[Gonzo]

So... I decided to say "**** it" and throw some money back into EA's yearly cash cow, Madden on PS4. I was very surprised and impressed by the next gen version.
As a fairness, I went over to my friend's house and played the PS3 version as well. That game is pretty much the same shit it's been over the past 8 years. I'm sure many can elaborate there.
Here are my thoughts:

Next Gen:
I went in with low expectations. I've heard mixed reviews but none of them awful and some of them were very good. I decided to give it a shot and I'm happy I did. I got home, struggled with the wrapper, (seriously, they're a pain in the ass) and put the disc in my brand new, shiny PS4.
I launched the game and was instantly placed into last years NFC title game as the Carolina Panthers. 4th quarter, a couple minutes on the clock. I failed to win but was immediately impressed. You're placed in the huddle as Newton and you're calling plays. The crowd is insanely loud and the graphics were blowing me away. After the game, you are launched into a full tutorial with Cam Newton explaining all the new features of the game.
I highly recommend sticking with it to learn the 'in's and out's' of the game but you can always go back to it.
The offline features:
You have all the offline stuff madden has always offered. Play as a coach, owner or player. You can control everything on the field and off. There are hundreds of skill drills, draft scouting, player and coach upgrades and all that jazz. The skills app is really a lot of fun and they do improve the team.
They deal a lot with the 'confidence factor' this year which I do find a little monotonous.
The gameplay is exquisite. The graphics are beautiful and the physics are realistic. The LB's can't jump 8 feet in any direction to nab those pesky int's anymore.
I thoroughly enjoy this game.
Online: EA does a great job with this aspect as well now. There's very little lag, they pair you well with an opponent and the graphics don't suffer at all. Huge upgrade over the former.

Ok... Current gen:
The lag!!! Omg load times are horrid. The graphics are pretty much the same and they tried to pack way too much into this game. The gameplay is a little improved but the tackling is still meh.
I can just write the following for current gen and you all will understand...

"It's the same as it ever was." What can you do, though? I'm sure we'll be saying this exact line for next gen in two years anyway. There's only so much they can do in a year. There are some decent features but it is what it is.

Scores:
Next Gen Version: 8.5 out of 10
Current Gen: 6 out of 10