Get crafty with the all-new Skill Stick that allows for enhanced precision on both sides of the ball. Summary: Innovative new gameplay mechanics in Madden NFL 21 deliver advanced levels of control and inspire creativity.But more importantly, we’re desperate that EA are preparing to pack loads into the next-gen version to ensure that Madden lives on. Hopefully the post-release updates improve things. It’s become stale, stagnant… neglected, even. The Yard certainly has the potential to be a long-lasting game mode, and fans of Superstar KO and Madden Ultimate Team will have no complaints about either of them.īut it feels like we’ve reached a sticking point with Madden.
There are some aspects of Madden 21 worth checking out. The concept of FOTF is great but without much manoeuvrability in terms of the story as well as poor writing, the latest edition offers little replayability.Īgain, we’ll point out the complications EA faced with making this game. The game mode then jumps to the College Football Playoff semi-final, where I learned that my player has been rotating with the other protagonist in Face of the Franchise the entire season. For example, I started the season opener and put up 63 points against Oregon, emphatically asserting myself as the No.1 quarterback on the depth chart.Įxcept I wasn’t. You progress from high school to the NFL but there are some sloppy moments, particularly in college. The limited creation tool is a poor start, with very few different player faces to choose from. Progressing through the season in Franchise is a real grind, with that same rinse-and-repeat approach.įace of the Franchise is back but there are more negatives than positives. Without any competition in the market, things have become pretty stagnant.įranchise mode and Ultimate Team, for instance, both feel as if they haven’t been touched. It feels like Madden 21 could be the game that forces EA to overhaul its series. It’s also the reason for the low Metacritic score. Yet while EA have realised their arcade-style modes are a hit, it’s the lack of creativity elsewhere that lets the latest entry down. Superstar KO is another fun, quick, customisable game mode that could keep gamers coming back to Madden 21.
#MADDEN 21 SERIES#
This NFL Street-style mode is a refreshing addition to the series and is surely here to stay. With six players on a team, games are fast-paced and brief. The Yard, a brand-new mode inspired by backyard football, is heaps of fun.įorget 80,000-capacity stadiums with neat, tucked-in uniforms this is rugged, arcade stuff where trick plays are encouraged and tribal jerseys are in. However, the fact that they've been left needing to make a number of updates suggests that this game is incomplete. The usual fine tweaks that are made when the entire team is together might have been missed. Making a video game during a global pandemic must have been a huge challenge, and it’s worth taking that into consideration. Indeed, you wonder whether EA were entirely convinced with the product they put out. When we talk about the gameplay, Madden 21 provides a fine, sometimes enjoyable experience.īut without a great deal of innovation, it’s hard to imagine the latest edition of the series standing the test of time. However, we can’t help but feel that however much work they put in, they simply won’t be able to rectify Madden 21. That’s reason to act and EA will be busy over the coming weeks fixing the issues. The game’s User Score on Metacritic at the time of writing is a shocking 0.2.