Madden 2005 initial impressions.

[MTK]

I'm not a huge fan of this years' player models in Madden either, guys are a little too bulked up. Some guys look on target like Arrington, but then someone like Coles is a little too pumped up. I do like the increased definition on the jerseys and the helmets look incredible.

As for the playbook I'm also disappointed they didn't tweak it more to Gibbs' style. I was expecting more 'big' sets and more double TE stuff. It's basically last year's playbook with a few minor changes. And a shotgun? C'mon now, maybe they know something we don't but Gibbs didn't run the shotgun the first time around. He tried it out briefly but quickly scrapped it. Even though I wished they had a more Gibbs-like playbook, on the other hand this is the playbook I'm comfortable with so I can't complain too much.

All in all I'm happy with '05, I don't see it as just a roster update. The gameplay has stayed about the same, but then again there wasn't anything terribly wrong with it from '04. They've just added more options especially defensively. I've seen a ton of new tackle animations so far and I really like the hit stick though it's still taking some getting used to.

The storyline has definitely helped to add a new dimension to the offseason. And I really like how they brought in player morale. Guys get upset if they're sitting on the bench or not getting enough touches. And you can no longer just re-sign everyone based on money alone. The newspaper feature is also a nice addition, even though the articles quickly become repetitive, it still gives you a nice weekly overview of what's going on around the league.

I wasn't paying much attention to the radio show until one week I heard Tony Bruno talking about what a great game Michael Vick had last week, throwing for 4 TD's. So I went and checked out Vick's stats and sure enough he did throw 4 TD's. I can live without the radio show, but along with the newspaper it does help add to the overall storyline experience.