Madden NFL 2005 impressions

[Perfect Stu]

Got the PS2 version yesterday

-running system is great. sweeps/tosses work this year, as your blockers will seal the defenders and you can cut the corner and head upfield. momentum is a big factor...juking to avoid a head-on collision will get you tripped up allowing you to fall forward for a couple extra yards, while getting nailed head on will stop you dead in your tracks and a decent chance at a fumble or injury. anybody who's played RB will notice how real this really is.

-passing system: It's in the game. no more throwing off your back foot completing a 40 yarder to a receiver in coverage. it'll get knocked down or picked 19 times out of 20. You have to find the zones, hit receivers in stride and read the defense. It's harder...which to me is fantastic, as I could put up 300+ yards a game all the time in previous Madden games if I wanted to.

-DEFENSE! it's completely revamped. Defensive hot routes is genious...by using the right analog stick and cycling through your defenders, you can change their role by sending them on a blitz, deep zone, flat zone, or QB spy. It eliminates the advantage that used to be for offense. If you had your safety blitzing but notice that Randy Moss is out wide on 3rd and long, a flick of the right analog stick will have your safety in deep zone.

tacking animations are great, especially with the new hit stick feature. it's tough to get the timing down, but I think it's really gonna be worth it once I do.

I have to play more to get more of a feel for the game, which I will at this time. Cheers.