The aftereffects of the NFL lockout even extend to video games. Out of the box, EA Sports’ “Madden NFL 12” for the most part reflects the league as it was before the players and owners agreed to the new collective bargaining agreement. Yes, the rookies are there, but the announcers refer to Jake Locker, for instance, simply as “the quarterback.” Donovan McNabb and Albert Haynesworth remain in the Redskins’ starting lineup. And Randy Moss isn’t retired. Anyone who doesn’t subscribe to Xbox Live is stuck with out-of-date rosters.
And that’s a shame because everything else about the game is immaculately detailed. From the player entrances to the stadiums to the new capture technology based off NFL Films, it’s simply beautiful.
Not much has changed as far as gameplay, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing new. The franchise mode now features bigger rosters and cut days in the preseason. The game also includes something EA Sports is calling “Dynamic Player Performance.” In some sense, it gives the game almost a roleplaying gameelement. Significant players can have good or bad traits that reflect not only how the AI controls the player but also how the player performs. It also deals with confidence and consistency, meaning a player’s rating can change week to week in franchise mode.
| ‘Madden NFL 12’ |
| » Systems: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP |
| » Price: $59.99, $49.99, $39.99 |
| » Rating: 4 out of 5 stars |
Anyone who enjoyed last year’s version is going to like “Madden NFL 12.” After all, the rosters are the same.
