Madden 13 (8.5/10)

To read the official full length review follow the link here: Madden 13.

Madden simultaneously encapsulates both everything that is great with our industry as well as it’s darker under belly. On the one hand, the Madden franchise virtually defines blockbuster, with only a handful of titles that can compare on an annual sales basis. But at the same time, every year fans decry the lack of evolution with the series. The phrase “I hope I’m not just buying another roster update!” being a common refrain at the time of purchase. It seems like every year EA tries to pat us on the shoulder in a fatherly way, admonishing our lack of faith and assuring us that this year all of last year’s problems would be fixed... and while sometimes issues are addressed, fans almost universally agree it’s never enough. EA has promised a lot of changes to Madden 13 this year both on the field and off, but does the game finally live up to the hype?

The short answer is yes, but the long answer is still no... EA made some noticeable improvements to not only the gameplay, but also revamping some of the key modes of the series. “Connected Careers” is intriguing and addictive, and the Infinity Engine becomes more and more appreciated the more you play. Time will tell if hardcore fans end up appreciating their efforts. But Madden 13 loses points with me because of the “Franchise” mode debacle. The fact that you can’t have both a created player yet still coach the entire team bothers me to no end. Overall, it’s a better game (probably the best it’s ever been), but the experience still isn’t what it should be. The foundation has been laid, so here’s hoping next year will rectify these issues... but, as you are probably all too aware, we’ve said that before.

If you want to read more of my specific thoughts about the game, follow the link to read the full length review at Game Over Online!  

Cheers,
Si

Score = 8.5 / 10