Madden NFL 25 (2013 video game)

Last updated
Madden NFL 25
Madden NFL 25 Next-Gen.jpeg
North American seventh-generation cover art featuring Barry Sanders.
Developer(s) EA Tiburon
Publisher(s) EA Sports
Composer(s) Christopher Lennertz
Series Madden NFL
Engine Ignite (PS4, Xbox One)
Infinity 2 (PS3, Xbox 360)
Platform(s) PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4
Xbox 360
Xbox One
iOS
Android
ReleasePlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS
  • NA: August 27, 2013
  • EU: August 30, 2013
PlayStation 4
  • NA: November 15, 2013
  • EU: November 29, 2013
Xbox One
  • WW: November 22, 2013
Android
  • WW: December 23, 2013
Genre(s) Sports

Madden NFL 25 is an American football sports video game based on the National Football League and published by EA Sports. It was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in August 2013. Instead of numbering it Madden NFL 14 with the year like in previous versions, the "25" in the title refers to the 25th anniversary of the Madden NFL series. [1] The eighth-generation console versions of Madden NFL 25 are the first games to run on EA Sports's Ignite game engine. However, the seventh generation versions still run on EA's previous game engine, Impact. The seventh-generation versions featured former Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders on the cover, while the eighth-generation versions featured Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, and were released as launch titles for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in November 2013.

Contents

Gameplay

In Connected Franchise career mode, players own and manage a National Football League (NFL) team. [2] Players can also move teams to new cities, including international markets like Toronto, Mexico City, Dublin and London, or revive historic teams like the Houston Oilers [2] or the London Monarchs from NFL Europe. It was the first time this happened since Madden NFL 12 for the franchise and team relocation since Madden NFL 09 .

Development

The game was announced in early 2013. It was shown in conjunction with EA Sports's Ignite game engine announcement at Microsoft's Xbox One reveal as one of four upcoming games to use the engine. [3] Electronic Arts confirmed the game as an Xbox One and PlayStation 4 launch title at its E3 2013 press conference. [4]

Improvements over the previous Madden titles include upgraded graphics (including for the first time real metallic shine for teams with metallic helmets for the Xbox One and PS4 releases), [5] better real-time physics, new running controls, and a reactive environment, including a playing field that wears out in high-activity areas. [6] The next-gen console versions are better equipped to handle these updates due to their extra processing power. [6] Player-character foot tracking is five times as accurate on the newer consoles. [6] The debuting Ignite game engine tracks all on-field players simultaneously in order to predict path collisions for more realistic impacts. [6] The game can also store more animations to make player movement more realistic. [6] The next-gen versions will also include exclusive features, [6] such as an improvement to pass blocking where increased computer player awareness lets the artificial intelligence change priorities mid-play and double-team players, new to the Madden series. [6] These choices are designed to let the player think more like the quarterback instead of retreating every play to evade the rushing defensive players. [6]

Cover player selection

Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders, who played for the Detroit Lions from 1989 until 1999, won the contest to be featured on the video game's cover over Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings, with 58 percent of the vote. Sanders became the first player to appear on the cover of Madden NFL more than once (he appeared in the background of the Madden NFL 2000 cover). [7] Electronic Arts later announced that Peterson would be on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One game covers, while Sanders will remain on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 cover. [8]

Release

The game was released on August 27, 2013 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was released as a launch title for the PlayStation 4 on November 15, 2013 and as a launch title for Xbox One on November 22, 2013. [6] An announced Anniversary Edition available only at Amazon.com includes a code for NFL Sunday Ticket access. [9]

Pre-order bonuses

Madden NFL 25 includes multiple pre-order bonuses. If pre-ordered through GameStop the user will receive head coach Bill Walsh and quarterback Joe Montana for Madden Ultimate Team and Connected Franchise and Eddie DeBartolo, Jr. for Connected Franchise. If pre-ordered at Wal-Mart; John Madden, Tom Flores, and Fred Biletnikoff for Madden Ultimate Team and Connected Franchise. Amazon: Rod Woodson and Franco Harris for Madden Ultimate Team and Art Rooney, Sr. for Connected Franchise. At Best Buy: head coach Jimmy Johnson and Troy Aikman for Madden Ultimate Team and Connected Franchise. If ordered from Target: Mike Ditka and William "The Refrigerator" Perry for Madden Ultimate Team and Connected Franchise. And finally, if ordered from Origin: Kurt Warner and Warren Moon for Connected Franchise.

Soundtrack

Madden NFL 25's menu music was once again an original orchestrated score, composed by Christopher Lennertz. [10] The licensed soundtrack only plays in stadiums.

