Madden 13: Changes on the Horizon
Another year, another Madden. Typically, most people complain how the
game is nothing but roster updates, and for the most part; this is
true. The Madden franchise has pretty much been a copy paste of the
previous years version. Save for a few game tweaks that would make
some parts of the game better while taking a step back in other
aspects of the game. But no matter how much we know this and continue
to complain about it; we still go out to the store and pick it up.
Balance will be another factor in the game. It is determined based on a few key factors, such as player size, weight, height, and how players interact. All of these attributes combined will help to determine where a player may stumble and how hard, or fast he will do so. Running into your own players will also cause you to lose balance, even if they are on the ground. However, if you happen to fall on top of defenders or your own players, you could actually get back up and continue running. In addition, because predetermined tackles have been taken out, you can fight for extra yards as long as you can maintain your balance. Players with less agility will lose balance fairly quickly if they try to cut too hard running through the hole.
This year will be
the first time we can actually expect a major change as Madden will
now be using the brand-new Infinity Engine. With this, you may as
well forget everything you know about the Madden world because
nothing will be the same. Its focus is on player interactions, and
will affect every play. Before, players could determine how a play
would turn out based on the animations. Now every interaction will be
unique, creating different outcomes every time. An example of
this would be if a quarterback's arm is grazed while he is throwing
the ball; it will be off target. If a running back is hurdling, you
can take his legs out from underneath him and watch as he flips onto
his back.
Balance will be another factor in the game. It is determined based on a few key factors, such as player size, weight, height, and how players interact. All of these attributes combined will help to determine where a player may stumble and how hard, or fast he will do so. Running into your own players will also cause you to lose balance, even if they are on the ground. However, if you happen to fall on top of defenders or your own players, you could actually get back up and continue running. In addition, because predetermined tackles have been taken out, you can fight for extra yards as long as you can maintain your balance. Players with less agility will lose balance fairly quickly if they try to cut too hard running through the hole.
The physics was
not the only thing to get a huge overhaul. The game modes have been
changed or rather, replaced with one overall game mode called
Connected Careers. Don't worry, you still have Franchise and
Superstar mode. They have simply been combined and will be playable
both online and offline. To control your franchise like before, you
select a Head Coach. For Superstar mode, you pick a player. You can
choose between existing coaches and players or create your own. Want
to put yourself in the game? Or better yet, want to play as a legend
such as Joe Montana or Michael Irvin? You can do that as well. At any
point in a career, you can retire your player or coach and pick a new
one without interfering with the rest of the league.
Player progression
was one of the major problems I have had with Madden. You could have
a player who performed very well throughout the year, but would not
increase in skill or overall rating until the following year. That
changes this year. Player progression is now based on an XP system
that allows you to improve your player throughout the year. You get
XP from practice, completing weekly challenges, season challenges,
and for reaching milestones in each player's career. The challenges
will be based on what kind of player you have, or when the player was
drafted. If the player was drafted late in the draft, the challenges
will tend to be easier at first until they prove that they are
starting material. Players taken in the first round would be expected
to meet harder challenges like that of seasoned players.
Additionally, the predetermined potential rating is completely gone.
Any player has unlimited potential and could be a superstar. If you
meet your challenges, you will improve in your overall rating. If you
do not complete a set amount of challenges you may see a decrease in
your overall rating. Because of this, backups will also need ample
time on the field. How can they really progress in the early years if
they are always on the bench? And backups will be important now, as
injuries won't just end at the “end of season” but can continue
into the off season or the beginning of the next season. Injuries can
cause players to lose stats, so if a player is prone to injury, they
could end up being a liability rather than a resourceful player.
I always felt that
it was hard to feel connected to new players coming into the league.
But now they have added a few ways to get acquainted and actually
care about newer players. You will get scouting tokens to unlock
attributes and stats of college players. You will also be able to
follow their storyline, so if they had a bad game, did particularly
well in a game, got injured, whatever; It will tell you, and it can
affect the player building up to the draft. All of this with the new
XP system gives you another reason to be more involved with your new
players.
Some final
additions to the game. There will be a salary cap for online mode.
When you sign your players, it will be based on actual NFL contracts;
such as signing bonuses and incentives. Players may play differently
based on what kind of system you run. A player who is rated 90 for
you may be an 80 for another team, or even a 95. You can sign free
agents during the off-season and have a roster size of up to 75 for
training camps and pre season. The CPU can make trades with you, not
just on draft day. There will be a new legacy feature that will
compare you to the rest of the members of your league. There are
several things you can do to increase your legacy score, such as
breaking NFL records, getting your players to the Pro Bowl, winning
the Super Bowl, etc.
There is still so
much more that I did not cover here. I am very excited about this
upcoming Madden game. However, I am a bit skeptical about how these
features will work for online play and the options we will be able to
control. While it's fun to play online, not everyone will have the
time to explore all the features. This could give some players an
advantage over others and may actually push some away from the game.
In all previous Madden games, you would just play your game each
week. Now you have to maintain an entire team. I love the possibility
of team managers competing against each other, while maintaining
salary cap and finding solid players during the off-season. Although
again, those players may not have the time to manage their team to be
able to stay competitive. Another issue I have is you may not be able
to control what happens to your coach or player. If the team decides
you are not living up to their expectations, they can cut you, and
you would be forced to retire or find a new team. I don't care for
this particular aspect of the game, as I would want to stick with the
team I had shaped and molded. Hopefully they will include an option
to turn this off. In the end though, on paper, this seems like the
best Madden game to come out in years. Let's just hope it lives up to
our expectations!
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