Console: PS3 Reviewer: Patrick
Pros
* All new Connected Careers Mode adds even more depth and realism while also adding a RPG feel
* The Graphics/Physics Engine has been totally redesigned and looks exquisite
* New Passing Mechanics/AI changes make the gameplay feel more realistic than ever
Cons
* No Draft Class importing from NCAA Football for Connected Careers Mode
* Play selection screen is visually unappealing
* No voice command options for PlayStation 3 version
Year in and year out EA has delivered an above average product with the Madden NFL franchise and every year I find myself immersed in the game for hours upon hours, playing out my own simulated virtual football fantasy. This year like every other year since 1997 (my first madden experience) I was expecting more of the same. You know, the usual adjustments in presentation, improvements in AI and of course updated rosters reflecting the barrage of off-season free agent and draft acquisitions. But this year is different. This years version is a masterful reinvention of epic proportions. This year EA has somehow managed to up the ante and turn what was already a REALLY good game into a GREAT game. In the review below I will get you caught up on all of the information that you want to know about this upcoming release and if you are a true madden fan, get a bib ready because you will be drooling by the end of this review.
Presentation : A+
Madden NFL 13 continues the franchise’s quest to blur the lines between the virtual gridiron and reality with possibly the greatest technical innovation of this generation; The Infinity Engine. This all new physics engine takes everything to a whole other level. The Infinity Engine is so detailed that it takes nearly every physical attribute of a player into account including player mass, speed and body type and uses that to make the outcome of every play unique and realistic. The craziest thing I noticed about the new engine is that it even takes a player’s balance into account, if you run directly into your own offensive lineman at full speed you are going to get pushed backwards or even fall down. If you run into a defender full speed at the right angle your momentum will help propel you through the tackle and forward for additional yardage. To put it simply, this physics engine is amazing, it looks great and it feels even better than ever.
Along with the new Infinity Engine there have also been multiple changes in the presentation category this year including the following:
– HDR and Multi-Vector lighting which mirror game day broadcasts and provide heightened realism
– New Nike uniforms and gear including jerseys, pants, cleats, gloves, facemasks and more.
– Enhanced field degradation to more accurately reflect an actual NFL playing surface.
– Dynamic lighting that tracks the position of the sun after every play.
– Broadcast inspired replays with numerous new camera angles.
The second best addition in the presentation category for me has to be the pregame broadcast. It features for the first time in the franchises history, a 3-D broadcast booth featuring well-known announcers Jim Nantz and Phil Simms. As we have come to know over the years, EA is all about detail. During the pregame introductions you will even notice the broadcast booth in an accurate position for each individual stadium. Also during the pre-game broadcast segment you will notice the marquee players for each team being showcased along with presentation packages tailored specifically for Monday and Thursday night games, Postseason matchups and of course the Super Bowl. The camera angles and overall presentation package closely mimics what you would expect to see on a nationally televised game which adds even more to the realism.
Single Player : A+
So far I have told you how the Infinity Engine has raised the bar for this year’s Madden. Now let me tell you how EA is attempting to merge the sports gaming genre with the RPG genre. My all time favorite game mode is the traditional Franchise mode. For some it has been the NFL Superstar mode that has been the attraction. Well this year both of these modes (as we have known them in the past) are GONE. Now before you start throwing things and using your Madden money to replace your broken lamps let me explain. This year EA has totally revolutionized the way both the franchise mode and superstar mode are played. The new game mode is now called Connected Careers and is a mesh between the traditional franchise mode, superstar mode with a few RPG elements thrown in. Connected Careers provides you with multiple options.
You can be the head coach by either creating a new coach, taking over the career of a current NFL coach or reviving the career of a legend. If you go this route, you will be assuming the everyday responsibilities of an NFL head coach, including earning XP to help with your players attributes, scout rookie prospects or among many other things, make your franchise a more desirable destination for free agents. Some ways of earning XP include holding team practices in which you are playing out various game situations on the practice field as well as achieving individual players goals and coaching goals such as winning a certain amount of games or making the playoffs. Also each coach has his own skill set such as being a Team Builder, Motivator, etc. Being a head coach is the most comparable to the traditional franchise mode.
Another option for Connected Careers is to take control of a single player by creating a new player, taking over the career of a current NFL player or reviving the career of an NFL Legend. In this mode you will earn XP based on individual goals and in return you can use this XP to boost your individual attributes with the goal of earning play time from your coach and turning your virtual career into a Hall of Fame campaign. This mode is most like the NFL Superstar mode.
Regardless if you choose to be a player or coach, the days of pre-determined player rankings are gone. Play style now matters more than anything as players are graded dynamically depending on the Offensive/Defensive scheme that you run with your team and depending upon whether your coach is known as a Team Builder, Motivator, or one of the many other coaching styles.
Connected Careers takes you so deep into the trenches of the NFL that it is easily the most realistic and challenging mode I have ever seen in a sports game. It gives you challenges that are obtainable but you have to spend time on them and work for them, they aren’t just handed to you. And once you start earning XP it is addicting, you want to earn more and more so that you can keep building up your team to reach its full potential. Once I discovered that being a head coach was most comparable to the traditional Franchise mode I knew I had to dive in head first and give it a shot. My first weekend with this release I played Connected Careers for 8 hours my first day and only made it through the 4 weeks of the Preseason and 1 week of the Regular Season. That is just one example of how in-depth this mode can be. You spend hours working through your roster, trying to find that perfect mesh of play style and physicality that you want to bring to the field every Sunday and the more you work towards that, the more rewarding it becomes.
