Madden NFL

[chain]

Madden NFL

 

 

TgikcJD5cj0

 

So Madden NFL 11, shipping tomorrow in the usual assorted flavors for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, and PSP. It's also reportedly in the offing for Apple iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) and Nintendo's 3DS, the former debuting in tandem with the console and handheld versions, the latter debuting who-knows-when, since the 3DS won't ship stateside until sometime next year.

 

What's new in Madden NFL 11? Aside from the standard roster update, this year's version adds a feature called GameFlow, which EA says represents their attempt to fix glaring disparities between their play call system and the real deal. According to EA, "coaches don't go into a game with their full playbook like you do in our game."

 

"When it's 2nd down and 3 yards to go, they don't thumb through a 3-ring binder with 350 plays in it. They find tendencies before the game and build a game plan to exploit the other team's weaknesses. This means they call plays based on the situation."

 

Thus GameFlow, a process whereby a team coach snap-advises you at each down's outset. You can either approve the recommended play, tweak it, or bring up the full playbook and fiddle until you're happy. It sounds more or less like prior installments' recommended play with a voiceover perk, and with that vocal advice prerecorded and not truly dynamic, EA's really gambling on the feature having legs.