It's Football week here at GA. See what Fabian thinks of EA's latest, and how it compares to 2K2.
Better late than never, we wanted to make certain that you were provided with a review of Madden 2002; with all the new PS2's flying off shelves this holiday season.
While the dust hasn't yet settled from the recently posted NFL 2K2 review (11/27/01), the timing was dangerously right to attack an assessment of EA's system-selling title. And I want to qualify something up front. If you are looking for press propaganda, cloaked amidst a few cleverly placed politically correct remarks, this might not be the review for you. Good, bad or ugly, I like to dig into the games a bit deeper than the box art... okay? Cool! Now on to the game then.
While it is evident that Madden 2002 is based upon the same basic engine of the last three iterations of the franchise, what is clear is that the chemistry and matrix of the game remains firmly rooted in football purity--that on the table, the folks at EA have carefully sought to hone other aspects of the game that weigh heavily on the replay appeal of the title. Let's face it. No matter how good or bad a game looks or feels, if there isn't something about it that tugs at your heartstrings, making you want to continue to play it over and over again the developers have failed at one of the most fundamental aspects making a gaming experience well rounded. So it's some of the little things EA has done that aid Madden 2002 in being one of the most addictive football experiences on the market.
Mechanically, the game is fundamentally a momentum based physics model. This approach to the game design places some constraints on the global "feel" of the in-game interface. Making this sound much less esoteric, what this means is that the game's tactile controller responsiveness (or perceived lack thereof) is fully contingent upon factors such as player weight, speed, surface, weather, agility and relative quickness. As such, a lot of the resulting effect on the gameplay is positive and translates into a more realistic method of handling player movement than with non-momentum based designs.
The other positive effects of using a momentum driven game engine can be seen in areas such as the gait of sprinting players, their rate of movement across the playing surface and the forward progress (due to their momentum) at the stoppage of a drive. The term "fluid" best describes the resulting feel of the finished product. Combined with the merits of analog controller input Madden 2002 is very playable early in the learning curve. The skill challenges arise from an A.I. that often time shows signs of brilliance without simply being cheap. Yes there are a few money plays, and I have yet to play a football game that did not have a single one. But they are not as consistently valid for x number of yards as in the past. And with a strong A.I. tweaking interface the game possesses enough skill level flexibility to allow tailoring the A.I. to the likes and skills of just about anyone.
Admittedly, Madden 2002 is vastly different from Sega's NFL 2K2 in terms of control. As I mentioned in my review of the latter title, NFL 2K2 can feel very twitchy. Simply put, players running at such relative speeds cannot cut 90-degree angles like a bike from Disney's Tron. So transitioning from playing NFL 2K2 to Madden will expose some very different physics models. Hence my choice of the term 'fluid.'
Madden 2002 has a smoothness to the control that feels very polished. The default camera angle is well suited to the run, while the pan back on pass plays is adequate but not ideal. The classic Madden view is best for overall field awareness. Placing players in motion to aid in blocking for a back is a breeze, and this plays a real factor against certain defenses when running the ball--just like in the real NFL. Moreover, there is tons of flexibility at the line of scrimmage when on offense. Plays can be flipped, receiver routes can be changed, it is easy to place players in motion and the audible selections are not only configurable but run very deep allowing for many plays that can be called on the fly.
No matter how you get to the play you are presently running, you will find that running the ball exhibits good balance but could certainly benefit from new animations to shrug off defenders and prevent the recently touted "Mario running" syndrome that does crop up in this game. The animations that exist in running and pass receiving as well as defending the pass are all very good. Next time it would be nice to see some of the newer football innovations integrated into EA's franchise.
Moving right along, when you fake the snap count, your QB does not unrealistically buck his head in what would surely be an NFL penalty-generating situation. The game also allows the user to maintain good control of the QB drop and the roll out. All of these various aspects increase the depth and realism of the game from the offensive side of the ball. Then, so as not to totally hamstring the defense, EA has included a few things on that side of the demarcation line as well.
