EA Sports Madden 15 Gameplay Improvements - What It All Means

Discussion in 'Madden NFL Football' started by Drifterbub, Jun 9, 2025.

  • Tweet
    by Drifterbub, Jun 9, 2025 at 4:04 PM
  • Drifterbub
    Offline

    Drifterbub Help me hide a body?

    Joined:
    Feb 10, 2025
    Messages:
    16,668
    Likes Received:
    2,303
    Now that we are officially underway at E3 and are receiving first looks at tons of new games, including Madden 15, EA has given us the green light to talk about Gameplay in EA Sports Madden 15. Instead of giving you guys an overall write-up article, I'm going to do what I have done for the past few years and explain what these features mean to us as avid, hardcore sports gamers. If you want to read more about what EA revealed during E3, I'll link you to those articles here as they pop up on the web.

    Disclaimer: I can only talk about gameplay and presentation improvements at this time. This article will cover gameplay so tune in later for details on other areas of the game, including presentation. Also, I ask that you refrain from asking questions that do not pertain to gameplay and presentation.

    [​IMG]

    I should acknowledge a few things before we get into the gritty that should give you more of my perspective on the new information and Madden 15 in general.
    • I could not stand Madden 25. The run-free mechanic and locomotion issues were not a fun experience for me when I picked up the sticks. Passing and defense seemed gimmicky. I had way more fun playing NCAA 14, truthfully.
    • This is my first year as a EA Sports Gamechanger on the Madden series. So my perspective is pretty fresh.
    • I will explain the controls as layed out on the Xbox One. Translate them to PS4 if you wish. It's all the same.

    Gameplay Improvements

    New Tackling Mechanic
    What you will read about it: The introduction of a conservative tackle feature allows users options when defending in the open field. Pulling LT brings up a tackle cone visual that allows you to approximate where you need to position yourself in order to make a tackle by pressing A. Aggressive tackle (formerly known as hit stick) is moved to the X button. Strip tackling receives an overhaul with lots of new animations.
    What it all means: More control over your defender in space - This solves huge spacial problems in football games that have historically existed. Pulling the LT puts your defender into a hip-flush ready stance (similar to a shortstop getting ready for the pitch) which slows down your momentum. I found this feature useful in the running game when I wanted to come down into a hole and fill it with a LB as opposed to last year where you can wait off the LOS (moving laterally) or dive bomb in the hole and hope you collide with the ball carrier. I also found it useful in open space in screen plays and flats when I wanted to make sure the ball carrier wasn't going to go around me. The new strip tackle features basically adds some visual freshness to tackling by increasing the animation pool. I saw some new rips and a couple different punches that were pretty cool.

    [​IMG]

    Pass Rush Moves, Disengaging Off Blocks, Block Steering
    What you will read about it:
    The new pass rush mechanic moves away from right stick and to the X and A buttons (finesse and power moves respectively). Timing the snap moves to the RT ("turbo") button and also provides visual on-screen feedback if you were successful. Pass rush moves provide UI feedback for both successful and failed attempts to get around the blocker. Disengaging off blocks is a new mechanic and can be accomplished by pressing up on the sticks (away from the block). Block steering is also a new mechanic that allows you to engage with a blocker and steer him laterally.
    What it all means: Pass Rushing is fun... again - These new features with the additional feedback ultimately leave you with more control over your player. The visual and tactile feedback let you see and feel when you don't time your inputs correctly and allow you to get better. In order to be successful, you must pay attention to what kind of pass rusher you are using. Utilizing finesse moves on a power rusher will likely leave you out of the play... or on the ground. Disengaging is a huge improvement for people who user control defensive lineman as it allows you to quickly get off blocks and into your pursuit angle for chasing down running backs and quarterbacks who have escaped the pocket. Block steering isn't entirely useful, but combined with disengagement could potentially put you in better position to make plays. Honestly, it's just nice to see this as a possibility given the historical 'block in place' we are used to seeing. It does add for a nice overall visual while on offense as the pocket can take essentially unlimited forms.

    Coverage Improvements - Man and Zone
    What you will read about it:
    Improved coverage through better back-7 logic. Defensive backs actually do what they are supposed to. Player Sense Awareness really tightens everything up with improved interactions and coverage concepts. Combined with new pre-play adjustments (more on that later), the importance of defensive strategy is elevated significantly.
    What it all means: Coverage concepts shut down what they are supposed to - This is part of a new initiative to teach people the game by meshing offensive and defensive concepts with appropriate wins/losses. I saw several instances where defenders would come over the top or from behind to swat down bullet passes to a hook route, which in previous versions of every football game was impossible to accomplish.

