Madden NFL 15

The game engine is clearly improved and the defensive options are working almost too well for both the player and the Artificial Intelligence, which can create more tense matches and new challenges for fans to overcome.

This year’s game is both exciting and reassuring that EA Sports isn’t wasting opportunities to improve the series.

An highly entertaining football simulation with plenty of modes, great graphics and a deep gameplay capable to adapt both to rookie players and experts. Undoubtedly one of the best games in the series.

Madden NFL 15 won't break the mold in terms of gameplay innovation, but its new looks coupled with a much-needed improvement on the defensive side of the ball and the Gauntlet mode, add some freshness to the formula and, most importantly, make this the first truly next-gen iteration of the series.

Finally Madden is on its way to former glory. EA Tiburon is not there yet (at least on One and PS4, whilst PS3 and 360 move closer to the status of the infamous Legacy Editions), but the decisions they made and the steps they took are hopeful.

This year's all about polish. [Dec 2014, p.80]

The big improvements have really enhanced the experience this year. [Issue#116, p.79]

Madden's most impressive showing since the original Xbox days. Now lessons need to be learned from the best sports management sims to lend Connected Careers true longevity. [Nov 2014, p.84]

The revised skills trainer makes it a perfect entry level game for us on the other side of the pond who are interested in the NFL but need help in the concept and rules department of the game.

Not the perfect sports game but a big step forward in the right direction.

With gorgeous visuals, great presentation, intuitive controls and deep game modes, Madden NFL 15 is undoubtedly the MVP of American football games.

Madden NFL 15 is an excellent return to form for the series. Yes, it’s still plagued by legacy issues, but the leaps taken on defence, coupled with the spiffy new graphics and excellent gameplay, make this an essential purchase for longstanding fans and a great starting point for players looking to jump on board.

There are still a lot of things this series could stand to improve, but Madden NFL 15 represents an encouraging step forward for this series. A small step, to be sure, but still a positive one.

EA Tiburon could be onto something, and if it continues to listen to fan feedback, we could be in for some glorious days of video game football yet. For now, this is definitely worth checking out, as it's far from the same old thing.

Sports games like Madden are often chided for being too iterative, but in this case I hope we're witnessing the first steps in a larger progression. Future Maddens need to support Madden 15's additions so we don't wonder why once-prominent features haven't evolved. The series can't withstand another rebuilding year or worse - an entire console generation thrown away.

This 2015 episode brings many news which contribute to return the much better experience. The defensive aspect was corrected for a really interesting result.

Madden 15 a step forward, then, yet still a year behind schedule. There's a good game here, but there's still work to do to bring it up to the level of many of its sports game peers.