Western Courier

Issue date: 8/25/08 Section: The Edge

As the whole, there are not any wholesale changes to the in game experience. As with every year, player models have seen an upgrade. This is not to say that the game is without its glitches (clipping and graphical hiccups do happen, but they were infrequent in my play through). The fields have been recreated with an eye toward accuracy. Weather looks great (real time weather is the default setting, so if it's raining outside, it will rain in the game unless you say otherwise). The tackle animations seem a bit more robust than in previous years, giving it a more realistic look and feel. The in-game screen has seen a makeover with all of your controller options on display for quick reference unless hidden by the player.

Also, a new default camera has made its debut. The action camera brings the view closer to the ground just above the QB. When the ball carrier has the ball, it zeros in on him and adds some minor dynamic camera play. For instance, when a receiver breaks away, the camera gets low to the ground and starts to shake, kind of like in "Gears of War," except it stays behind the runner to give an increased sense of speed, and big hits can cause the camera to shake.

Madden has changed for the better. The new IQ system allows even the uninitiated to play the game competently, and a new camera, the game is as good as ever.

< prev Page 2 of 2

Article Tools