14 DAY TRIAL // The development team at EA Sports has been talking for a while about the defensive focus of Madden NFL 15, which is designed to be the first game in the series to offer a serious balance between the two elements of the sport.
Richard Sherman, the cover athlete, is known for his defensive plays and has managed to lead his team, the Seahawks, to some impressive performances, and all fans playing the game will quickly see that it’s surprisingly easy to stop attacking moves, sometimes with minimal player intervention.
The biggest addition which makes it easy to play as a defender is a cone of green which appears ahead of the controlled player and shows two distinct areas, one in which a safe attack can be performed by pushing down A on the Xbox One, and another where a more risky move, powered by X, can be attempted.
The player can also position himself more easily in the path of the ball carrier, and the combination of the two mechanics makes it relatively easy to stop all of the most skilled opponents.
This element of Madden NFL 15 is enhanced by smarter teammates, who for the top teams do a great job of blocking when needed and can even sack the quarterback on their own in certain situations.
I have not watched enough real world games to known if the defensive is that powerful in the actual league, but in the virtual version of the sport, it feels a little bit overpowered.
But the element of the EA Sports-made game that will annoy veterans is the difficulty introduced in the delivery of passes, which exists regardless of pressure on the quarterback and other factors.
I’m not sure whether defensive unit players are much better at moving into the path of the ball or whether the offensive minded members of the team fail to move as they should, but it’s easier in Madden NFL 15 to win yards by running than by passing.
EA Sports has not yet said whether it considers this to be a bug that will be balanced out via a coming update for the title or if gamers will simply need to find new ways to use their quarterbacks for an improved result.
Until then, play defense aggressively when possible in order to get a significant advantage in Madden NFL 15 and stay conservative when moving towards a touchdown.