Madden NFL 10
SCORE: 95
The middle of August is such a special time for football fans and
video game fans alike. It marks the annual launch of EA Sports'
powerhouse Madden NFL video game. Some years, the anticipation of the
game has out matched the actual performance of the game itself. However,
this is not one of those years. EA has provided the most authentic
football experience to date on a console. Period. This is not to say it
is without flaws, but the progress Madden 10 makes in gameplay and
presentation far out weigh any setbacks.
Visually speaking, Madden 10 is the most realistic sports game ever
produced. The depth of player animations and attention to detail
introduces a new realism we have yet to experience in the Madden
franchise. EA has long had the slogan "If it's in the game, it's in the
game." This year they have finally fulfilled that tag line. The
developers worked hard to include everything from the chain gang to
referees discussing close calls to sponsorships throughout the game
presentation. When trying to decide what play to call, I once noticed my
quarterback (in the screen above the play selections) looking over to
the sidelines getting the play. Some additional presentation upgrades
include TV style highlights and post game interviews.
With the new presentation system making its debut, there were some minor
issues with some of the new additions. For instance, one of the post
game highlights was cut off as the commentary was in mid sentence. Some
of the player models on the sidelines (between plays) are down right
ugly. Although the highlight aspect was a good attempt, I felt the EA
team missed wide right on this one. The delivery of the highlights is so
bland and inconsequential it may have been better served to wait a year
until it was fully fleshed out. That being said, those are minor issues
in an overall exceptional presentation.
Also receiving an update was the on-field gameplay. The pace of the game
was slowed down a few notches. Which brings a nice change so the gamer
now has more control over the players. The slower pace provides more
opportunity to use the available special moves in a more realistic
fashion. If some one prefers the faster pace, they are in luck, as the
settings do allow for the in game speed to be adjusted.
EA was heavily promoting the new Pro-Tak (procedural tackling) system
for this years release. The new gameplay feature allows for more
realistic tackles (including gang tackling), new player animations,
improved offensive and defensive line interaction and much more. You
will find that as the quarterback drops back for a pass, the pocket will
form around him and passing lanes develop for a more realistic passing
game. One change I really appreciate is the use of the right analog
stick for quarterback avoidance of oncoming pass rushers. This may take
a little getting used to, but can definitely prove itself useful once
mastered.
Madden fans will see the return of game modes from previous releases -
like Superstar, Franchise and Madden Moments. The Franchise mode
delivers a much cleaner and user friendly interface. Making a debut in
Madden 10 is the new online Franchise and Coop modes. The new online
Franchise modes allows up to 32 players to play through a franchise
together. Integrating the online franchise with the internet should
prove to be a big hit with the online gamers. There is even an iPhone
app that will be released to help gamers run their online teams. The
online Coop mode allows for gamers to team up against the computer for
some online fun.
The main issue with Madden 10 is the voice work. There are times when
the voice talents appear to be reading the script from a card with
little to no inflection in there voice. The commentary is still provided
by Tom Hammond and Chris Collinsworth, and do not expect anything new
here. There were some nice observations made by the team of
broadcasters, but there were also some completely inexcusable calls when
watching a replay. I once scored a touchdown on an out pattern to a wide
receiver, and during the replay Collinsworth refers to the running back
breaking tackles in the backfield to score the touchdown. This type of
oversight is not a major problem, but since the focus this year is on
presentation and realism, these types of mistakes should have been
corrected.
Madden 10 is a fantastic game for both the casual and the die hard
Madden fan. The difficulty and play calling settings can be changed for
various skill levels. This allows for newcomers to ease into the
intricate control system of Madden. The Family Friendly rating would
have been higher except for the on field taunting, trash talking and
sheer physicality of the game itself. These situations should encourage
parents (if playing with their children) to discuss competition and good
sportsmanship.
Overall, Madden 10 is the most complete and realistic sports game I have
ever played. It is a must have for football and sports fans. I am
encouraged by EA's progress on the Madden franchise and look forward to
what is to come.
- Alan
Graphics: 98%
Sound: 89%
Replay/Extras: 99%
Gameplay: 96%
Family Friendly Factor: 92%
System: PS2/Playstation 3/Xbox 360
Publisher: EA
Rating: 'E' for Everyone
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