EAs ever-popular franchise continues with Madden NFL 08, further replicating the game of football in all its detail and complexity. Like most sports franchises, Madden NFL 08 doesnt stray far from last years incarnation, adding a few new features and game play options to keep fans coming back for more.
Other than the usual updates to graphics and character animations, this years features include the "Hit Stick 2.0 function, which allows players to choose whether their defensive player tackles high or low by flicking the right analogue stick accordingly; "Weapons icons that let the player know who their star players are and what their speciality is; and a "Superstar mode that allows you to take control of an individual rookie (either created in Madden 08 or imported from EAs NCAA Football 08), guiding him through a series of training "mini-games, signing him with an agent, getting drafted into the NFL, and playing your character (and only your character) during the NFL season.
Of course there are also the traditional game types such as Quick Play and Franchise, which allows you to take full control of every aspect of an NFL team, including finances, contracts, drafts and on-field action. You can even create your own new NFL Franchise team from scratch, designing everything from uniforms to stadiums to play books and then pitting your team against real NFL teams. Madden 08 also has a strong focus on multi-player gaming, both local and on-line. Gamers can battle head to head on the same console, take their game to the world on Xbox Live, or work together in teams of up to four players playing different positions in Co-op mode.
Madden NFL 08 is one of the most consistently popular titles for good reason: it is one of the most detailed, visually attractive and well-designed games on the market. This game has enough detail and variety of game play to please hardcore football fans with an intimate knowledge of the sport, while at the same time being out-of-the-box fun for less savvy players who dont want to get bogged down the intricacies of the NFL. The controls and strategies are simple enough that new players can still have fun playing at the most shallow level of football understanding, while allowing skilled Football fanatics to control every aspect of the game in exacting detail. The one complaint I do have is that the in-game camera perspective sometimes does not allow a wide enough field of view on a standard definition TV, often cutting off the movements of the wide receivers after the snap and making it difficult to judge their openness for a pass.
Madden NFL 08 is not only a top-notch sports game, it is a great videogame, period, providing endless hours of play, a plethora of modes that allow players to experience the game from different perspectives, and an amazing simulation of football in all its gridiron glory. This isnt just a game for armchair quarterbacks there is something in Madden 08 for just about everyone.
(EA)Other than the usual updates to graphics and character animations, this years features include the "Hit Stick 2.0 function, which allows players to choose whether their defensive player tackles high or low by flicking the right analogue stick accordingly; "Weapons icons that let the player know who their star players are and what their speciality is; and a "Superstar mode that allows you to take control of an individual rookie (either created in Madden 08 or imported from EAs NCAA Football 08), guiding him through a series of training "mini-games, signing him with an agent, getting drafted into the NFL, and playing your character (and only your character) during the NFL season.
Of course there are also the traditional game types such as Quick Play and Franchise, which allows you to take full control of every aspect of an NFL team, including finances, contracts, drafts and on-field action. You can even create your own new NFL Franchise team from scratch, designing everything from uniforms to stadiums to play books and then pitting your team against real NFL teams. Madden 08 also has a strong focus on multi-player gaming, both local and on-line. Gamers can battle head to head on the same console, take their game to the world on Xbox Live, or work together in teams of up to four players playing different positions in Co-op mode.
Madden NFL 08 is one of the most consistently popular titles for good reason: it is one of the most detailed, visually attractive and well-designed games on the market. This game has enough detail and variety of game play to please hardcore football fans with an intimate knowledge of the sport, while at the same time being out-of-the-box fun for less savvy players who dont want to get bogged down the intricacies of the NFL. The controls and strategies are simple enough that new players can still have fun playing at the most shallow level of football understanding, while allowing skilled Football fanatics to control every aspect of the game in exacting detail. The one complaint I do have is that the in-game camera perspective sometimes does not allow a wide enough field of view on a standard definition TV, often cutting off the movements of the wide receivers after the snap and making it difficult to judge their openness for a pass.
Madden NFL 08 is not only a top-notch sports game, it is a great videogame, period, providing endless hours of play, a plethora of modes that allow players to experience the game from different perspectives, and an amazing simulation of football in all its gridiron glory. This isnt just a game for armchair quarterbacks there is something in Madden 08 for just about everyone.