    Pre-play Adjustments - Offense and Defense
    What you will read about it:
    New implementation for common adjustments such as Max Protection, QB Contain, Defensive Assignments, Protect the Sticks, Shade Coverage (inside, outside, under, over), etc. Authentic Audible remaps leave coordinators with audible selections that make sense for the personnel on the field.
    What it all means: Get ready to kick the crutch out from under your opponent - Shade coverage is absolutely huge. Tired of giving up deep outs? Shade outside and wreak havoc. Tired of giving up quick slants? Shade inside. Using these adjustments to take away your opponents 'bread and butter' will be a huge strategic addition to playing defense. However, it's not without having consequences. If you shade inside to take away a slant and Wes Welker runs an arrow route, get ready to chase him down because he is going to receive tons of separate out of the route.

    War in the Trenches 2.0
    What you will read about it:
    New offensive blocking schemes and AI that further represents blocking in the NFL. Introduction of kick-out blocks on pulling linemen can devastate defenders and open up huge running lanes. Pull blocking in general is overhauled to allow for more realistic defender targeting and appropriate type of block.
    What it all means: Overall general polish from last year's blocking - Blocking wasn't too bad last year and Clint Oldenburg continues to build on the blocking AI utilizing his vast NFL knowledge and experience. From my hands-on experience, running up the middle was tough, but rewarding. The defensive disengagement feature should cut down on the outside run effectiveness we experienced in Madden 25 despite incorrect/bad blocking.

    Passing Concepts (w/ Real AI)
    What you will read about it:
    The game introduces several passing concepts and those familiar with NFL offenses should be plenty familiar with. For those who are not, the game makes a point to help teach you these concepts through tutorials/drills and further emphasizes the effectiveness against certain coverage concepts.
    What it all means: Emphasis on playcall - Former Florida Gators QB Larry Richart spent time in the lab with Real AI teaching the CPU AI on how to read defensive coverages and execute concepts (reads, etc). This means two things - 1) Advantages can be had by making the appropriate playcall. 2) There is still a huge emphasis on making the correct reads/adjustments instead of just concept match-ups between the offense and defense.

    Passing Inaccuracies / Effort Catches
    What you will read about it:
    New passing inaccuracies (bad throws) really opens up the passing game both visually and from a gameplay perspective. Effort catches brings in a new element of attempted catches for both WRs and DBs that ultimately lends itself to a virtually unlimited amount of WR/DB interactions (yes, even in the air).
    What it all means: Elite QBs are differentiated from the pond scum - The passing inaccuracies are obviously tied to ratings, but are also influenced by the QBs momentum in the pocket. Inaccurate throws are essentially defined as throws that can either be hard to catch (spectacular catch), just out of the WR/DBs reach (attempted catches) or simply impossible to catch (overthrows, etc). Peyton Manning rarely makes inaccurate throws, but losing him to injury and having to utilize Brock Osweiller is now a big deal and should bring about a strategic hurdle in your gameplan. Effort/Attempted catches are simply a bridge between the lack of animations for passes that are not within the catch radius. In Madden 25 (and previous Maddens before that), we often would see a ball sail over a WRs head only to have him stop and stare at the ball. In Madden 15, WRs and DBs will make efforts to catch balls that are close. This parlays into some interesting animations for jump balls and diving catches where the DB will simultaneously make a play on the ball even if the play results in a catch from the WR. Compounded with additional adjustments to the catch windows and DB swat, the passing game is definitely more polished than it has ever been and a far cry from last year's frustrating stencil and stamp results.

    [​IMG]

    Kicking Game Improvements
    What you will read about it:
    New meter is a big improvement over previous Madden kick meters. Wind direction is fixed and trajectories received some attention. Trajectories are mapped out for lower difficulty levels that give the user visual feedback of where they are aiming for punts, kickoffs and field goals.
    What it all means: Wind direction is fixed - The new UI for the kick meter is a welcome change. Wind direction is fixed. Not entirely sure how difficult the kicking game will be as they were still tuning it a lot during the last community event. Wind direction is fixed.

    New Playcall UI
    What you will read about it:
    Madden 15 has taken a big shift on the playcall concept by giving users several different ways to find the play they want. Traditional options like by play type or by formation are still in place, but new methods such as by play concept and favorites help users navigate to the appropriate call
    What it all means: New UI... - In my opinion I don't think this feature will change the way most of you call plays unless you are unfamiliar with passing concepts. I could be wrong.

    New Hot Route
    What you will read about it:
    New system gives more options to the user. Hot routes now take a realistic time to implement at the line.
    What it all means: No more spamming adjustments - gone are the days of breaking the huddle, punching in 23 hot routes and adjustments and then snapping the ball in 7 seconds. Hot routes are now delayed such that it gives the defense ample time to adjust. It takes some getting use to, but ultimately it's their to create a realistic timetable to setup the offense, which was needed.

