EA Sports finally releaed one of the most anticipated trailers of the year as many fans had not seen any Madden 18 gameplay outside of off screen cell phone footage from EA Play.
The new trailer showed that it will contain the features and improvements discussed in our EA PLAY video. But it’s great to see the actual gameplay along with it.
Thanks to the power of this generation of consoles and the Frostbite engine, the developers are able to render the entire stadium and the surrounding area.
It’s great to see the crowd getting hyped. We’re looking forward to seeing exactly how great the crowd noise and interaction will be on release. The player intros looked great as Cam Chancellor and QB Tyrod Taylor entered the area with their intro celebrations. In these closer shots, you can see the graphical improvements made from Madden 17 along with the smoke and lighting affects made possible by Frostbite.
The trailer shows off target passing, a new feature that lets you throw the ball to anywhere on the field. Now you can lead a player or choose an unexpected spot to throw the ball, rather than always having to throw it directly at a player. They added a second target, which shows you where an accurate pass would end up. We’re excited to see how we can best use it when the game comes out.
As we previously mentioned in our coverage, target passing is not mandatory. Target passing will probably get a lot more use from the hardcore gamers. But utilizing and practicing with target passing will create a skill gap between players on the competitive level.
They fixed the drop ratings from last year that plagued wide receivers. As we’ve reported before, players over a certain percentage will no longer drop the ball in certain game modes.
With the right analog stick allowing you to move with your wide receivers to beat the jam, you now have more control. They removed the “swerve” from last year and polished the RB moves.
Coach adjustments are now a much bigger deal. They allow you to control how your team plays on offense and defense. It also allows you to set cornerback matchup to keep your best corner on the opposition’s best wide receiver. The ability to control the coaches adds new layers of strategy. You have the choice to be aggressive or conservative with plays on a macro level, and you can reap the benefits or suffer the consequences depending on the payoff.
Wide receivers now have different releases from foot fire to a hop step or a go. Dez shows this off in the trailer.
For blocking, you have downfield blocking, pullers leading blockers into the impact, and cut block user mechanics. For tackling, you have reach tackles and up or down hit stick tackles.
Arcade, Simulation, and Competitive mode are three new play styles available in Madden 18. Arcade allows for more spectacular plays and limited penalties. Simulation features authentic rules and gameplay ratings become critical. Competitive play encourages you to show off your stick skills, be unpredictable, and pullout every trick you know. In competitive mode, the player’s input will matter much more than ratings.
Madden 18 launches on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 on August 25th. Those who pre-order the G.O.A.T. Edition of the game can get access three-days early on August 22.
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