Madden '12 coming with a tackle

In one of the craziest off-season's football ever seen in football's history, Madden '12 at times looked like the only NFL action we were going to get.

The excitement and attention for football has never been greater and the anticipation of Madden '12 was at an all-time high. Lost in the turmoil of the off-season were the changes EA Tiburon made on Madden '12.

The Madden franchise was the game that changed the sports video game landscape. It always seemed ahead of the curve, but in recent years, Madden has mainly been known for a very expensive, $60, roster update.

The guys at EA Tiburon kept churning out the same game year after year with no major improvements in gameplay or presentation.

After years of complaints from many gamers, the Madden franchise looks to be right on track to once again be ahead of the curve in sports video gaming.

The physics are tighter and the A.I. is quite a bit nastier than in Madden ‘11. In general, the defense is tougher than it's been since Madden '05, which should be music to the ears of fans who are tired of beating the CPU 72-7 every single game.

 This is just one of many improvements Madden needed, along with the presentation in the game. Madden ‘12 looks fantastic.

The revamped lighting effects shine new light on the stadiums. The sun actually moves and sets as the game progresses.

 The presentation is now much closer to a genuine football broadcast. Every game starts with a lovely exterior shot of the stadium then pans down to the field.

Each team then has their own unique player entrances that mirror their real-life counterparts.

 The greatest improvements come in their Franchise mode, where this is the hardest Madden game to date. If you're playing on All-Pro mode and you don't know what you are doing out there, you will get beat bad, especially since the "rewind" option is absent.

Madden '12 will make you earn your Super Bowl ring. With tougher competition come new features in franchise mode.

Additional scouting sessions, free agent bidding wars, and expanded rosters give you more control over your team.

The player is given a lot more options, both within the mode and outside of it. You can customize the Franchise to exactly how you want to play it, and change those options mid-season if you feel like it.

All the extra modes from Madden ‘11 return for Madden ‘12. Ultimate Team, Madden Moments, and Be a Superstar get minor improvements, though the formula stays constant.

Game players can finally trade cards in Ultimate Team, and earning skill points is more active in 'Be a Superstar.'

In the end, the improvements to Madden '12 are small, but they're spread over every facet of the game. Madden fans are getting a tighter, more finely tuned game. Madden '12 looks better than ever before and its future looks brighter.