The most noticeable aspect of the game is its camera, which is set down low near the quarterback (or other ball carrier), giving the player an on-field perspective that's quite a bit different from the traditional top-down Madden view.
As quarterback, you can switch focus between primary receivers, first by entering "focus mode" when you press the left trigger and then moving the right stick left or right, scanning the field to find another receiver. Once the ball is snapped, "focusing" on a player will cause the pass to be more accurate than a non-focused pass, and the quarterback will automatically track a "focused" receiver as he continues across the field on his route. When focused in on a receiver, your field of view will shrink considerably, which will make it tougher to spot defenders coming around for a sack, offering a classic risk-versus-reward scenario for using focus when passing.
To throw the ball, you simply flick the right stick forward, and though the game didn't differentiate between different pass speeds in the build we saw, that variety should be in the final game, with different controls for different types of passes. Bullet passes, for example, will be controlled with a quick flick, while deep bombs will require moving the stick down and then up.
The passing system is a significant departure from the traditional button-based passing in other football games. In fact, with its focus on the responsibility of the quarterback (and thus the player) to manually sweep and scan the field for open receivers, it's a bit reminiscent of the passing cone system that was so controversial when it was introduced in Madden NFL 06.
