PlayStation 3
Released in 2014 by EA Sports
Grade: A-
Madden 15 is another solid football game, with the quick action, intuitive control scheme, and tactical depth you’d expect. It has a few positive changes from the previous version, Madden 25, but also a couple horrible bugs.
Where it falls in the series
It’s the ninth of 11 Madden games on PS3. The series was already on its second version on the next gen, so you’ve got a classic “60-dollar roster update” type of game here.
Praises and gripes
Before embarking on my quest to review the Madden series, I heard that its PS3 era was known to be a yearly disappointment, with stupid gimmicks instead of substantial gameplay improvements. That’s what I heard.
What I’ve found is the series started on shaky footing with Madden 07, but then the games improved a little bit each year. The major misstep in that process is Madden 13, with its unpolished new physics engine, but then it was fixed the next year.
All the while, one unforgivable constant was that the game always had some glitches that made you doubt that they tested these games before selling them. Also, the menus are complicated and slow, which never got fixed.
The point is, the gameplay is as good as it’s going to get at this point. Some football enthusiasts diligently criticize fundamental flaws, but if you ask me, the gameplay is damn good.
So, to describe how this game is different from the one before it is like noting that a hamburger has 55 sesame seeds on it instead of 50. But I’m going to do it anyway.
In this version, you’ve got yet another tackle, the “conservative tackle,” to go along with diving tackles and the hit stick. When engaged with a lineman, you push buttons instead of using the right stick to get past him. Defenses stop the run much more, which inspires a pass-happy approach that was becoming commonplace in the NFL around this time.
Defenders have new ways to pick off passes. Often times the guy snagging the INT is actually covering someone you didn’t throw to, and he magically reads the pass just right. Other reviewers complain that QBs are too accurate, yet some throws miss by a mile.
Like with last year’s game, I found myself going to the internet for suggested sliders to alter the game logic. In general, my fellow dorks opt for settings that loosen the AI’s shackles. They lower QB accuracy and compensate by lowering interceptions. They make run blocking less reliable and compensate with more broken tackles. In the end, it results in more organic, unpredictable gameplay. You can get away with a few mistakes, but you also have plays fall apart for reasons out of your control. It also places more value in playing zone defense, which is good in a game that seems to favor man-to-man year after year.
Presentation-wise, the camera view is more comfortable at the start of each play, and there’s a bit less repetitive nonsense between plays, but still the same amount of wait time. There are some new practice modes, which I like.
In terms of bugs, there are fewer of them, but they’re pretty bad ones. You get occasional freeze-ups, just long enough to make you wonder if you need to restart the console. You might notice a weird animation here and there. I once had my linebacker nail the quarterback, who magically stayed upright like nothing happened. And in a frustrating moment, I couldn’t snap the bell after making a few adjustments, and I had to frantically audible to a different play.
I’ve read that the bugs were just deplorable upon the game’s release, but luckily your PS3 will automatically download a patch to fix those when you boot up the game.
All in all, I’d still give Madden 25 a very slight edge. I’ll take its bugs over this game’s bugs.