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Every year EA pumps out their sports titles hoping that this year will make more of an impression than the previous years outing. This year was supposed to be different as EA had signed a deal with Microsoft confirming their support of Live. This is great news for all sport fans but this was not to be the case for anybody who lives in Europe. EA had decided that Live would be excluded from the European versions for the same game that got released with Live in North America. So, back to the original question, is Madden 2005 any different than other Madden game? Simply put – yes, but with not enough to cause a stir if you already own previous versions.
Gameplay:
Madden is usually a one sided affair where all the special features are located in offence, but this year not only have you still got control over offence but several new features are available for the ‘Defence’. The best addition to the defensive area is the ‘hit stick’. What this means is whilst you control the defensive player, you can now make this man more or less wipe out the ball carrier and increase the chance of the offensive player to fumble. Of course, there has to be a down side to the ‘hit stick’. If you fail to hit the player, than your missed effort will result in the offensive player easily dodging your attempt and run pass you. In addition to the ‘hit stick’, there is the new defensive playmaker controls. I could go into more details at what this does, but you can find out for yourself before entering a full game by practicing in several of the mini-games or the mini-camps.
Another new feature is ‘Storyline Central’. This brings a level of depth to the franchise you haven’t seen before. The first is the news where you will be able to see everything that happens in Franchise reported in the local and national newspapers. If you place a player on the trading market, you can bet you will read about first in the papers. You can tune into the ‘Tony Bruno Show’ on EA Sports Radio. Here they will discuss the biggest news from the NFL that week, take calls from many entertaining fans and have in depth interviews with the NFL coaches. You can also receive email from every member associated in your franchise. From the same email, you will also be able to select numerous options from training to trading. A big feature that you have to take into account is ‘Player Personalities’. If you trade your biggest star, you will have to make sure the rest of the team stay happy otherwise they might want to leave or cry like a baby. The management interface has been made simpler this year with everything accessible through your PDA.
As well as the Franchise season, exhibition matches and mini camps, you have also ‘Mini-Games’. These are exactly like the mini-camp practices except you can play against a friend or the computer as the offence and defence and try and score more points than your opposition. The last new feature is ‘Create-a-Fan’. All this allows you to do is customize a character which you will see on several occasions during cut scenes as your team fan. A little bit of fun that has no real impact on the game.
Graphics & Controls:
The controls are exactly the same as last year’s game and anyone who has ever played a game of Madden will feel right at home. They are easy to use and uncomplicated that even a beginner can get to grips with the controls in their very first game. The graphics have not improved over last year and sometimes look bland at times. The crowd look cut out and the stadiums look ok but nothing special. It just seems that the quality has suffered in this area for this year’s version.
Sound:
Once again, John Madden voices his opinion all over the place and can become very repetitive. The crowd seemed to only be able to cheer at one level and after awhile you tend to not notice it at it brings nothing to enhance the game play. Like every year, EA have managed to feature some top tunes which can be heard during the menus and half time shows but again, this doesn’t improve the game play.
Longevity:
Each game can last up to an hour, with a full season consisting of 17 weeks and than you have the play-offs and pre season games. You also have the mini-camps and games to keep you occupied. Without the addition of Live, this game will only last as long as you can be bothered to play. It’s American Football – Plain and Simple.
Round Up:
If you own any of the previous Madden games than personally I wouldn’t bother buying this game as there isn’t enough to warrant a purchase. If on the other hand you are new to the Madden series, than this game does have more features than any of the previous titles, so it’s worth the purchase than. Overall, it’s the same old EA bringing out yet another revamp game with a different year on it.
Pros:
- Full Team Listings.
- Storyline Central
- Player Personalities.
Cons:
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