Always been highly critical of Madden, it seems its the only game that is always extremely flawed and extremely good. Unfortunately time will tell if this Madden makes or breaks (dependent on post release patches).
So far the new improvements (WR/DB interactions) are much appreciated. Brings a whole new level of fun and strategy to the passing game, especially when playing couch co-op. Everyone has been focusing on the new WR/DB controls, but the true showcase in my eyes is 5 different passes you're able to throw (Bullet, lob, medium touch, high arcing, and low). Finally as a player you can command the air and choose exactly how to throw the ball, and catch it. People would assume that gives the player a HUGE advantage over the computer, but EA countered that by speeding up the passing animation, literally giving you a split second to decide how you want to make the catch once its thrown. At first it is very challenging and slightly overwhelming, because players went from a simple pitch and catch to deciding how to throw it, where to throw it (directional passing is still there), and how to catch it. But after getting the hang of it, every pass play almost becomes its own mini-game.
The menus and transitions are finally smooth and fast, like they should have been 2 games ago. The graphics and subtle monolith presentation improvements are a nice change. Ive seen a few complaints about the replay camera angles, but Ive yet to experience that. All my replays look great, and really show off the new mechanics of the game, especially on jump ball TDs, such as fades.
The presentation overall unfortunately is still somewhat lacking. A few commentary lines were changed/added, such as when the Pats/Seahawks play each other. Although the commentary does seem "quicker" this year. Such as when I make an audible, Phil Simms addresses it immediately, and commentary lines during gameplay seem to line up better with exactly whats on screen.
Unfortunately there are some penalty bugs, which is to be expected with the addition of all the new penalties. I've read quite a bit of complaints on the online play, but I dont play online so I have no comment for that. This game is truly better reviewed around October, when the major patch comes out. But as far as initial impressions go, this is the first Madden in years I've played and actually got excited and amazed during games, rather than flat out ticked off. The 5 different kinds of passes, paired with the 3 different kinds of catches, really give you a chance to succeed in this game and feel like you're in complete control. Any Madden junkie will tell you about the passing frustrations over the years (no arc, sitting LBs, receivers not fighting for the ball) all those problems were remedied (so far) and has made the game rewarding again.