Reception

Madden NFL 25 received mostly positive reviews. Jack Devries of IGN gave the game 8.5/10, praising the improved franchise mode, while criticizing the repetitive touchdown celebrations and glitchy presentation, such as the fictional tweets which say teams "barely won", when the final score is 35-14. [11] Joystiq's Mike Suszek scored the game four stars out of five, commenting on the inconsistency of the running game, as a result of the sensitive collision detection of the Infinity engine. [12] On the contrary, Dustin Toms of Operation Sports praised the running game, primarily due to the addition of the pistol offense; Toms scored the game as 7.5. [13]

Brett Todd of GameSpot criticized the commentary by Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, stating that they "offer nothing but inanities, generic observations about the 'offense' and the 'defense' that rarely refer to players by name, and loads of those obnoxious 'I'll tell you what' tics that make Simms so insufferable." Todd also commented that the passing game is too overpowered, though he praised the "Run Free" addition. Ultimately, the score given by Todd was 6.0. [14] Forbes' Erik Kain also criticized the commentary, stating that the exclusive rights deal between EA and the NFL hindered the amount of improvements to the series. On the positive side, Kain praised the "Run Free" feature, calling it a welcome addition to the franchise. [15] Steven Hansen of Destructoid praised the physics, but noted the possible lack of replay value, calling it "Madden XIII-2" due to it being too similar to Madden NFL 13 . [16] GameZone's Lance Liebl gave the PS4 version an 8/10, stating "If you're a football fan and an early owner of one of the next-gen consoles, go out and get Madden NFL 25. There's enough improvements to justify buying it, especially if you do the trade-up program for Xbox One." [17]

During the 17th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Madden NFL 25 for "Sports Game of the Year". [18]

Madden NFL 25 for Android and iOS received negative reviews, the iOS version receiving a Metacritic Metascore of 39 based on two mixed and six negative critic reviews. Eric Ford of Touch Arcade gave the game a 1/5 rating, criticizing the game's highly simplified football matches and excessive freemium Pay-to-win elements. [19] Matthew Diener of Pocket Gamer gave the game a 2/5 rating, criticizing sticky and unresponsive controls which "pose more of a challenge than the AI does" and Free-to-play elements. [20]

Related Research Articles

Madden NFL is an American football sports video game series developed by EA Orlando for EA Sports. The franchise, named after Pro Football Hall of Fame coach and commentator John Madden, has sold more than 130 million copies as of 2018. Since 2004, it has been the only officially licensed National Football League (NFL) video game series, and has influenced many players and coaches of the physical sport. Among the series' features are detailed playbooks and player statistics and voice commentary in the style of a real NFL television broadcast. As of 2013 the franchise has generated over $4 billion in sales, making it one of the most profitable video game franchises on the market.

<i>Madden NFL 2003</i> 2002 video game

Madden NFL 2003 is an American football simulation video game based on the NFL that was developed by EA Tiburon and Budcat Creations and published by EA Sports. The 14th installment of the Madden NFL series, the game features former St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk on the cover. This edition of Madden was the first to have EA Trax, the Mini Camp mode, and to feature Al Michaels as play-by-play announcer, who took over for Pat Summerall. Although it featured the expansion Houston Texans and the relocation of the Seattle Seahawks to the NFC, it was actually the second to do so. The game was released on August 12, 2002 for the Game Boy Advance, GameCube, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The PlayStation version also includes the Sega Genesis version of John Madden Football 93.

<i>Madden NFL 06</i> 2005 video game

Madden NFL 06 is an American football video game released in 2005. It is the 16th installment of the Madden NFL series by EA Sports, named for color commentator John Madden. It is the first Madden game for the PlayStation Portable and Xbox 360 and was a launch game for the 360. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb is on the cover.

EA Sports College Football is an American football video game series developed by EA Sports in which players control and compete against current Division I FBS college teams. It served as a college football counterpart to the Madden NFL series. The series began in 1993 with the release of Bill Walsh College Football. EA eventually acquired the licensing rights to the NCAA name and officially rechristened the series with the release of NCAA Football 98.

<i>Madden NFL 07</i> 2006 American football video game

Madden NFL 07 is an American football video game based on the NFL that was published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. It is the first in the video game series to debut for the PlayStation 3 and Wii consoles as launch titles and the last Madden game to be released on the Game Boy Advance. Former Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander is on the cover.

<i>Madden NFL 08</i> 2007 American football video game

Madden NFL 08 is a 2007 American football video game based on the National Football League that was published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. It is the 19th installment in the Madden NFL video game franchise. It features Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young on the cover, and San Diego Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo was the cover athlete for the Spanish-language version. This was the first Madden game made for 11 different platforms. It was released on August 14, 2007 for Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, Xbox, GameCube and Microsoft Windows. A Mac version was released on September 1, 2007. This was the last version of Madden to be released for Microsoft Windows until Madden NFL 19, and the last video game for the GameCube produced and released in North America.