Not only has Madden 13 reinvented a new Physics Engine, not only has it done the unthinkable and created an amazing RPG driven Franchise/Superstar mode but Madden 13 also offers a TON of gameplay improvements. I won’t go too much in detail about this but the main thing for me is the read and react Defensive AI. This is very similar to what was put into NCAA Football 13. In past versions when you drop back in the pocket and launch the ball across the middle a defender would magically turn around as if he had eyes in the back of his head and deflect or intercept your pass. No longer is that the case. Now when you drop back in the pocket you can feel confident in your throw whether it’s a Man to Man or Zone Coverage scheme. If the defender isn’t paying attention to where the ball is or he bites on the post route, leaving the slot receiver open, he will not magically recover from his defensive lapse and he will not be able to make the play on the ball. Period. This is huge and opens the playbook tremendously to allow for more realistic gameplay because as we all know, the NFL is all about the passing game now.
Other game play improvements include:
– Ability to abort play action passes after the snap
– Over 430 new catching animations
– Eight new sack avoidance moves, all mapped to the right thumbstick
– Improved user catching controls
– New throwing animations including improvements to roll out passes, pump fakes and shovel passes
– Disguised coverage schemes
Multiplayer : A
Madden 13 offers the traditional multiplayer features you would expect such as a Versus Mode to go head to head with other online opponents in a quick setup game or co-op games versus opponents online, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Madden 13 takes it to yet another level in the online features department. This year you can play Connected Careers online with up to 32 users with any combination of users being Coaches or Players. Not only can you play this mode online with your Playstation 3 or Xbox 360, but this year Madden expands its reaches to social media and personal PC’s to help manage your Online Connected Career account to keep you involved even when you are not in front of your home console. As with all online games you do need a High-Speed Connection. I wouldn’t recommend anything lower than a 10meg connection if you want to avoid most of the lag.
Replay Value : B-
As with most sports games I have a really hard time grading highly on replay value simply because once a new version is released the old version generally becomes obsolete. However with this years Madden I can see the potential for some replay value as a result of the added RPG feel along with the amazing graphics and presentation. I can easily see spending 100 hours+ on this game before getting my fill of gratification and achievements.
—————-
In closing I do want to take a moment to discuss a few of the negatives I have for Madden 13. This game is amazing and I have a hard time coming up with any hardcore negatives but I do have a few that are fairly substantial for me.
First of all there is no way to import a draft class from NCAA Football 13. This for me personally is a huge disappointment as one of my favorite things to do is to play NCAA Football 13 through 3 or 4 seasons of Dynasty Mode, save my 3 or 4 draft classes and import them throughout 3-4 seasons of Madden so that I have real rookies with a real back story with which to add more realism to the game. Unfortunately the guys at EA apparently didn’t feel the need to include this. Like I said, not a huge deal for most but for me personally it was a pretty decent disappointment. The one good thing about the rookies in future generated draft classes of Madden 13 is they all have real pictures instead of a mundane black outlines where I face should be.
Another negative I have is related to the Gameflow play calling option. I can’t stand it, despise it, and could do without ever seeing it again. For casual players I can see the appeal of it, it speeds up the game and takes the time away that would be spent searching through the playbook and finding just the right play, but for me it takes a major part of the strategy out of the game. Searching through the playbook and finding that perfect play to combat a certain defensive scheme is almost like virtual chess. Now it IS an option that can be toggled on/off but is defaulted to being on and I would like to see it the other way around. On that same note, once you toggle this feature off the play selection screen is atrocious, over sized and outdated in overall appearance.
The last negative I want to touch on is the lack of voice support for the PS3 version. The Xbox 360 version has built in support for the Kinect that enables the user to actually shout out audibles at the TV while at the line of scrimmage once the defense has revealed its formation. I would really liked to have seen built in support for this feature using a Bluetooth Headset for the PS3 as I think it’s actually a really interesting feature that adds yet another element to the game.
OK enough with the negatives. Now I would like to share a couple of tips that I have personally found helpful while playing Madden 13.
– Turn auto sprint off, by default it is enabled. I find it helpful to be able to choose when I want to speed burst and not let the CPU decide for me.
– Enable Hot Routes. By default hot routes are disabled. Hot Routes are essential to countering any good defense, whether its catching a corner playing off and using a hot route to run an underneath route or catching the defense showing their blitz and send a receiver streaking down field in man to man coverage.
– As I stated earlier, turn the Gameflow option off, by default it is enabled. If you’re a true madden fan and enjoy the chess match that is football, it is a must.
This review covers a lot of information about Madden NFL 13 that I felt was pertinent but there is much more to this game than is even listed here. I could literally double the length of this article if I discussed EVERY change and addition that has been made but just know that if you are a fan of Madden this is a MUST HAVE release. It revolutionizes the sports gaming genre with the new Infinity Engine along with the integration of an RPG background into the traditional franchise and superstar modes.
