Running the Gauntlet in Madden NFL 15

Proving you’re the best at Madden NFL 15 isn’t just about beating your friend in a game of traditional football anymore. Now, you’ve gotta prove that you possess the on-the-fly skills to face awesomely insane challenges. Welcome to the Gauntlet, one of the coolest additions to Madden NFL in quite some time.

Gauntlet is a brand new mode attached to Madden NFL 15‘s Skills Trainer, which itself is a newer addition to the series. Skills Trainer teaches you football concepts, how to read defenses, and how to play Madden‘s completely new defensive mechanics. It’s like taking a class on football.

Sticking with that analogy, think of Gauntlet as the test to prove you were paying attention during class. It’s a 40-level series of challenges – each one a random objective that you learned from the Skills Trainer. Fail five times, and it’s game over. Challenges range from completing passes against various lines of defense and making field goals to preventing first downs and using finesse moves to attack the QB.

But what really makes Gauntlet cool are the Boss Battles. Every five levels, players have to complete a boss challenge, which is like the normal challenges, but extra-insane. Try kicking a field goal in hurricane force winds, rush for a touchdown through a wall of defenders, or juke through a field full of overeager cameramen just asking to get barreled over by Frank Gore.

Gauntlet is great, because unlike other sports games’ attempts at minigames, this mode feels very much grounded in what makes Madden… well, Madden. It’s got a lot of personality and humor, both from the challenges and the announcer – who never hesitates to remark on your failure.

Do you have the skills to pass the Gauntlet? Grab a copy of Madden NFL 15 (or pick up the Xbox One Madden NFL 15 Bundle if you’ve yet to make the next-gen leap) and prove it! …read more