It's Madden season, proclaims EA with the impending release of Madden 15, and the next installation of the long-running football series promises to deliver more than a roster refresh beneath a graphical upgrade.

The Madden 15 reviews are pouring in, as critics take turn their attention away from an NFL preseason full of rule changes. In Madden 15, EA invested a lot of effort into bringing the game's defensive dynamism on par with the offensive side of the football.

The Madden series' "War in the Trenches" feature has been upgraded to version 2.0. The new version of the tug of war between the offensive and defensive lines has been enhanced with new pass rush mechanics and anxious, "pre-play fidgets" on both sides of the ball.

The Power Pass Rush feature moves from the right stick of controllers to the X and Square buttons, granting players more control in breaking though block and getting after the ball. The A and X buttons now allow user controlled players to finesse their way through and around the quarterback's protection.

New animations have been added to turn up the pressure of the pocket, as defenders in Madden 15 can place heat under the soles of quarterbacks as the pass rushers claw their way into crumbling protection.

The new "Off the Line" feature brings a new timing element to the pass rush. Properly launching a pass rush in sync with the snap of the ball gives defenders an edge in plays, while misfires result in being a step slow or early -- and being early will trigger a shower of yellow flags.

"Madden is famous for altering the balance between offense and defense in the game, year-to-year," states one reviewer. "This year, the game's defense has gotten an overhaul. I definitely noticed the newfound virtual players' ability to shed blocks, engage with and disengage from players on the offensive line and time the snap perfectly enough to make my pass rush tougher and far more-realistic than in years' past."

Tackling was given a rework in Madden 15, with defensive players able to choose between conservative tackles that keep the yard count from rising out of control or more aggressive take downs. The more aggressive tackles are high risk and high reward, as proper execution results in a big play for the defense and missteps can facilitate huge gains for the offense.

"The fact that I'm already starting on my second season (as the now two-time world champion Seattle Seahawks) in career franchise mode should be an indication that this year's Madden is one you don't want to miss, pending any surprising revelations with Ultimate Team and local play. In the meantime, you'll have to excuse me. It's time to get back to my Super Bowl legacy," states another reviewer.

Madden 15 is available for a trial run in EA's Access program, though players will only have six hours to test the game.