Defense is arguably more difficult than offense in Madden NFL 15 gameplay because the tempo and specific routes are entirely controlled by the opponents. You have to react to what you see rather than dictate movements, and you’ll need a little luck on your side as well. However, once you have the basic formula down, you should do well while playing Madden NFL 15. Just remember that no matter how good you are in Madden NFL 15, you’ll make a mistake every now and then. The Madden NFL 15, and Madden by extension, favors the offense. Remember not to panic, even if you give up a big 80-yard touchdown: just relax, fix your mistake and the holes in your strategy, and try again.

 

Getting off to a good start. The important thing when it comes to blasting your way through a defensive line in Madden NFl 15 is momentum. New in Madden NFL 15 this year is a “fresh start” option, where you can press the speed boost button right before the defensive team snaps, giving you the opportunity to try and dart ahead of a defender and try to get the snap. How it works is simple: wait for your cue to hit the trigger when you feel a slight rumble in your controller. This will be your chance to jump ahead of when the opposing team snaps the ball.

 

Learn to manually cover troublesome receivers: Madden NFL 15 makes it much easier to execute a manual pass rush, but that doesn’t mean you should always be user-controlling a lineman. Sometimes in Madden NFL 15 it’s better to control one of your safeties and double cover a receiver, especially if you’re confident that Richard Sherman or Darrelle Revis can handle the outside. Use L2 or LT button to strafe and try to bracket the receiver in question so you are in position to go for the interception. Force them to hesitate a few seconds and you have a good shot at getting a sack. 

 

Don’t spam tackles. There are two different types of tackles in Madden NFL 15, conservative and aggressive. By pressing A/X, the defender will look to tie up the ball-carrier and drag him to the ground. X/square is a more aggressive, diving tackle which has a greater chance of causing a fumble.

 

The risk of attempting a diving tackle in Madden NFL 15 is that, if you miss, that defender is completely out of the play. On the other hand, conservative tackles are more easily knocked back and ball-carriers can still gain a few extra yards following the hit. Momentum is important to making any tackle, and having an idea of where you’re going to make contact will be a factor, too. A strong tackle to the legs will more than likely take the player down, and a conservative tackle at speed will do the same. As with all aspects of Madden NFL 15, practice makes perfect. Tackling was given a rework in Madden NFL 15, with defensive players able to choose between conservative tackles that keep the yard count from rising out of control or more aggressive take downs. The more aggressive tackles are high risk and high reward, as proper execution results in a big play for the defense and missteps can facilitate huge gains for the offense.

 

"The fact that I'm already starting on my second season (as the now two-time world champion Seattle Seahawks) in career franchise mode should be an indication that this year's Madden is one you don't want to miss, pending any surprising revelations with Ultimate Team and local play. In the meantime, you'll have to excuse me. It's time to get back to my Super Bowl legacy," states another reviewer. If you're not among the Madden NFL faithful who buy every year's installment, the big question is, "Is this game really better than last year's?" Fortunately, thanks to new mechanics that make defense more satisfying than ever, the answer to that question is a resounding "Yes."

 

With tight gameplay, improved versions of the series' addicting game modes and a slick presentation, Madden NFL 15 enters this season in full stride.