As certain
as the temperature turn cooler or cold in winter, EA Sports is bound to release
another version of Madden football on consoles. In this instance, the release is
for the next-gen PS3 console system.
The newest
edition of Madden football is the most visceral experience yet and EA Sports
boasts that it is the most realistic yet. In some ways it may well be, but in
others, this game fumbles that ideal away.
The game is
full of ambience, from players chattering away on the field and sidelines, to
the way the presentation plays out with a full television-style halftime report.
The animations on the field are superb as well. Sure, you may not recognize all
the players, especially with helmets on, but EA Sports has taken great effort to
put in signature animations for each starting quarterback and all the kickers.
That means that when Peyton Manning goes through his pre-snap gyrations, you get
a front-row seat, either from the offensive or defensive perspective.
Also new is
the Pro-Tak animation package that allows for gang tackles on the defensive
side, but also allows ballcarriers to try to break out of the tackles using the
highlight stick (right thumbstick). If you have ever watched an NFL game, seen a
ballcarrier disappear into a pile and then somehow, miraculously, come out the
other side, well, that is now part of the Madden experience.
The game has
also been slowed down to allow gamers to see the action and make decisive
gameplay choices rather than having to rely on lightning reflexes. What this
means is that if you are carrying the football, you have a bit bigger window of
opportunity to juke past a would-be tackler.
Madden 10
comes with a solid assortment of game types, each accompanied by some tweaks to
the game style. Franchise mode, the bread and butter of the game, has a new
interface and custom draft classes to new rookie scouting systems, elite
coaching boosts, player progression and a new injury frequency system – among
other tweaks.
Online
features 2-player co-op mode, as well as online franchise mode with live drafts,
player transactions, and league message boards.
You have the
opportunity to create an NFL superstar as well and play through the season,
working your way toward the hall of fame. There are a few missteps here, though,
and that comes in the case of the practice sessions. Aside from increased
familiarity with the controls, there seemed to be no real benefit for training
in the practice sessions.
Other game
modes include quick play and some mini-games. There is also a “Madden Shop” in
the game that allows gamers to expand their playing experience by purchasing
items (like maximum progression for one player) through a micro-transaction
model.
The game is
not without flaws, though, and a few of those reared ugly mugs during the first
game played in the franchise mode. Seattle was the franchise team of choice and
was in San Diego for an exhibition contest. The Chargers’ drive stalled out on
the Seattle 20 and instead of kicking a field goal, the Chargers punted it away
… that’s right, a punt … 20 yards from the end zone. Oh well, these things are
bound to happen. In the third quarter, Cris Collinsworth made an announcing
error when he said the game was clean and was in the second half without a
penalty being called. Actually, Seattle’s first offensive play went for an
apparent six but was called back to the 24 yard line of San Diego because of an
illegal block in the back. And the clock continued to run after an errant San
Diego pass sailed out of bounds in the third quarter.
Sure some of
those are nit-picking, but that’s part of the review – to point out the good as
well as the bad.
Madden
Football 10 is still an enjoyable game. The Rookie mode is perhaps a touch too
easy, but the game does provide sliders so that you can put the game on the
higher difficulty settings and dumb it down from there to accommodate your skill
level.
The
soundtrack includes a wide assortment of music, from familiar bands like Iron
Maiden through Judas Priest, Nirvana, Beastie Boys and Pantera to
not-so-familiar groups like Bang Camaro, Killswitch Engage, Set Your Goals and
The Vanity Plan. Approximately 34 tracks make up the musical portion of the
program while Tom Hammond and Cris Collinsworth handle the announcing chores.
John Madden jumps onboard in the Ask Madden element of the playcalling and often
you may hear him giving his opinion while Collinsworth or Hammond are speaking,
creating a bit of narrative chaos.
Still this
is a very enjoyable game. There is integration between the PS3 and PSP games as
well, with the ability to import plays designed on the PSP version. If you have
NCAA Football, you can import your graduating players as part of the rookie
class.
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Gameplay: 9.0
The interfaces
are solid and work well, and the game controls are designed to allow players to
jump and get into the game without a lot of fuss.
Graphics: 9.0
Big hits,
spectacular catches, sleek juke moves are part and parcel of this game. While
not all of the players resemble (facially) their real-life counterparts, they do
have the signature moves and animation – and you might just recognize a few of
them as they walk across the field. From the user interface to the pre-game and
the game, this is a graphical treat. The half-time presentation is likely the
weakest element here.
Sound: 8.0
Tom Hammond and
Cris Collinsworth are in top form, comment-wise, though sometimes the wrong
sound byte is played and it results in one of those “that’s not what happened!”
moments. And while the music is fine, it seems that Black Sabbath might be the
choice of background music at a lot of stadiums … at least you are likely to
hear Paranoid in many of the stadiums you play at.
Difficulty: Easy/Hard
The game’s rookie
mode is a tad too easy but fortunately the game ramps up the difficulty settings
and you can go into the settings and using the sliders for the user and CPU,
tailor the difficulty to suit your tastes.
Concept: 8.8
While to the
casual observer the Madden franchise may not seem to have undergone a ton of
changes, other than visual, the list of adjustments is impressive and will
definitely impact the gameplay experience.
Multiplayer: 8.9
Robust online
presence couples with a dandy co-op mode to create a wonderful experience.
Overall: 8.7
There are a few
moments where you might be left scratching your head about AI decisions, and the
audio can be off target, on occasion, but this is the best looking Madden game
to date and the new elements really give players the opportunity to learn and
grow in the game. It plays very well, and there are enough features to keep
players engrossed, online and off, for quite a while.
