10 Reasons to be Excited about Madden 15!

Please note - our website does not endorse this top 10 - in fact we think many of things are pretty lame!

10 Improvements to Pre-Play Adjustments and Audibles

Being able to adjust and adapt on the fly is pivotal in the NFL, and some big pre-play adjustments are being added to really change the dynamic of the game. If you're trying to force a fourth down, you can now call to protect the sticks and put an emphasis on preventing the offense from reaching the first-down marker.

You can also call for defensive ends to contain quarterbacks from rolling out of the pocket, and users are being given control of pass coverage techniques. And there's also a short delay between quarterback audibles, which prevents users from rapidly calling for changes in order to throw the defense off guard.


9 NFL Films-Like Presentation Revamp

EA Sports brought aboard former NFL Films Cinematographer Brian Murray as their Presentation Director, and his resume more than speaks for itself. Mentored by Steve Sabol, one of the founders of NFL Films, Murray has also worked on Hard Knocks with HBO.

From more dynamic camera angles to post-play cuts, everything has been revamped to make it feel even more like a true NFL broadcast. The celebrations in the end zone are more organic, down-and-distance markers are finally included, the new overlays and banners look sleeker and more in line with what you typically see on Sunday broadcasts, and there are some great looking player spotlight montages.


8 Improved Playcalling

The playcalling system has been revamped, with plenty of welcome additions and changes. The "Ask Madden" feature has been replaced, and a deeper, more intuitive system is taking its place. It can track plays called based on your history, and it shows how successful those plays have been over time.

Also, using a crowd-sourced system from the online community, recommendations based on the success of certain plays are given. You can also use play concepts to take advantage of your personnel, offering options to use plays like slants and fades that make the best use of your players' strengths.


7 Adaptive AI

Every player has that go-to play that they love to abuse, but it won't be as effective with Adaptive AI. If you love to constantly abuse those out routes, slants or screen plays, expect the defense to better pick up on those tendencies. Keep pounding your tailback to the right side of the line and expect to see the defense start to load up in the box ready to shut you down.


6 Improved Pass Coverage

Hate players that love to abuse those curl and comeback routes? Well, things are going to change drastically. If you see a corner sagging off a receiver in coverage, don't expect that quick curl to be so automatic anymore. Challenge one of the better corners in the league and expect to see them dancing all the way back into your end zone. Zone coverage is expected to be much more effective, with defensive backs reacting and breaking on throws quicker.

If you hate playing against the Seattle Seahawks, you'll be in for more headaches if you dare to challenge them when they play their Cover 3 in a zone. Secondaries are now also able to disguise defenses, showing you one look while playing another coverage entirely. Whether you're playing against someone


5 Better Visuals

Gamers will take better gameplay over visuals any day of the week, but who doesn't want a prettier looking game? It just helps to immerse you in the sim experience, helping to blur the lines between what looks real and fake.

If you thought Madden 25 looked good on next-gen platforms, Madden 15 will blow you away. The attention to detail on player models, lighting and textures is unreal. Even the small details


4 Matchup Stick

For hardcore fans that already know every little detail of every single player and matchup on the field, the matchup stick might not offer a whole lot. But for the more casual fan, it's a godsend. Using a radial wheel, you can look at different positional matchups to see where you have advantages. For example, whether it is speed, height, route running or release, it paints a clear picture of areas you can take advantage of in order to win that battle.

You can also look in the trenches and see where along the line you have advantages against the run and pass. If you see that the right side of your line has the clear edge in run blocking, you would be wise to send your tailback to that side.


3 Robo QB No More (Qbs play to their ratings...)

If you've been playing Madden for long enough, the term "Robo QB" should be quite familiar. It references the pinpoint accuracy and nearly flawless CPU quarterbacks that pick apart defenses with ease no matter their ratings, and it's been the bane of many players for some time now. Now, the elite quarterbacks should see a much more noticeable gap from the less accurate quarterbacks, and you should no longer expect to see inaccurate quarterbacks like Geno Smith dissect opposing secondaries. Quarterbacks with less poise in the pocket should also throw more inaccurate passes when you dial up the pressure and get in their face.


2 The Gauntlet

EA Sports has added a number of new drills to Madden, upping the number to nearly 50. Using those drills, Madden 15 will offer an arcade-like mode called "The Gauntlet," which has players progressing through different drills in order to earn points. Whether you're competing directly against friends or trying to reach the highest score, this mode seems to have an addictive quality that will have you playing for hours on end.


1 War in the Trenches 2.0

The age-old adage that the game is won in the trenches will never be more apparent than in Madden 15. There's now a feature that you can use to time your jump off the snap, and it really changes the way you're able to rush the passer or disrupt plays in the backfield. A well-timed jump should allow you to get the edge on whoever is blocking you in order to really put some pressure on the quarterback or to nail the ball carrier before he's even able to reach the line of scrimmage. The way you're able to engage and interact against offensive lineman is a lot more realistic, and a savvy user should be able to better manipulate the line and pocket.

Instead of relying solely on a bull rush or a swim move, you can get really creative with how you work against your opponent. You can steer blockers to affect the play in different ways, shifting a blocker's momentum to the outside before pulling a quick spin inside to get by him and to your target. You can also disengage blocks easier, allowing defenders to break off in order to contain a running back about to cut through a hole in the line or a mobile quarterback trying to scramble out of the pocket.