Madden NFL 25 - Xbox 360

The new menus are a welcome change. The old Madden menu had grown stale and bulky. The menu is sexy and I love the blocky look of it, it takes a page from Microsoft's Metro UI. Everything is well organized and you don't have to go through lists and lists to find what you want. While they can be a little laggy at times, it is the result of the hardware I believe. All the games that have been released recently seem to have some lag problems. I have the same issue in Saints Row IV. I have a brand new Xbox 360 E so I don't think it is on my end.The running game is much improved. It's hard to break off a big run if you don't go through the right hole, but you're not stuck getting tackled at the goal line anymore. If you time your sprint right, you can burst through the hole and get a 20 yard run. Juke the safeties and you can take it to the house. Getting to the sideline is not a guaranteed score in this Madden.Receivers tend to drop the ball a lot when hit after the catch, maybe a little too much. It can be very frustrating after a while, especially when a TE drops the ball when they should hold on to it. The deep ball isn't as easy to throw as it used to be. Compared to Madden games of the past, interceptions are way easier to throw. Don't even think about it if the receiver isn't open. It's very rare to have a catch in traffic, and if it is caught, it's usually dropped on the ensuing hit.Franchise mode is fun. You have the option to play as a player, a coach, or an owner. You can use your face if you upload a GAMEFACE to madden, create a custom character, take control of an existing person, or bring back a legend. Player franchise is not that in-depth, and you spend most of your time simming the game until your player is on the field. Coach mode is able to control rosters and schemes, as well as contracts and depth charts. Owner mode allows you to relocate the team, create new jerseys, build a new stadium, and set prices for tickets and food.One feature I like is the addition of a lot of jerseys, not just one or two for each team. For example, the Lions have their 2011 black alternates, 1997 home and away, 2012 Thanksgiving throwback, 2011 Thanksgiving throwback, and 2011 home and away jerseys. That's nine for the Lions, and some teams have more.

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO ACTUALLY READ! For those of you not paying attention.....THIS IS NOT THE MADDEN YEAR 2025 GAME!!! This is the 25th Anniversary edition 1989-2014 that was released and copyrighted for 2013! It is quite hard to find and sought after and a great game for any system....PS3, PS4, XBOX 360. But once again, understand that this is NOT the 2025 edition that is not even out yet and will not be out until AUGUST OF 2024. Just wanted to make sure that everyone understands exactly what this is and what they are buying here as too many folks aren't taking time to actually read and familiarize themselves with items before they purchase them. Hopefully this helps now that it is literally spelled out for you to understand! THIS IS THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION and NOT the 2025 EDITION.

People kill Madden and EA in these reviews every single year. It's been a long time since they've put out a version I couldn't put down to be sure, but this is the best iteration in at least the last 6 years.I play Madden for franchise mode. Specifically owner mode in franchise. I'm glad they brought back owner mode, it is however lacking in a handful of ways when it comes to actually being an owner. You can only hire a head coach, trainer, and scout. Unlike ancestors to this game where you could actually hire coordinators, such is not the case with this game sadly. You can make upgrades and renovations to your stadium, they are however very generic, not creative, and deteriorate quickly even in the newer stadiums. Gone are the days of adding a new diamond vision, putting in custom irriagation or adding restaurants, internet access, or other fan comforts. There is an option on the dashboard for making comments to the media, but there is no way to actually do so. I think it's probably for another mode. The scouting is somewhat improved, though I miss the days of being able to put prospective recruits through drills at a combine. Also, it would be cool if I could create a player that could be added to franchise owner mode.Gameplay itself feels better than Madden 13. The running mechanics are a HUGE upgrade, it's actually fun to call running plays. I find myself feeding the running back nearly 20 carries a game which makes the passing numbers more realistic. I struggle with motion calls on offense, it seems you are only allowed 1 desigated player that is eligible for motion. That kind of stinks as I have in the past used motion to get a read on defenses. Graphically the game is stunning between the lines, the sideline shots are still a freaking joke though. There has been no effort to make the sidelines look right in any version of Madden ever though. The commentary is dull, repetitive, and not at all reflective of what is actually happening on the field. Phil Simms like to point out how I "overthrew a receiver" for instance when in reality it was underthrown and broken up by a defender. This is just one example of how the play by play call is very lame, hasn't been decent since it was Madden himself.I am being a bit generous with 4 stars, it's really more of a 3.5.

So far so goodWill update later

My kid loved this. Great value