The overall presentation in Madden NFL 15 makes a nice leap from last years new-gen debut
For years, defensive play in Madden has always been a chore you have to do in between the fun parts where you’re trying to score. Things are different this year, and it’s a hugely important and long-overdue upgrade. Defense now feels impactful, like you’re in charge of how things play out instead of just waiting for the offense to mess up.
It does this in two ways: first, you have this all-new defensive camera that faces toward the quarterback. You get to stare down your primary objective during pass rush, and race right toward him as soon as the play starts. Fighting your way through the offensive line with the mashing of the face buttons is an exciting charge.
If you’re looking to force interceptions, controlling a member of the secondary remains advantageous since you’re more likely to pick off a pass when you’re in the driver’s seat, rather than when trusting the AI. The behind-the-back view that works so well for a pass rusher is disorienting when you swing over to a safety or cornerback, but on-the-fly adjustments allow you to switch to the classic camera angle that’s more advantageous in these circumstances. Still, you’re more equipped to defend passes than ever before as long as long as you stay tight on a receiver, and barreling through a strong offensive line to drag a top quarterback to the ground is supremely satisfying. Systems that previously felt automated now require your undivided attention, giving you more reasons to stay engaged in all four quarters of a game.
The new generation of consoles has been kind to Madden. While the PS4 and Xbox One version of last fall’s Madden NFL 25 only features slightly upgraded visuals from its last-gen counterparts, its significant gameplay improvements won over hardened football fans. Less than a year later, Madden 15 arrives as a more ambitious effort. There are significant modifications in key areas--analytic data and play-calling among them--that bring a more modern feel to Madden even though they border on information overload. An impressively spruced-up presentation combined with further refinements of the core gameplay results in steady progress for the better--and a really fun game of football most of the time.
Analytics are all the rage in real-world sports these days, and Madden 15 delivers them in a big way. Information is presented to you in real time, and much of it takes place as you’re walking towards the line of scrimmage. A nifty right stick-driven analysis module allows you to judge matchups and check tendencies before you snap the ball, giving you actionable data about potential success points or risky choices. If the right side of your line is struggling to block an overpowering defensive lineman, you’ll know this immediately and can make adjustments; conversely, if your slot receiver has a big speed advantage against a defender, you can tinker with his route and exploit that weakness. Even if you’re just observing, the coaching tool becomes a go-to feature every play. The effect is immediate and positive, as you learn to make sense of what’s presented then employ tactics based on the feedback.
Offensive tempo is another big part of modern football, and the most welcome improvement to play-calling comes in the form of new settings that let you tweak the pace of your games. Madden NFL 15 features two Tempo toggles--‘No Huddle’ and ‘Chew Clock’ (in addition to the default of ‘Normal’). ‘No Huddle’ makes your offense get to the line quickly and forces the defense to do the same, while ‘Chew Clock’ automatically brings the play clock down to 10 seconds as you break the huddle. There are clear advantages and disadvantages to both settings. If you go no huddle and speed up the pace, you can wear down defenses and catch them off guard. However, you can’t change your personnel while doing so, and are limited in the variety of plays you can call. On the other hand, chewing the clock eliminates those awkward late-game “just standing around to kill time” moments everyone hates. The downside is the defense gets time to rest and there are precious few seconds to make any adjustments. These nifty additions are easy to turn on and off as the situation changes, and add a good deal of strategy to every drive.
