Madden 12 Reviews

[Teren_Kanan]

How many minute quarters? I play the five minute quarter and I only average about 130 yards rushing and about 150 passing though I mix it up. I can definitely run at will.

What settings do you guys play on?

I play 11 minute quarters with the clock running down to 17 seconds, on heavily modified AI settings.

It's the closest I can get to having realistic stats at the end of a game.

Even if I play 15 minute quarters though my defense never has a normal amount of tackles.

Really wish I could get it set up where I can get realistic stats for 15 minute quarters.

The new Menu's and layout of everything are AWFUL.

Any menus listing players and stats are just awful. Instead of having the border at the top listing the player, the border now moves down with each player, and splits the stats in half making it hard to read on the fly. Really super annoying. Don't know why they made this change, but it's awful.

The defense is where I notice the games changes the most. This is the first year where I feel the defense has the advantage if you are unfamiliar with the game. When two newbs play each other the score should be very low, and this is the first Madden I think that does that. In previous years if two newbs played each other the score was going to be like 30+ pts each team.

A lot of AI tweaks have been done to the defense. You can actually get pressure and sacks vs the AI without resorting to ridiculous pre-snap adjustments. Used to be really hard to sack a CPU QB without that crap in previous versions (at least on All Pro or All Madden), as the QB would always instantly pass to someone before being touched.

The LB's still play the ball a bit too well once it's in the air. The amount of times an LB will jump up while the ball is already in the air and knock it down with 1 hand is really over done.

Still too many dropped balls on defense. I don't necessarily think there should be more picks, but too often I see a ball lob over to a defender who has time to just step up and make the catch with two hands, and it's a drop 80% of the time.

I actually feel like I can run a defense without having to adjust a play pre-snap very much. Man coverage is pretty solid in this year as well.

On the offensive side of the ball. I still notice running plays getting blown up in the backfield way too often, but in general the running game has improved. Deep routes are also much improved.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Honestly, I started my franchise on default. 5 minute Quarters and Pro level. Not sure how things get on the harder levels, but I haven't actually had to learn to much playing the PC. Now, my son makes it much more difficult. Blitzing every play can kill you and the Quarters Zone blitz is death in a can.

I tire quickly, so I'm not sure I will play more than this season. I'm sure I will finish the season though. (11-0 right now) Though Miami and Eagles game were close. Eagles because Vick was a *****, and Miami because there defense was "oh ****" rofl. I got picked off three times against Miami. Their offense wasn't **** though, but not only did I get picked off, but running the ball was so much more difficult that all other teams. (for whatever reason)

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

Does anyone play this online?

 

[urface59]

WHats with Maddens love of Olshansky? I know he won't be on the team in the next roster update but they have consistently rated him in the 80s as our best DE :laugh2:

 

[tupperware]

WHats with Maddens love of Olshansky? I know he won't be on the team in the next roster update but they have consistently rated him in the 80s as our best DE :laugh2:

They didn't have a Dance rating area so his 100 rating in that category must have bled over in to some others.

 

[Alumni2k11]

Ended up selling my copy. How's NCAA 12?

 

[YosemiteSam]

You can actually get pressure and sacks vs the AI without resorting to ridiculous pre-snap adjustments.

WHats with Maddens love of Olshansky?

Yep. I can sack the QB 1-2 times a game and drive him into the dirt at least 5 more times a game with Olshansky. I get several more TFL. Though I recently updated my roster so I probably don't have him anymore. :laugh2:

The funny thing is, I could rush the passer with him a lot better than Ratliff. I need to start using Ware instead cause he only has three freaking sacks and I've play at least 11 games. My sack leader though is Jason Hatcher. I play him in nickel and dime situations. :laugh2:

 

[Baileyneverfailey]

I really hope they release a giant patch or something to make this game less ridiculous. I love the new tackling animations and some of the other stuff, but the game is far too easy. My buddy and I play franchise mode together, and we're now on all Madden with many sliders adjusted to make it even more difficult, yet we still win every game and score 50+ points.

Kenyon Coleman has 12 sacks through 7 games, and Felix Jones has 1300 yards. We have something like 25 TDs to 1 INT passing. It's just silly.

 

[Ren]

Does anyone play this online?

I only play online, no matter what you do in this game the AI is just to stupid to give you a good game so franchise is a gigantic waste of time

 

[AmishGangsta]

Hmm, I usually find it hard finding a difficulty that is not too easy or too hard.

I'm a pretty good madden player, but struggle against the computer on All madden (I play better against actual players, than I do the CPU) - especially when using the Commanders. Linebackers jump 20 feet in the air and pick passes off. If I don't run the same money plays over and over, I tend to throw a lot of picks.

I could use some good sliders...

All pro was pretty competitive for me - at first (likely because the skins suck in the game), but as I added to my team in franchise mode, it got too easy.

TBH I expected more new franchise features, but there really aren't that many. The main changes come in gameplay I think, game is more fluid.

I recommend the Houston Texans playbook - lots of good running plays, and screens.

