The Top 10 Most Anticipated Games for the 2014/2015 Video Game Season

04. Madden NFL 15 (29 August EA Sports)

We may have already touched upon the fact that sports games that are part of well-established game series' tend to be the same pile of testosterone repackaged each annum, but in teh case of Madden that really doesn't mean anything, well, bad...

You see football fans - even serious football fans and we mean that in the American definition of the word 'football' - will tell you that it is NOT Football Season when August rolls around, it is Madden Season!

Each new game in the Madden series comes down to improvements and new features because the basic model of game play is, well, football. This time around Madden 2015 offers some interesting but mostly predictable improvements, the least of which is a new Defense system with more emphasis upon pass rush moves, more intuitive tackling mechanics, and team play.

Well, Player Sense 2.0 creates what we can only describe as the smartest playing Madden ever. It does this by improving player emotion and contextual awareness - as well as head tracking and reach tackles. But those are not the improvements you will actually notice yourself - we had to tell you about them.

The improvements that are so obvious that you can feel them when you play are down to two basic elements of The Game: Zone Coverage and Man Coverage.

The Zone Coverage ratings now have a bigger impact on how quickly defenders break on throws, giving defenders higher ratings in Zone Coverage that causes human-like reactions that feel like they are being made by, well, very smart humans who know a lot about how the game is played.

Not only are the decision-making traits broken down by individual player, you will see that the players on the field - particularly the ones calling the shots - are more likely to play what they know rather than what your typical armchair quarterback calls AFTER a play is made.

The other side of the coin is Man Coverage, which has been heavily tweaked to improve the intuitive nature of tactics like separation receivers are able to get on cuts in their routes, better definition on the field for defenders, and the response patterns you experience when the other side figures out just how badly they misjudged your intentions.

The other really obvious and easy to notice change (improvement really) is the game's Tackling Mechanics, which thanks to the events of Super Bowl XLVIII proved that defense can still win championships.

This year’s Madden offers the most immersive defensive game play control in the franchise history, with a decided emphasis upon new tackling mechanics that change the way defense is played.

This doesn't just include prophylactic changes like those in previous games, but a new take on the actual physics of the mode. For example there is an all-new Tackle Cone applied to the game mech that alters the decision-making process in terms of conservative play.

That's important because it brings the game play closer to what you expect to see in real life. Roughly translated it means that the opposition is not going to be making improbable Hail-Mary style defensive offenses that you know - you KNOW - they would never have tried to do in the real world game because the odds were obviously not in favor of that strategy in the first place.

Not only that but the ballcarriers have been given a more reasonable spider-sense and a more realistic reaction menu in terms of how they react to the moves being made against them. That may not sound like a big deal to you, but if it doesn't you don't know much about the game.

The Tackle Cone is not all that has changed - there are also some sweeping changes to conservative tackles. Specifically user-controlled defenders can now decide between aggressive and conservative tackles, which offers a more realistic alternative to the largely aggressive tackle methods previously the rule.

That doesn't mean that the traditional gung-ho aggressive tackles have been removed or even downplayed - quite the contrary actually - but in the improved system aggressive tackle now combine both dive and hit stick tackles, offering a three-yard instant option zone allowing for a one-button execution when the player is within that range of the ballcarrier.

Those changes make knowing your team even more important than ever before - and in fact athlete specific factors are now much more relevant and involved in play-making decisions than was previously the case. The individual ability footprint for the player as well as a combination of other factors (including player ratings) as well as timing now factor into determining the chances for success.

The point we are making here - and we know you get it - is that this Madden is not just the receiver of enhanced graphics, improved presentation, and up-to-date play-calling (though it does have all of that too!), it is a re-engineered Madden with emphasis being placed on issues that come down to finesse and the Art of Football!

For the first time in a long time it is not just the version of the game you decide to pick that has an impact on play, but when you pick it. We are, of course, speaking of the pre-order bonuses that were attached to the game - but none of that matters anymore since the game literally launched while we wrote this.

Because it has launched we almost removed it from the list and consideration for this article - but in the end we realized that its current state does not really matter because launched or not, it is THE football game everyone has been anticipating and the fact that you can actually get it right now changes nothing about that!

So with that in mind it is the version choice that it all comes down to - either going with the bog-standard retail boxed version of Madden 15, or Madden 15 Ultimate Edition.

Given the choice we would go for the UE every time, but that's because we know what is on offer here - and so should you!

Before we continue we should also add that there is a Digital-Only Version of the game on offer this year for those of you who made the jump to the next gen consoles. If you opt for the Digital version you should be aware that you can actually buy it now (the token is added to your console and you download the game as soon as your queue number is reached on the first available server), you can ONLY opt for this version if your console is located inside the USA. Sorry mates.

Also if you opt for the Digital version of the Ultimate Edition you should be aware that there are some launch-day issues associated with it. Specifically the servers are not accepting the codes for the UE though this is spotty. You may end up having to wait a bit longer to get the server to actually accept your code and begin the download and install process.

When you opt for the Ultimate Edition version of the game you are also getting 30 Madden Ultimate Team (MUT) Pro Packs, as well as a Draft Class Pack that includes 10 of the first round draft picks from the 2014 Draft, and how about that?

The main difference between the retail version and the UE is down to over $40 in Ultimate Team credit that comes with the UE.

What you get for your extra ten bucks (the UE retails for $69.99 US) is the standard retail edition of the game, plus 30 Madden Ultimate Team Packs (UTPs) and a Draft Class Pack (DCP) that features 10 of the 2014 first round NFL Draft picks.

Basically what that translates to is simple: you get to set up and run with your Ultimate Team pretty much from the word go without having to spend any additional fundage. That may not sound like all that big a deal, but hey, we think it is when you consider how much of a grind UT was in the past. Just saying...

Posted: 1st Sep 2014 by CMBF
Tags: Destiny, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, destiny, 2014 2015 games