22clements
May 26th, 2007, 04:51 PM
On the field, Philip Rivers hands off to LaDainian Tomlinson on a simple dive play. But no LT run is ever simple. He runs straight though an arm tackle, covering up the ball and pumping his knees. A safety tries to join in on the gang tackle, grabs LT's waist and tries to spin the MVP to the turf. LT simply goes with it, regains his balance and accelerates to the outside and rips off a big gain.
In another sequence, Carson Palmer throws to Chad Johnson on a comeback route on the right sideline. A cornerback goes for a big hit that Johnson simply avoids. Then, dancing left and right, he picks his way through the secondary on his way to the end zone and the Ocho Cinco Riverdance.
Some call it responsiveness. Others call it twitch. Whatever you want to call it, Madden 08 is fast and fun. Remember back in the days when you didn't need the juke button to lose a defender? You could simply hesitate, wait for a defender to commit, and run out of the way. It's strange how the Madden team has looked back at what made past games great. It's brought back all those old twitch elements and eliminated old exploits like corner routes and Michael Vick domination, and we're not talking about the championship pit bull circuit.
Quote:
Thanks to some extremely responsive controls, the gameplay in Madden is already feeling like an improvement over previous years. When running the ball, for instance, our natural inclination in the past has been to bounce outside and try to get around the corner--thanks to shoddy inside blocking. In Madden 08, you can feel free to run those inside routes, and especially with the more elusive runners, you'll usually be good for a positive gain. New animations, such as a running back turning sideways to slip between defenders or would-be tacklers bouncing off the big bruisers, make the experience that much more compelling. Similarly, the passing game makes a clear distinction between possession receivers--those guys who make the catch and keep the ball even after a big hit--and spectacular play guys who can go up for a ball you've intentionally thrown high and come down with it. On defense, gang tackles bring the pain against the ball carrier, and the secondary is more responsive than ever when breaking to the ball. In all, star players feel like stars in Madden 08 (we're thinking of the Bears' Devin Hester and his blistering 100 speed rating, which really feels like something special in the game).
Quote:
If you couldn’t already tell, Madden NFL 08 looks like the game we’ve all been waiting for since the Xbox 360 launched almost two years ago. While the weapon mechanic and modes are cool and everything, we were most impressed with just how ****** good the game looked and played. It ran smoothly, the gameplay was incredibly responsive, and the animations are downright awesome. Madden fans, you finally have a reason to step into the next generation!
Yes, the developers have finally brought everything together into a fully realized, cohesive whole, starting with the graphics. We’ve all been -----ing about the lackluster 30 frames per second we’ve seen in the last few entries, and it’s obvious that the dev team has been listening to our complaints. Madden NFL 08 runs at a buttery-smooth 60 fps, with nary a hitch to be seen. The game is incredibly responsive, so you’ll actually feel like you’re completely controlling the jukes and spins that you try to pull off. Even better, the animations look much more realistic, from the gang tackles to the receptions made while tip-toeing near the sideline. All told, this is the closest anyone’s ever come to digitally recreating the game of football.
If you’re one of the many people that complained about the direction the franchise has gone in the last few years, you’ll be happy to hear that not only is the game going to be the best Madden game on Xbox 360, it might be the best sports game PERIOD.
In another sequence, Carson Palmer throws to Chad Johnson on a comeback route on the right sideline. A cornerback goes for a big hit that Johnson simply avoids. Then, dancing left and right, he picks his way through the secondary on his way to the end zone and the Ocho Cinco Riverdance.
Some call it responsiveness. Others call it twitch. Whatever you want to call it, Madden 08 is fast and fun. Remember back in the days when you didn't need the juke button to lose a defender? You could simply hesitate, wait for a defender to commit, and run out of the way. It's strange how the Madden team has looked back at what made past games great. It's brought back all those old twitch elements and eliminated old exploits like corner routes and Michael Vick domination, and we're not talking about the championship pit bull circuit.
Quote:
Thanks to some extremely responsive controls, the gameplay in Madden is already feeling like an improvement over previous years. When running the ball, for instance, our natural inclination in the past has been to bounce outside and try to get around the corner--thanks to shoddy inside blocking. In Madden 08, you can feel free to run those inside routes, and especially with the more elusive runners, you'll usually be good for a positive gain. New animations, such as a running back turning sideways to slip between defenders or would-be tacklers bouncing off the big bruisers, make the experience that much more compelling. Similarly, the passing game makes a clear distinction between possession receivers--those guys who make the catch and keep the ball even after a big hit--and spectacular play guys who can go up for a ball you've intentionally thrown high and come down with it. On defense, gang tackles bring the pain against the ball carrier, and the secondary is more responsive than ever when breaking to the ball. In all, star players feel like stars in Madden 08 (we're thinking of the Bears' Devin Hester and his blistering 100 speed rating, which really feels like something special in the game).
Quote:
If you couldn’t already tell, Madden NFL 08 looks like the game we’ve all been waiting for since the Xbox 360 launched almost two years ago. While the weapon mechanic and modes are cool and everything, we were most impressed with just how ****** good the game looked and played. It ran smoothly, the gameplay was incredibly responsive, and the animations are downright awesome. Madden fans, you finally have a reason to step into the next generation!
Yes, the developers have finally brought everything together into a fully realized, cohesive whole, starting with the graphics. We’ve all been -----ing about the lackluster 30 frames per second we’ve seen in the last few entries, and it’s obvious that the dev team has been listening to our complaints. Madden NFL 08 runs at a buttery-smooth 60 fps, with nary a hitch to be seen. The game is incredibly responsive, so you’ll actually feel like you’re completely controlling the jukes and spins that you try to pull off. Even better, the animations look much more realistic, from the gang tackles to the receptions made while tip-toeing near the sideline. All told, this is the closest anyone’s ever come to digitally recreating the game of football.
If you’re one of the many people that complained about the direction the franchise has gone in the last few years, you’ll be happy to hear that not only is the game going to be the best Madden game on Xbox 360, it might be the best sports game PERIOD.