    Skill Trainer / Gauntlet
    What you will read about it: New Skills Trainer designed to help in teaching people the game. Tons of UI feedback while conducting tutorials and drills will have you up and running in no-time. Step into the Gauntlet to play random Skill Trainer drills that increase in difficulty as you complete them. Every 5 levels produce a 'boss' level that requires additional skill to complete.
    What it all means: People will be using the Gauntlet to prove their manhood - In all seriousness, The Gauntlet is one of the more fun game modes I have played in Madden. At the last community event we had a leaderboard going within the group on who could reach certain levels. The 'boss' levels will break you.

    Other Notable Gameplay Improvements:
    Chew Clock
    - The NCAA chew clock makes it's way to Madden. No more sitting at the end of blowouts for several minutes while your opponent or you run the clock down to the buzzer. Huge improvement and long overdue!
    Camera Toggles - Cameras can now be toggled pre-snap. You have your choice of four varying in heights from the zoom camera to coordinator cam. The zoom camera really gets into the details and shows you how beautiful the game is at close range. While other cameras give the user various options for field of vision depending on what they want to see that play.
    HB Draws - The ineffectiveness of HB draws was a huge talking point at the last community event. We received several comments from the dev team in that they were working on solutions to fix HB Draws (mostly from a blocking standpoint), but it was not implemented in the builds we played. So stay tuned.

    Follow me on twitter! http://www.twitter.com/Drifterbub
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 9, 2025
  • Categories: Uncategorized

Comments

Discussion in 'Madden NFL Football' started by Drifterbub, Jun 9, 2025.

  1. The Richuation
    You have to adjust the pass coverage to 20 or less to initiate more swats and trigger less INT attempts. The INT slider does not impact the number of INTs.
  2. Drifterbub
    Found another video with some actual gameplay in it.

    Enjoy.

    Baron and ThaBayouChef like this.
  3. OhMrHanky
    I'll tell u what I have that's working for more swats than INTs.
    QB ACC 19
    WR catch 64
    Pass cov 59 (YES, 59, hard to believe, but with all other settings, this allows for good coverage and is NOT causing too many INTs)
    Int 13
    Def pass int 63
    Off pass int 62
    Def pass Rx 59
    IG 23

    Lol. I mention ALL of these because I believe all of these things have come together to give me my swats. I know the general impression has been that pass cov dictates INTs, and I agree with that, however I am extremely happy with what I found by keeping the pass cov high enough to allow for good coverage, and putting int at 13, mixed with everything else is providing me with excellent swats and only 1-4 INTs per game.
  4. The Richuation
    You poor thing. Slideritis has taken hold. I've been there.
    bigtubb_ likes this.
  5. OhMrHanky
    Lol, oh yeah, man. I was bound and determined to make this damn game play realistically, or at least make it play how I say!!! I created 3 separate slider sets as I tweaked and tweaked and tweaked and my thoughts/ideas diverged and/or I tried some things others were saying. Ultimately, it only took me 6 months to have a final set!! Lol. These are playing well and I'm enjoying madden much more, but man, oh man, slideritis is NOT fun. Really hoping 15 plays well out of the box. I will, no doubt, tweak sliders as I only want to see the best game possible, but I really hope out of the box is solid with only minor tweaking for personal preference. Throughout my slideritis, I've played multiple seasons with every game played thinking, 'how can I make this damn game more real. Ugghh' instead of, 'I need to draft a MLB.' Or, 'I should run the ball more against this d.' That's when it really sux, man. Trying harder to make the game playable than trying to build a franchise and just play. Lame.
  6. antcap24
    Pistol runs made me hate this game sometimes. Like really hate it.
    Keller and Danthraxxx like this.
  7. Big_FN_Deal
    Alright TSO, help me out IF you think there is any help for me.

    I just watched the IGN gameplay footage and regardless of all the good things I have read about M15, along with the game clearly being improved, watching gameplay bummed me out. To elaborate, there wasn't anything terrible about it, outside of the lingering issues we all know exist, it's just watching that video didn't cause me to feel like M15 would be a game I could enjoy long term. Now maybe there are some CFM announcements that will change that but on gameplay alone, I'm not seeing it. Please don't get me wrong either, I was excited about the stuff I read concerning gameplay, it all sounded great but watching it in action did nothing for me.