Before the snap, cycling through available defensive players is crisp and certain. The defense can flip the direction of their play at the line of scrimmage and can use coverage audibles to adjust the depth of the Defensive Backs. Additionally, the Linebackers and Defensive Linemen can be shifted varying degrees in either direction. But more importantly this can be done totally independent of each other. Want to shift the D-Line left and the Linebackers right…do it. Simple as that.
Passing uses the same icon-based system as in past versions, but now Madden 2002 has thrown in the option to have the icons quickly pop up automatically on the snap. This was a Visual Concepts innovation that seemingly has been integrated into Madden. Okay…they stole it! Happy now? Also, the right analog stick can be used to handle hurdles, stiff arms and spins in lieu of the standard button assignments. And the Kick Meter has gotten a useful facelift, going to a PGA Golf style three click system that adds a whole new level of challenge to the normally mundane and inane task of kicking the ball.
The player models are vastly different from Sega's game. All in all I would have to say they are less aggressive looking and smaller in many respects than those found in NFL 2K2. This is mostly due to simple design variances and the way the two games handle presentation, camera angles and the like. Visually Madden uses a library of sound textures and well-crafted polygonal structures. Likewise, the ball physics in this game are superb as well. From the size of the pigskin relative to the player models and field dimensions, the space in this game well represented and is one of the designs strong features.
Another solid feature aspect is the incredibly deep Franchise Mode and Fantasy Draft. Fantasy draft order is varied. You can pick first, last or anywhere in between. It is totally random. In addition, there are provisions for the Houston Texans expansion draft, at the end of the first season; which is an optional aspect totally configurable by the user. Then of course, there are the Madden Cards. Some people express that this is seemingly a waste of time. So I'll throw this argument out there for the helluvit.
Wouldn't it be cool if you could un-retire Barry Sanders and sign him to your Texans expansion draft team? Sure it would be. He could still be playing right now…right!? Well, earn his Historic Player card from the Madden Challenge and you can add him to your Free Agent pool (even after a full 47 round Fantasy Draft) and then negotiate a multi-year deal with his agent to place him in your team's jersey! Now come on now…I know that has some of you Fantasy folks salivating.
With the good that can be said about this game, you can trust that all is not well. Namely, the commentary in this game stinks. Madden is boring, repetitious and not nearly as funny as he can be live. Summerall is just plain ole lame. Together they are sleep-inducing and can't even begin to touch the aural brilliance of NFL 2K2. Other sound effects are just fine, right down to the menu music and such. But I think it is time for Madden and say Dennis Miller? Never mind. This brings me to another point.
Madden's play calling interface off the field is now stale. Also the play depth is waning too. Fortunately, the aforementioned Fly Routes, Audibles and Motion options really make up a lot of the slackness found here. However, buyers will expect a much more ambitious play calling scheme and selection from now on. Visual Concepts has thrown down the gauntlet on this issue and it may now be time for some "Imitation" in lieu of a lack of "Innovation". Either way, the plays and play-calling scheme needs a much-needed facelift. So get to it EA!
Lastly, Madden 2002 could also benefit from the kind of depth 2K2 exhibits with defensive play-calling as well. The Visual Concepts folks in terms of play-calling depth have lofted the bar rather high and that kind of attention to detail goes a long way once you've learned the base nuances of a game and are looking to take things to your interactive experiences to the next level.
Pound for pound Madden 2002 and NFL 2K2 represent the best we've seen from a variety of football titles over the years. Madden 2002 does many things well and displays the polish of a title that has been around (in its incrementally modified form) for several years. But it's Madden's inherently deep replay value that makes the game a real value for the dollar. Couple that with excellent pass execution, solid football strategies and integration with rosters from the graduates of NCAA 2002 and you have very deep, solid, although somewhat aged game of professional football. So there you have it! Let the e-mails fly.
