once the hallmark of all EA Sports' titles so it's nice to see water splashing on the field during wet weather games, dirty (sometimes filfthy dirty) jerseys when the weather gets really bad and the field starting to tear up as snow piles up on the sidelines or is swept off the field during breaks between quarters so that the yardage lines can be seen on the playing surface. Glancing around at some of the truly next-gen sports titles available - MLB 08 The Show comes to mind - reveals that the power of the next generation consoles can clearly be put to use, creating a living, breathing and realistic environment and it's nice to see EA bringing Madden up to that same level. Is it more than just eye candy ? - I can't say for sure that the wet field has a real impact on the gameplay, that players will slip or lose their balance more if there is snow on the field but if it is just eye candy then it's nice enough for now. In my notes on the day, I wrote the words "awesome visuals" and it's appropriate to repeat that observation now.
One of the guys who attended the event recently posted a screenshot he captured from the day on the EA forums and it truly revealed the extent to which the player models have been re-developed - I was struck by the difference between the shape and build of an offensive lineman as compared to, for instance, a shorter and more agile running back. The guys at EA have positionized (this isn't a real word, but it should be) the player models and created them to fit the form of the player based on their position... and done a good job with it. The sidelines are busier with more personnel and better looking alternate players and, while they still don't get excited as they should do during a big play, they've lost that awkward zombie-like appearance that they had in 08. Obviously, it's a matter of resources and using processing power on players who are technically not involved in the game is a waste of those resources but it would be nice to see a bit more interactivity between teammates on the sidelines.
Recently it was revealed that in response to some concerns, the celebration zones (rectangular blocks) that appeared in the end zone after a touchdown could be turned off. They did look rather unsightly and even though they have been turned off, those zones are still there so once you get used to where they are located you can still trigger specific celebrations - such as dunking the ball over the crossbar. Different, more varied celebrations can also be initiated outside of these specific celebration hotspots but EA didn't want to make too many comments about these, preferring instead that gamers discover these accidentally for themselves.
All of these elements that I have highlighted here are aspects of presentation that EA has added or modified over Madden 08 and it's clear from playing the game that when the "focussed on presentation" line isn't just a marketing claim but a genuine attempt to bring the game up to standard.
When I was asked if there had been any improvement in "Superstar" mode, I was told that the cameras had been reworked to make them "playable" - the implication being that the feature was hurt last year by poor camera angles that made it difficult to play certain positions properly. That's another step in the right direction, but not the only work that EA has done with the cameras. When I read about the new passing camera that would be manipulated automatically to keep in view every receiver on the field I was dubious as to how useful it would be - but having played with that specific camera turned on I can confidently state that it had a positive impact on the game and made it much easier to find where a receiver was open downfield.
I was fortunate not only to talk to Jason Ostresh about the presentation that he had worked on, but to actually be able to play a game against him and while doing so I found out several more things about Madden 09 that will be useful for you to know when you get to play the game. Most important, is not to believe that the play is dead even if you're in the process of being wrapped up by a marauding 250 pound defensive lineman. Keep hitting that right stick or pressing that spin button because there is a very real chance that you will be able to "breakaway" and get a few more extra, crucial yards. Observing several games in progress, Jason commented that all of us just took our hands off the controller once the tackle was being made and that was precisely the wrong thing to do with Madden 09. Of course, if the ability to break out of a tackle happened every time a tackle was made it would be frustrating and unrealistic, so thankfully it doesn't... but it's a great feeling when that once in a while you can break loose and carry on with the play for some extra yards. This is due in part to the branching of animations, a technology that was announced as a new feature last year and worked well to a point - but one that has been blown out completely this year to make it possible to interrupt virtually every animation. "It's all about giving the user more control" was a line I heard repeated more than once. Certainly, that sensation from previous years of almost being forcibly driven through the game as one animation after another is triggered has almost totally disappeared this year. |
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