

In many ways, this creates a more organic and altogether more realistic version of football from what we've seen from Madden in the past. Just hold up LT for a second so Asante Samuel can speed in and lay down a hard lick. While open-field tackles by competent defenders is certainly possible, it's more likely that the first only tackler will slow down the ballcarrier. Gang tackling is also a big part of Madden 08.

The end result is some of the most varied tackling ever seen in a football game. Depending on a player's skill, positioning, and momentum, a large variety of animations become possible. The new branching animation system works in tandem with some new, more realistic football physics, to dictate the outcome of such contests. Just because you see Ray Lewis wrapping his meaty arms around Shaun Alexander doesn't mean the same overused tackle animation is about to kick in.

Gone are the majority of pre-canned animations. The biggest and most notable improvement this year is in the animation and tackling system.
