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Madden NFL 09
August 20, 2008 | 3:32 PM PST
Kombo's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.
What the Game's About
Madden Football. If you haven't heard that name by now, you've been living under a rock for the past 20 years. Yes, 20 years ago, a quiet revolution started and now the gaming franchise is one of the few that has truly stood the test of time. Year after year, the game continues to grow in popularity with midnight store openings and people taking "sick" days to get off work in celebration of the yearly release.
What's Hot
The first thing that you'll encounter is the brand new Madden IQ system. The system itself is a great idea because it reduces one of the most persistent problems of the past Madden games: the barrier to entry. Because you are assessed on your skill at dealing with football plays, the game will do some magic and formulate the level of difficulty based on a number of offensive and defensive "tests." If you are still unsure about all the controls and gameplay mechanics, there is a virtual football trainer that will help you get better and increase your Madden IQ. The only thing you have to put up with is a hologram of John Madden that looks suspiciously like something from a galaxy far, far away. Truth be told, it really should be called Madden DNA because this single feature is woven into many other features to create a complete package. What this translates to is a gameplay experience that has been picked through with a fine tooth comb. Because the Madden IQ is so integral, you really get the sense that the game is adapting to you and not the other way around.
Once you do start playing on real stadiums, you'll notice that this year, Madden looks better than it ever has. The players have all different kinds of body types, the detail on just about everything has been ratcheted up more than a few notches to give this game a visual punch unlike the past years. You can almost smell the combined blood alcohol level of crazed attendees. While playing with Superstar Mode, you experience something unlike anything past Maddens have delivered, pulling you into the game and making you feel like you're a part of the real game, rather than the football god pulling strings like a puppet master. The way the camera settles, the stadium light, how the AI players jitter in anticipation and the sway of the booze fueled crowd is more believable than it has ever been. It's truly something you have to check out.
Of course, there are more new features out there than you can shake a stick at. Crowning the new modes are the Rewind and Backtrack features. Rewind gives you the opportunity to redo a play that you borked. Activating the feature might sound like something from Prince of Persia (admittedly, it is), but it gives Madden a touch of an arcade football feel that goes a long way in creating an enjoyable game with a little room to forgive. Backtrack is sort of similar but the key difference is you don't get a mulligan for a bad play or an interception. You'll get some analysis of what you did horribly wrong and it gets tied into your Madden IQ so you know exactly what you need to work on for the future.
What's Not
The new features like Madden IQ that have been rolled out are game changing but with that, it must have taken time to integrate with the existing framework because the residual modes from previous years went nearly untouched. It is really forgivable because the way Madden adjusts to your gameplay style, you feel like the game opens up to be more accessible.
Rewind could cause a stir in the Madden ranks because of the implications it has on gameplay. Being able to rewind moments and retry embarrassing plays is nice but it takes away some of the unpredictability of a sports game. To some people, it could feel like downright cheating. You have the ability to not Rewind plays but the standard nature could create a dependence on the system that when you go online and players go without it, pulling the plug on games that don't go a certain way could remain a constant problem.
Final Word
Make no mistake, this year isn't just smoke and mirrors. Madden has finally entered the next-generation with a fierce new look and some ability to flex some powerful new features like Madden IQ. It seems the team at Tiburon is hitting a great stride because after a good year last year, they have shown that it wasn't a fluke and they have a vision with laser focus on being the most authentic sports title in town. Is Madden 09 a must own? You already know the answer to that.
What the Game's About
Madden Football. If you haven't heard that name by now, you've been living under a rock for the past 20 years. Yes, 20 years ago, a quiet revolution started and now the gaming franchise is one of the few that has truly stood the test of time. Year after year, the game continues to grow in popularity with midnight store openings and people taking "sick" days to get off work in celebration of the yearly release.
What's Hot
The first thing that you'll encounter is the brand new Madden IQ system. The system itself is a great idea because it reduces one of the most persistent problems of the past Madden games: the barrier to entry. Because you are assessed on your skill at dealing with football plays, the game will do some magic and formulate the level of difficulty based on a number of offensive and defensive "tests." If you are still unsure about all the controls and gameplay mechanics, there is a virtual football trainer that will help you get better and increase your Madden IQ. The only thing you have to put up with is a hologram of John Madden that looks suspiciously like something from a galaxy far, far away. Truth be told, it really should be called Madden DNA because this single feature is woven into many other features to create a complete package. What this translates to is a gameplay experience that has been picked through with a fine tooth comb. Because the Madden IQ is so integral, you really get the sense that the game is adapting to you and not the other way around.
Once you do start playing on real stadiums, you'll notice that this year, Madden looks better than it ever has. The players have all different kinds of body types, the detail on just about everything has been ratcheted up more than a few notches to give this game a visual punch unlike the past years. You can almost smell the combined blood alcohol level of crazed attendees. While playing with Superstar Mode, you experience something unlike anything past Maddens have delivered, pulling you into the game and making you feel like you're a part of the real game, rather than the football god pulling strings like a puppet master. The way the camera settles, the stadium light, how the AI players jitter in anticipation and the sway of the booze fueled crowd is more believable than it has ever been. It's truly something you have to check out.
Of course, there are more new features out there than you can shake a stick at. Crowning the new modes are the Rewind and Backtrack features. Rewind gives you the opportunity to redo a play that you borked. Activating the feature might sound like something from Prince of Persia (admittedly, it is), but it gives Madden a touch of an arcade football feel that goes a long way in creating an enjoyable game with a little room to forgive. Backtrack is sort of similar but the key difference is you don't get a mulligan for a bad play or an interception. You'll get some analysis of what you did horribly wrong and it gets tied into your Madden IQ so you know exactly what you need to work on for the future.
What's Not
The new features like Madden IQ that have been rolled out are game changing but with that, it must have taken time to integrate with the existing framework because the residual modes from previous years went nearly untouched. It is really forgivable because the way Madden adjusts to your gameplay style, you feel like the game opens up to be more accessible.
Rewind could cause a stir in the Madden ranks because of the implications it has on gameplay. Being able to rewind moments and retry embarrassing plays is nice but it takes away some of the unpredictability of a sports game. To some people, it could feel like downright cheating. You have the ability to not Rewind plays but the standard nature could create a dependence on the system that when you go online and players go without it, pulling the plug on games that don't go a certain way could remain a constant problem.
Final Word
Make no mistake, this year isn't just smoke and mirrors. Madden has finally entered the next-generation with a fierce new look and some ability to flex some powerful new features like Madden IQ. It seems the team at Tiburon is hitting a great stride because after a good year last year, they have shown that it wasn't a fluke and they have a vision with laser focus on being the most authentic sports title in town. Is Madden 09 a must own? You already know the answer to that.
December 3, 2009
