Every year, the team at Tiburon is challenged by their EA Sports overlords to do more than simply improve upon the previous year’s Madden game. They have to come up with a new gimmick, a new game play feature, something that the marketing guys an players can sink their teeth into, a theme that the new trailers can be based on, and preferably something that their cover athletes are known for. Available for the Playstation 3, Playstation 2, xbox 360, and the Nintendo Wii, Tiburon has taken this Madden game to the next level. Check out the trailer…
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This year’s Madden is all about substance. Say goodbye to the futuristic menu backdrops and overly stylized menu systems. They have been replaced by a simpler display. Images of NFL players and fans flash in the background as you work your way through the different menu options, which are now a less abrasive font and seem to have a better flow as you progress.
Keeping with this theme is the actual game play of Madden NFL 10. One of the new features is called Pro-Tak, short for Procedural Tackling. It sounds simple enough, but EA Sports hopes that the impact on game play is huge. Pro-Tak allows for three-to-nine man gang tackles. When I was given a demo of the mechanic, there was a nice physical reaction to the pile every time another player joined the fray. This feature alone has enhanced the game play of the Madden series 10-fold. A huge lineman slamming into the pile will reveal how big on an impact it just has.
Pro-Tak also allows for players, both offensive and defensive, to steer tackles as they happen. That means if you’re using a big back like Brandon Jacobs you’ll be able to fight for every yard. I can’t believe I just wrote that. dIf you can’t fight for every yard and your forward progress is stopped by defenders, the refs (all seven of which are on the field for you to interact with) will blow the play dead, just like they do in real life.
Madden NFL 10 also sees a few visual additions in the way of hand warmers and towels on players that are realistically animated as they run down the field. There’s also depth of field for the very first time. It’s not all that noticeable from a standard, pre-hike game play camera, but once you go into a replay the effect is evident. There are also smaller details like authentic Super Bowl insignias on jerseys for the next few weeks when it’s time for the big game. Madden NFL 10 is available now for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and Playstation 2 video game consoles. Try it today before you buy it.
