Madden season is upon us once again, as Dave Franco and Kevin Hart have pointed out with the help of Colin Kaepernick, Richard Sherman and others in the crazy new trailer.

EA Sports' most popular video game franchise is within a week of its release date and therefore the verdict is already out on Madden NFL 15. As a tip-of-the-cap to Sherman (this year's cover athlete) and the Seattle Seahawks' Legion of Boom, one of the new game's most touted features is a new defense system.

Alex Rubens, IGN: "In previous years, being on defense would have you playing from the same camera viewpoint as you do when on offense. This year, the new defensive camera shifts the viewpoint almost 45 degrees, facing the opposing QB as if to single out your one primary focus. The sprint button flashes when the play is set in motion, prompting you to sprint at the QB while mashing a face button to try and break through the offensive line. It works really well and actually pushes the offensive game to be better when given shorter time constraints due to a more aggressive pass rush."

As Sony and Microsoft released new consoles to directly compete in the next-gen market, Madden had to make an important transition. USA Today's Brett Molina noted the franchise did do so well when stepping up to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

He wrote: "The shift to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One has gone more smoothly, as shown with the release of Madden NFL 15. Unlike those early releases for console predecessors PS3 and Xbox 360, this year's NFL video game boasts stunning looks, impressive depth and mostly consistent action on the field.

"Perhaps the biggest knock against Madden NFL 15 is a lack of significant innovation. Then again, just making the jump to new video game consoles with few hiccups should be considered a victory."

Unlike past games, EA Sports gets the user right into game action, rather than roll some video to showcase the new graphics.

Adam Najberg, Wall Street Journal: "After the install and a brief interlude, you're taken right to the last moments of a fictitious January 2015 game between the Carolina Panthers and the Seattle Seahawks. You're the Panthers. You just got the ball back. Quarterback Cam Newton, down five points against the amazingly tight defense of the defending Super Bowl champs, has to make some magic happen, score a touchdown and restore some Panther Pride. I tried twice, losing once and winning once."

Matthew Kato, of Game Informer, argued that Madden improved the Connected Careers and the passing aspect of the game, but did not address other areas in need. He gave it an 8/10, which seems like a fair assessment since we have become accustomed to a great annual product fro EA, though Madden 15 is not quite perfect.

Wrote Kato: "Sports games like Madden are often chided for being too iterative, but in this case I hope we're witnessing the first steps in a larger progression. Future Maddens need to support Madden 15's additions so we don't wonder why once-prominent features haven't evolved. The series can't withstand another rebuilding year or worse - an entire console generation thrown away."