Madden NFL 10 - Review

Added August 26th, 2009 by Karmum

It looks like it’s that time again, folks. Grab your jersey, hat, and food, because we are back for a new decade of Madden football. EA Sports brings you the yearly powerhouse that is Madden, and attempts to prove that this year's edition is the best. Are the online franchise, co-op, presentation changes, and gameplay tweaks enough to justify itself as the champion of previous football games? Keep on reading to found out whether Madden is that champion, or if it will further fuel the criticism amongst gamers.

Almost everyone who knows what American football is also has an idea about the concept and rules as well -- Two teams, a football (more commonly called a “pigskin”), and a plethora of bone-crushing tackles. Such a violent sport is what fuels millions to both participate and watch the game. The first thing that will literally jump out at you is Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals making a leaping catch, whilst Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers is on the side diving at him. Super Bowl XLIII all over again!

Madden 10 has got some sweet weather effects

Madden 10 incorporates many different tweaks and changes to both its presentation and gameplay departments. Examples include various adverts (such as Snickers, Sprint, and MTV), pregame animations, such as fans walking into a stadium, players practicing on the field, USAF Thunderbirds flying over stadiums during games, and the chain-gang running onto the field to measure ball locations. NFL 2K fans will feel a certain nostalgia at watching many of these animations and features. Madden 10 also includes “The Extra Point”, which can be described as a mix between SportsCenter and the NFL Network. The Extra Point is the weekly recap of football games during a franchise, weekly player awards, and previews for upcoming games. Sadly, the voice-work for The Extra Point is atrocious. Transition between statements will almost also be accompanied with a brief pause, along with a very, very generic response.

Nobody is going to be put off from Madden 10 solely from The Extra Point, simply because you purchase the series to actually play it. EA Sports made a great stride to make this year's edition as realistic as possible, including slowing the pace down drastically. This gives users much more time to make decisions. Madden 10 introduces a new mini-game titled “Fight for the Fumble” which allows the user to fight for a fumbled ball. When a fumble occurs, players from each respective team will pile on each other for the football. During this time, you will be prompted to repeatedly press different buttons to get the momentum in your favor, and thus, earn possession of the football. New animations, such as different tackles, specific QB-related styles and throws, and new catches making the gameplay for Madden 10 a refreshing experience. Simply put, it plays like football, and it does it really, really well. If you love football, you will love how it plays. If you don't like football or the pace it is at, you're out of luck.

Madden 10 is without question the best looking football game to date. Player models, realistic QB-throwing mechanics, near-to-life stadiums, and various weather conditions combined to make this a beautiful experience to look at. This isn't without some flaws, an ugly looking crowd (which EA will never address) and a few clipping issues. Both are extreme nick pickings, from an overall great visual experience.

Coming off the successful debut of Cris Collinsworth from Madden 09, Madden 10's commentary department is pretty bad. Cris Collinsworth is great, but his accomplice in crime, Tom Hammond, is both generic and dull. Madden 10's soundtrack has the lovely combination of metal, rock, and some rap, which makes you appreciate how much the custom soundtrack from your Xbox comes in handy. On the field, stadiums will come to life as the crowds roar in approval on big plays you create, and jeer as your opposite rival counters with plays of their own.

For the first time, both online franchise and co-op make their debut in a Madden game. Online franchise is exactly what you would expect, allowing up to thirty-two different users playing in a sixteen game and seventeen week schedule. Users can sign free agents, release players, negotiate trades, and draft players. The Extra Point also makes its unfortunate entrance here, as well. Hopefully the football community can get behind this, because this will indefinitely lead to both having Madden 10 in your console for a long time, and much replay value, even after you are bored with the other features it sports.

Online co-op allows two different players to play together on one team, and go up against a CPU opponent. On paper, it is a fantastic idea. When you get to the field, it doesn't work out so well. The camera on defense is awkward, and when you attempt to change to different players on the fly, it will slowly pan to them. This is crucial when you're attempting to change to a defender whilst a play is taking place, and potentially allows a big play to happen. The host of the match controls both the offensive and defensive plays, so you need to hope you have a good play caller as your host. The camera can be compared to NCAA 10's “Road to Glory” and the “NFL Superstar”, as the camera will focus on one player. Offensively, it works great. If EA can fix the problems with the defensive camera, this will be a great addition for future Madden games.

Returning features include the offline franchise and NFL Superstar mode. The former is revamped to suit the all new The Extra Point, and works as you would expect. Manage your team, play your games, and advance year after year, always yearning for that illustrious Super Bowl championship. A small gripe (and perhaps my fantasy) is the creation of stadiums. Although it lists as detailing your stadiums to your liking, I'd love to have a 175 ft. HDTV hang across my stadium, ala the new Cowboys Stadium. Although that is just nitpicking on my part, and I really wish they'd stop slapping the same create-a-team and stadium builder into each Madden. The latter mode, NFL Superstar mode, unfortunately suffers from what “Road to Glory” in NCAA 10 did. It is a total copy and paste from its previous predecessor. For those who don't know, NFL Superstar mode attempts to put you in the shoes of a sole NFL football player. However, when you put the same exact feature in each iteration of your game every single year, its creativity from debut to present fades dramatically.

 How is Madden 10 fare against its predecessors? New gameplay and presentation tweaks and the all-new online franchise are welcomed with open arms, but disappointments from The Extra Point, online co-op, and the commentary don't make it the greatest Madden game ever. Although Madden 10 is the only NFL-licensed game on the market, it certainly is a step in the right direction. The Madden series is back, and soon enough, it could be better than it ever was. Is Madden 10 the ultimate Madden experience? Not quite, not just yet.