 

[Muhast]

Yep. I can sack the QB 1-2 times a game and drive him into the dirt at least 5 more times a game with Olshansky. I get several more TFL. Though I recently updated my roster so I probably don't have him anymore. :laugh2:

The funny thing is, I could rush the passer with him a lot better than Ratliff. I need to start using Ware instead cause he only has three freaking sacks and I've play at least 11 games. My sack leader though is Jason Hatcher. I play him in nickel and dime situations. :laugh2:

Having the same issue. I have 9 sacks through 8 games with Coleman. Spears has 6. Ware has 3. I blitz Ware all the time, but he just never gets to the QB in the game.


What the heck is up with Accelerated clock not being able to be turned off. I HATE playing 5 min quarters and having 3 minutes of that accelerated off the clock. It drives me crazy.

 

[Muhast]

Hmm, I usually find it hard finding a difficulty that is not too easy or too hard.

I'm a pretty good madden player, but struggle against the computer on All madden (I play better against actual players, than I do the CPU) - especially when using the Commanders. Linebackers jump 20 feet in the air and pick passes off. If I don't run the same money plays over and over, I tend to throw a lot of picks.

I could use some good sliders...

All pro was pretty competitive for me - at first (likely because the skins suck in the game), but as I added to my team in franchise mode, it got too easy.

TBH I expected more new franchise features, but there really aren't that many. The main changes come in gameplay I think, game is more fluid.

I recommend the Houston Texans playbook - lots of good running plays, and screens.

Yea I have had London Fletcher have a 1 handed INT with his back turned. Defensive linemen for the skins Adam Carriker had two ints in one game where he dropped back in coverage and jumped 10 feet in the air and caught it. Deangelo Hall is the worst though. He'll have his back turned to the ball and then instantly break to where the ball was thrown behind him for the pick.

I still win pretty big though, but thats annoying.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I'm a pretty good madden player, but struggle against the computer on All madden (I play better against actual players, than I do the CPU) - especially when using the Commanders. Linebackers jump 20 feet in the air and pick passes off. If I don't run the same money plays over and over, I tend to throw a lot of picks.

Two things. First is, you either aren't reading the defense properly, (throwing into coverage) or you are throwing the ball wrong. (either timing, location, how yard to throw the pass, or not leading the receiver)

You can lead receivers you know. As you get on the higher levels, it's a skill you need to make use of. It also burns actual players if you've got it mastered. You can throw the ball where their defender just cannot defend it.

 

[Muhast]

Two things. First is, you either aren't reading the defense properly, (throwing into coverage) or you are throwing the ball wrong. (either timing, location, how yard to throw the pass, or not leading the receiver)

You can lead receivers you know. As you get on the higher levels, it's a skill you need to make use of. It also burns actual players if you've got it mastered. You can throw the ball where their defender just cannot defend it.

Typically the routes that the LBer's jump are In routes,seam routes with TEs,or Posts.

The LB will jump 10 feet in the air and knock the ball down, or have a one handed grab.

I play in all-madden mode. Maybe thats why. All-Pro is too easy for me, once I figured out that you can audible any slot wr to run a slant to the sideline and the computer simply can't cover it.

Try it sometime

 

[YosemiteSam]

Typically the routes that the LBer's jump are In routes,seam routes with TEs,or Posts.

The LB will jump 10 feet in the air and knock the ball down, or have a one handed grab.

I play in all-madden mode. Maybe thats why. All-Pro is too easy for me, once I figured out that you can audible any slot wr to run a slant to the sideline and the computer simply can't cover it.

Try it sometime

Lighten your throw then. You don't have to bullet a seam route.

As for In routes, you need to lead the WR wide of the LB that is in zone. If you are throwing over the LB'ers head, then you deserve to get picked off.

 

[Baileyneverfailey]

Except that in real football, you can throw a post route 15 yards behind the middle linebacker on a bullet easily and not have to worry about him having a chance at the ball.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Except that in real football, you can throw a post route 15 yards behind the middle linebacker on a bullet easily and not have to worry about him having a chance at the ball.

If the ball is higher than a LBer can jump, then it isn't a bullet. (Well, unless your QB and receiver are over 15 feet tall.) That is kind of the point of referring to it as a bullet. It's travelling fast enough that it's height doesn't change as it travels the distance between the QB and the receiver.

You know, not all passes (yep, even in the NFL) aren't thrown as hard as possible. There is a reason for this! :laugh2:

 

[AmishGangsta]

I have a narrow window to begin with, with the Skins QBs

But you know what I think it is? I'm so used to online play, that the fast speed of playing the computer throws my timing off.

Even if you have a fast connection in a game, there's a slight lag online. So then I goto play the computer and everything seems really fast - of course, it could also be the beer.

 

[Muhast]

Anyone else finding punt returns easy?

I can get 15-20 yard returns almost every punt.

Also blocking XP and FGS is pretty easy.

 

[Ren]

Anyone else finding punt returns easy?

I can get 15-20 yard returns almost every punt.

Also blocking XP and FGS is pretty easy.

i love people who just try to punt as far as they can i always get a good return off them. if you kick it high and let your coverage get down the field it's almost impossible to get a good return as anything but a fair catch will be met with a hit stick almost instantly and you'll be lucky not to fumble