<i>Madden NFL 09</i> 2008 video game

Madden NFL 09 is an American football video game based on the NFL that was published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. It is the 20th annual installment in the Madden NFL video game franchise. The game was released for the Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360, and mobile phones. It was the last video game for the original Xbox produced and released in North America and the last Madden game to be released for the Nintendo DS.

<i>Madden NFL 10</i> 2009 video game

Madden NFL 10 is an American football video game based on the National Football League that was published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. The 21st installment of the Madden NFL series, it is the first game to feature two players on the cover: Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals, who played against each other the previous season in Super Bowl XLIII. It was released in August 2009 for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360 and BlackBerry, and for the iOS on September 9 through the App Store.

<i>Madden NFL 11</i> 2010 American football video game

Madden NFL 11 is an American football video game based on the National Football League, published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. It is the 22nd annual installment in the bestselling Madden NFL video game franchise. It was released in 2010 for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable, BlackBerry, and iOS platforms. The PS3 and Xbox 360 demos were released July 27, 2010.

<i>Madden NFL 12</i> 2011 video game

Madden NFL 12 is an American football video game based on the National Football League published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. It was released on August 30, 2011 in North America and Asia, September 1, 2011 in Australia, and September 2, 2011 in Europe. It was available on August 27, 2011 to EA Sports Season Ticket subscribers for a three-day trial. It was the last Madden NFL game to be released on the PlayStation Portable and the PlayStation 2.

<i>Madden NFL 13</i> 2012 video game

Madden NFL 13 is an American football video game based on the National Football League, published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. EA's Chief Creative Officer, Richard Hilleman, said that defense would receive various changes in mechanics and controls, one of the first known changes in the game. The 24th installment of the Madden NFL series, the game was released in 2012. For the first time in the series, the game was officially released in Brazil, due to the explosive growth of the sport in the country. This was the last Madden game to be released on the Wii, the first and only to be released on the Wii U and PlayStation Vita, and the final in the series to be available for non-mobile phone handhelds and Nintendo systems. It was the first game of the series since Madden NFL 2002 to not feature EA Trax and instead only had instrumental music, which was met with criticism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ignite (game engine)</span>

The EA Sports Ignite game engine is a collection of video game technologies built by Electronic Arts and designed to make video game sports "alive". The technology was announced at Microsoft's Xbox One reveal event in May 2013 for three EA Sports franchise games for Xbox One and PlayStation 4: FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25 and NBA Live 14, all released in Fall 2013.

<i>Madden NFL 15</i> 2014 video game

Madden NFL 15 is an American football sports video game based on the National Football League and published by EA Sports. The game was announced for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One on April 28, 2014, and was released on August 26, 2014, in the United States and Europe three days later. As in previous years, EA Sports conducted a fan vote via ESPN to elect the cover athlete for the game. Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman won the cover vote and the rest of the Legion of Boom defense was featured on the game's start menu. The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions are based on Madden NFL 25.

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<i>Madden NFL 17</i> 2016 American football video game

Madden NFL 17 is an American football sports video game based on the National Football League and published by EA Sports for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One and Xbox 360. As the 28th installment of the Madden NFL series, the game was released on August 23, 2016 and features New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski on the cover. It was the last Madden NFL game to be released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions are based on Madden NFL 25.

<i>Madden NFL 18</i> 2017 video game

Madden NFL 18 is an American football sports video game based on the National Football League, developed and published by EA Sports for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The 29th installment of the Madden NFL series, the game features New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on the cover, the second straight year a Patriots player has had the distinction, following tight end Rob Gronkowski.

<i>Madden NFL 19</i> American sports video game released in 2018

Madden NFL 19 is an American football sports video game based on the National Football League (NFL), developed and published by EA Sports. An installment in the long-running Madden NFL series, the game was released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows on August 10, 2018, the first time it released for the latter since Madden NFL 08.

<i>Madden NFL 20</i> 2019 video game

Madden NFL 20 is an American football video game based on the National Football League (NFL), developed by EA Tiburon and published by Electronic Arts. The 31st installment in the long-running Madden NFL series, the game was released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows on August 2, 2019. It features Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes as the cover athlete. Mahomes became the second player after Rob Gronkowski to win a Super Bowl the same season they were on the Madden cover, and the first player to win the Super Bowl MVP while doing so, thus breaking the "Madden Curse", a curse where the cover athlete ended the season early due to injury.

<i>Madden NFL 21</i> 2020 American football video game developed by EA Tiburon

Madden NFL 21 is an American football video game based on the National Football League (NFL), developed by EA Tiburon and published by Electronic Arts. It is an installment of the long-running Madden NFL series. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on August 28, 2020, and for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on December 4, 2020. It features Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson as the cover athlete, and Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis as its in-game commentators. The game received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its gameplay but criticized its technical issues, while player reception was negative, with many heavily criticizing the lack of innovation.

<i>Madden NFL 23</i> 2022 video game

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References

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