"Madden" fans have had a pretty intense few months. In addition to waiting to see whether the NFL season would actually happen, this year's edition of the game is coming a bit later than usual, hitting stores on August 30. To help make the wait a little more managable, EA has released a demo for "Madden NFL 12," which is available on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live today.
The demo for "Madden NFL 12" features two teams, the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears, in a recreation of their match-up in last year's NFC Championship game. I've attempted to recreate this moment in the altered screenshot above. As usual, the demo limits players to just 5 minute quarters, though it does have multiple difficulties.
It'll also allow folks to check out some of the new gameplay features being introduced in this year's "Madden." Dynamic Player Performance is one of the game-changers they're heralding. The basic concept is that it'll track and adjust a player's stats based on how they're playing in a single game. So, if a quarterback throws three interceptions in a row, they're likely to be less confident moving forward. On the flip side, throwing a 70-yard pass for a touchdown might give them a boost of confidence for the rest of the game. It'll be interesting to see just how long it takes before the fans figure out a way to abuse the hell out of this feature.
Worth noting that while the final version of "Madden" will include up-to-date rosters based on the post-lockout trades, the demo is a bit behind the times, and will include rosters from before the free-agency period.