Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2551 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Electronic Arts
• Released on: 2007-08-24
• Rating: Universal, particularly children
• Platform: PlayStation2

Manufacturer's Description
Feel what it’s like to be a field general making key personnel decisions on both sides of the ball during the game’s biggest moments in Madden NFL 08. Quickly identify your strongest players on the field before every snap then move them into position to make game-changing plays. Play to your team’s strengths by immediately reading your opponent’s schemes and reacting to the action as soon as the ball is snapped. Create mismatches and exploit weaknesses as you read and react with Madden NFL 08.

Customer Reviews

its madden, forget the year
ok so its a roster update but its just amazing, i am addicted.

now the reason i'm writing this review is beacause the most odd thing just happened. on 4th and goal on the 11 yrd line with 0.06 left in the 2nd quarter and the score tied at 14-14, i threw an interception which was returned 99 yards for a go-ahead touchdown, THEN...............

it is my team (vikings) lining up to take the field goal, which i ofcourse, on purpose, miss. score is 20-14 at the half!

come on ea sports, this should not be happening - however funny and stupid it is.

ps, this is in about the 7th season of franchise mode in the conference game

Good, but very similar
There has been alot of criticism surrounding the Madden series and the disappointment when it comes to sprucing up the game every year, and EA have once again met the expectation of letdown in some areas.

The game is hopelessly addictive for the few Brits who have any idea what's going on and why Lawrence Dallaglio isn't playing - but this installment is like deja vu unless you're new to the series.

A feature EA didn't brush up on (and a feature that actually seems to have gotten worse) is the irritating delayed freeze before the ingame "choose your play" option. It's also annoying to find that the unrealistic fan reactions after a touchdown haven't been changed or removed, and the pointless "Create a Fan" feature hasn't been rubbed out either - especially considering the Tony Bruce franchise mode radio show hasn't returned for a second year running, along with the franchise newspapers (pretty much making Franchise mode alot more boring inbetween games).

The one problem if you're new to Madden or NFL is that without an understanding of what the best play to pick is, you will be using the "Ask Madden" option. And that means you're going to pull off some insanely stupid moves during the course of the game; as Madden is getting older, he's getting wackier with his suggestions, most of his time now spent suggesting passes that will clearly go out of bounds or even backwards and usually during an important 3rd down.

However, the game is enjoyable on many other levels of new features. There is a brand new "Fantasy Mode", which works much like the franchise mode but on a fantasy football level. The new hit stick feature can be tricky to master at first, but is also a good update that gives variation to the way you tackle a player or force a fumble. Another useful feature is a brand new "read and react" system, which allows you to quickly scan the field before a play and identify all the players that are especially talented in a particular skill (placing logos above their heads i.e. a bull logo for a strong player, a quick boots logo for a lightning quick wide receiver). But is it all enough to warrant another 30 pounds of your money? Probably not.

New to Madden? Buy it, and say goodbye to your missis.

What you expect
For those NFL fans who have owned or played previous games, there isnt much that seperates 08 from games from the past. Apart from obvious updated rosters. But they arent that accurate. Trent Green is not at Miami and Daunte Culpepper is at Miami and not Oakland. But for those who dont follow the sport that closely, this wouldnt be a huge issue. But, as said already, owners of previous games, dont expect many big changes. The fantasy mode is a nice addition. You pick a team of 32 and play through 4 levels of difficulty. As you would on internet fantasy. The biggest problem I have found is that I played the previous games on quite a high difficulty (All-pro), but on 08 All-pro seems a bit easy. But increasing it to the top difficulty (All-Madden) isnt impossible, but a very, very difficult challenge. You dont feel in control. You cant establish a running game easy and coverage and stopping the run on defense is very hard. But it is not impossible. You can make big plays, convert on third downs and score big touchdowns. So it depends if you like winning 53-10 every game, or getting extremly frustrated that the CPU can do everything you cant.
In terms of little details, there are no significant changes. Graphics the same, gameplay the same, commentary the same. Expect no new on field interaction or celebrations.
Having noted down all the weak points, Madden NFL 08 is still a very good game. A few good mini games, fantasy mode and superstar modes are a nice break from Franchise mode. A must have for any NFL fan. And with the 08 season closing in, EA sports remains the daddy for American Football games.