Madden 08 nice but not "impressive".

Maybe it’s my age, my lack of commitment to learning, but Madden 08 is nice, but it falls pretty short of impressive.

After a 3 year abscense from my rather slim game collection, I finally decided to break down and buy Madden NFL football for my now outdated PS2.  I suppose I don’t fit the college kid who can work his fingers really fast to memorize all of the control sequences and options.

What I noticed first was that there was a more fluid motion to the players than I remember which of course was nice.  Visually it is close to being a masterpiece and I am sure that on the high-end platforms such as PS3 and the new X-Box that it becomes stunning.  But I still only have PS2.

I found that the kicking option with the right stick control (not sure what letter it is) is rather smooth and it only took a few moments for me to jump right in and kick a 54 yard field goal.  I really like the feature although I will have to use the coffin corner practice mode to learn to punt as I shank everything that is not down the middle.

Offline I have enjoyed the game more.  It seems more fluid.  There are a few things that I do not like in the online game play.  The first of which is the QB line of site.  A yellow high-light that focuses on the WR he is looking at.  For one, it gives the defense the knowledge that you are playing in that direction, to that WR.  You can of course switch it to another receiver but you must press and hold the R2 button then select the WR letter you want to switch to, release R2 and press that WR button again to actually throw the ball.  Forget about multiple reads, there is usually barely enough time for one, and if they blitz, you can forget about that.  Try and throw to a WR that is not high-lighted and who knows where the ball will end up.

The other thing I do not like is the toggle of the mic on the left joy stick.  Pressing too hard will cut off the mic and it will usually take a few minutes to realize you have muted everything…in the meantime your opponent will likely think your pissed at them.

The hit stick I am not a fan of.  Switching to the player closest to the ball and maintaining your direction in the process is hard enough, trying to remember to use the hit stick the right joy stick can be annoying…especially when you can’t do it and the other guy can.  If you wonder why they can cause you to fumble but you can’t do the same…that’s why.

So positives to the game, if I can figure out how they work is the ability to assign defensive players to a certain offensive player.  You can “spotlight” a WR, TE, or RB and by such will have that player under more control.  For example if you spot Ronnie Brown, the defensive unit will attack with more focus on stopping Brown on that play.  So if you are thinking run, spot the RB.  Pretty cool feature.

The defense also has more audibles and line shifts and more roll up coverages as well.  It makes for a fun time on the defense…sometimes.

On offense I still have not found out how to correctly do audibles, change the routes of my receivers at the line of scrimmage or block assign which apparently you can do but I couldn’t tell you how.

For all the hiccups I think Madden is a nice game.  I think that at some point they have to realize that it is in fact a game and that it is not nescesary to add so much each year.  If your a seasoned veteran at the game the changes probably mean little to you, but if your a novice rookie it can be overwhelming and frustrating.  Especially when your getting beaten by your little brother.

I rate the graphics an 8 out of 10 only because of the platform.  The highlights you see on TV are nice, but in actual game play, it is not like that at all.  Replays will give you those screen shots.

I give the play of the game a 6 out of 10.  I feel as though they overdid it.  The folks at EA Sports should spend some time realizing that overall game play could be better if they would cut back on a few of the bells and whistles.

Overall, I give the game a 7.5 out of 10.  It is worth playing and owning if you have the patience to learn how to do it.  If you are looking to buy, sign on, and play online, your in for some surprises.

Still, at least they did not put Michael Vick on the cover.