    So help me outs guys, in your opinions, am I just a Madden hater that has built this unrealistic expectation for a football in my mind and needs to move on or is there some hope for me possibly finding some way to get immersed in M15? I ask because I still haven't purchased a new console because my core gaming is football and after playing M25 on someone else's PS4, I didn't think it warranted buying a console for. So to ask the question a different way, if the only game you were going to play was M15, do you feel like you could enjoy it enough to warrant purchasing a new console for, based on what you've seen thus far?
  8. antcap24
    I play just Madden and I bought a Xbox one just to play. I can tell you that year after that I get my hopes up, and I battle through the disappointment of the gameplay. I think all of us that yearn for a game that is based upon strategic principles and execution of fundamental football for success rather than the exploitation of game programming have been let down each year with hopes being so high. At the end of the day, I love football and I love competition. I will continue to play Madden as a release from every day stress as a hobby. I am still convinced that EA is dedicated to the pursuit of making the game better each year and they get my yearly August donation. If I didn't see the effort to get influential respected Madden community representatives to help with building of the game, I would most likely reached my ending point by now. My advice is that until your passion dies for video gaming and football, then it's a no brainer. I would easily spend more than 400 dollars a year entertaining myself with a different hobby if I gave up the controller.
    Keller likes this.
  9. redlishus
    Drifterbub and Big_FN_Deal like this.
  10. Drifterbub
    I hope you read the article understanding how terrible I thought Madden 25 was and how critical I was of it all year long. I actually could play the build I was introduced to in February of this year.

    Along those lines, and understanding that this year is a short cycle, will the game ever be what we want it to be? I think that's probably an impossible feat being how much our expectations are raised each year. I always like to test myself by going back and trying to play older versions. I never can make it very far.
    Big_FN_Deal and BobJr like this.
  11. Drifterbub
    Thanks!
  12. Kidofcrash23
    I just watched the IGN gameplay footage and regardless of all the good things I have read about M15, along with the game clearly being improved, watching gameplay bummed me out. To elaborate, there wasn't anything terrible about it, outside of the lingering issues we all know exist, it's just watching that video didn't cause me to feel like M15 would be a game I could enjoy long term. Now maybe there are some CFM announcements that will change that but on gameplay alone, I'm not seeing it. Please don't get me wrong either, I was excited about the stuff I read concerning gameplay, it all sounded great but watching it in action did nothing for me.

    So help me outs guys, in your opinions, am I just a Madden hater that has built this unrealistic expectation for a football in my mind and needs to move on or is there some hope for me possibly finding some way to get immersed in M15? I ask because I still haven't purchased a new console because my core gaming is football and after playing M25 on someone else's PS4, I didn't think it warranted buying a console for. So to ask the question a different way, if the only game you were going to play was M15, do you feel like you could enjoy it enough to warrant purchasing a new console for, based on what you've seen thus far?[/quote]

    Call me a debby downer, i think the impressions and expectations were high last year, i read good and positive impressions from some of the gamechangers, but once i got my hands on the game, it was a disappointment to me and it wasn't too long before many others felt the same way.

    Just watching the game play, i dont think we will see too much difference, but we'll see i guess. I am getting madden anyway since it is the only football game, but for a next gen game now without even gangtackling clearly shows EA has a lot of work to do.
  13. Baron
    Of course. Though the push is secondary next to the blocking logic.

    You guys got a spare $450? :p
  14. Wyrmreaver
    All this talk about wanting the game to be perfect or play right is kinda funny to me.

    I enjoy playing with good dudes here at TSO. Is the game perfect? No and it never will be. However, these games aren't bad, go play madden 2007 if you don't believe me. Often the stuff people complain about is the same stuff they complain about in real life when they watch games.

    "It's so dumb when a guy just throws it up because he has Calvin Johnson" or "stupid read option with Cam Newton, that's like the third time and my man cover two doesn't stop it."

    My experience with football games was that when I first got to TSO and relied on the "money plays" I was used to using, I got crushed and it wasn't fun for them or me. The more I moved towards realistic game plans (excepting the few things that don't work as they should) the better I got at the game since I was unpredictable and the more fun my games were for both parties, win or lose.

    I guess my point is that if people don't whine like babies and don't mind losing or missing the playoffs, they can probably get in with a good league here in our corner of the internet and enjoy the shit out of madden 15 for another year.
  15. Danthraxxx
    After Midnight is the home of money plays ;)
  16. BobJr
    Call me a debby downer, i think the impressions and expectations were high last year, i read good and positive impressions from some of the gamechangers, but once i got my hands on the game, it was a disappointment to me and it wasn't too long before many others felt the same way.

    Just watching the game play, i dont think we will see too much difference, but we'll see i guess. I am getting madden anyway since it is the only football game, but for a next gen game now without even gangtackling clearly shows EA has a lot of work to do.[/quote]

    One thing...This was a short cycle for the guys at Madden..So everything that they did get in..pretty impressive.

    After being down there and being a part of the GC program, I have come to two things. A. They work their damn ass off, more so than alot of us. B. It will never be perfect, but there are more guys that want it "sim" and real, than the other way.

Share This Page

Tweet