The demo for Madden NFL 25 comes to Xbox Live and PlayStation Network on Aug. 13, two weeks before the game’s release date. Two matchups will be offered: a replay of the Super Bowl between San Francisco and Baltimore, and Seattle at Green Bay.
That second pairing showcases Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, of course, but it also rematches the teams involved in last season’s crowning botch job of the replacement officials, the tipping point that forced the NFL to end its lockout of its officiating staff.
The demo, like its NCAA sibling did back in June, also will include a Skills Trainer with four drills: “Precision Modified Rushing,” “Total Control Passing,” “Ballhawk” and two words that, a decade ago, I never thought I’d see in Madden: “The Option.”
“The two areas of emphasis will be Precision Modified Running and Option drills, as those will give players the most control as the ball carrier,” EA Sports said in this blog post. “There may be a slight learning curve with these new mechanics, but it will pay off and you will quickly see the improvements you make to your stick skills.”
Mobile quarterbacks like Wilson (and San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick) have made read option plays more common in the past few seasons and prior Maddens have included them. Giving the play a tutorial in the skills trainer highlights the reality of the modern NFL backfield. Still, I can remember trying to create standard pitch-option plays in Madden NFL 2005 with Drew Brees and LaDanian Tomlinson. They didn’t work very well.
The blog post doesn’t say how long the quarters will be, but typically they’ve been three minutes. Madden NFL 25 arrives Aug. 27 on PS3 and Xbox 360, then for Xbox One and PS4 once those consoles launch.
Madden NFL 25 Demo Release Details [EA Sports]
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