In addition to the usual incremental graphics upgrade and respectable new story campaign, Madden NFL 20 meaningfully improves on a lot of the issues that plagued the previous iteration(s). The running game is noticeably smoother and X-Factor traits make superstar players actually feel like a force to be reckoned with on the field, and while there are still problems that linger with animations, it’s safe to say that EA Tiburon is making large strides in the right direction. That said, I’m running out of patience for the Franchise mode to receive some revitalizing updates – it’s still fun after all these years but Madden 20’s Franchise doesn’t feel substantially different from Madden 19’s.
Madden NFL 20 Score: 8.1
Read the full Madden NFL 20 Review
Similarly, the NFL pageantry around each game is still lacking. The pre-game highlight reel is full of players awkwardly celebrating even though the game hasn’t started yet and it’s missing the vast majority of stat blocks and recap cutaways you typically see during the actual NFL broadcasts Madden strives to simulate. On a related note, the half-time show is basically non-existent, especially in Franchise mode where its absence is especially conspicuous. A narrator will summarize a handful of games from around the league, it’ll show a couple slow-motion highlights from your game, and then it’s right back into the second-half kickoff. Where’s the actual contextual commentary on what happened and how each side could improve? Where’s the broadcast booth or analyst desk with commentators and interviews? Or at least something to fill that void? It all feels unfinished, which is disappointing considering how much this aspect has been lacking for several years and it was done better in much older games like ESPN NFL 2K5 or even in Madden NFL 10. Instead, it’s the same old song and dance.
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It’s also been notably buggier than normal. EA has promised a day-one patch (actually a day-four patch due to the confusing launch where if you “pre-order” today you can start playing immediately) that includes “critical fixes” and finally banishes the Washington Redskins branding, but that patch is going to have a lot of heavy lifting to do. Playing on PlayStation 4 Pro ahead of launch, performance issues have made things incredibly frustrating across the board. During kicks I experienced framerate drops so extreme that it often resulted in missed field goals and terrible kickoffs through no fault of my own. During the Face of the Franchise campaign mode, Madden NFL 21 would hang up at loading screens after games, requiring me to quit out to the PS4 dashboard and start it back up multiple times. (Thankfully, my progress saved.) Classic Franchise mode often stuck at the player upgrade screen as well, also forcing me to reboot. Visual glitches have been minimal, but the performance hiccups made it extremely difficult to settle into a flow. I’ll keep an eye out for that patch and update my thoughts on performance afterwards, but right now it’s not in great shape.
When things are running smoothly on the field, moment-to-moment gameplay feels a tiny bit faster than last year, with more precise animations for things like jukes and spins. As a ball carrier, using the right ‘Skill Stick’ feels more dynamic and fluid for pulling off evasive moves and overall blocking seems more realistic. Runners plant their feet well and make decisive cuts, so it all adds up to really satisfying goal line moments on both offense and defense. Last year it was far too easy to run over anyone and everyone if you knew what you were doing, but this year running lanes are narrower and require following blockers more precisely. This is also the first entry in recent memory that lets me throw the ball away relatively easily without taking a cheap sack.
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The way the ‘Skill Stick’ change works here also makes it far easier to combo together moves really fluidly, so you can prepare a stiff-arm right after a spin, for example, without breaking animation or waiting for the spin to finish. Madden NFL 21 still relies heavily on a canned animation system rather than actual inverse-kinematics physics simulation, so it’s easy to spot repetition, but the smoothness of it all is great.
On the defensive side, pass-rushing as a lineman is a much deeper experience than in previous Maddens. There’s an entire new Pass Rush ability system for the defensive line that includes new moves to help navigate blocks. Offensive linemen have new skills at their disposal as well.
Also on the defensive side of the ball it’s much harder now — as it should be — to play linebacker. In Madden NFL 20 it seemed like every linebacker in the league could run down speedy receivers and running backs while making superhuman leaps into the air to intercept bullet passes out of nowhere. If you know Madden well, you could cover the entire field with just an average middle linebacker. But while throw trajectories seem about the same this time around (generally too flat and low compared to the actual NFL) linebackers are thankfully toned down in effectiveness, with far fewer impossible-seeming moments. Defensive backs are much more aggressive on the interception front this year, to a point of near comedy with how quickly they can react and clamp down on curl routes or catch up to deep post routes. So if you play on All-Pro or All-Madden you can expect to throw more picks than you’re used to at first.
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Two of the best additions from Madden NFL 2019, X-Factor and Superstar abilities, are back again this year, with a few new ones thrown into the mix. Superstar abilities are special attributes for stand-out players that enhance certain skills, such as Inside Deadeye, which grants perfect accuracy on normal throws inside the numbers on the field. X-Factor zone abilities on the other hand, once activated, are almost like super powers. For example, Ezekiel Elliot has the Freight Train zone ability. It’s activated by having three rushes for over 10 yards and once live, puts Zeke in the zone. While in the zone he has an increased chance of breaking tackle attempts, but is knocked out of the zone if tackled for a loss. I like the extension of this feature because it incentivizes leaning on star players and leveraging their strengths — every team has powerful players like this, so strategies revolve around activating zone abilities and keeping them running. In the actual NFL players have a tendency of gaining momentum and taking over a game, just like this, so it’s a believable and fun imitation of that.
A Face Only a Mother Could Love
This year’s version of the story-driven campaign mode is called Face of the Franchise: Rise to Fame (as opposed to last year’s QB1: Face of the Franchise), and it’s a genuinely bad story built around a paper-thin illusion that your actions and choices matter. You start all the way back in high school as the backup quarterback to local legend and rival, Tommy Matthews. Matthews is voiced by Tye Sheridan (best known as Cyclops from the recent X-Men movies) but the character is written in such a way that I can’t help but roll my eyes anytime he shows up. Everything centers around Matthews’ health condition and your internal struggle to support him and the team or capitalize on the opportunity to take over. Performances feel phoned in, animations are poor, and some of the most crucial scenes are inexplicably devoid of all voice acting.
One way or the other, eventually you get a shot at the limelight, go on to become a star in college, and enter the Rookie Combine and NFL Draft. Playing NCAA games again, albeit briefly and fragmented, was a real treat — except that nothing matters. You can intentionally tank every game and not complete a single pass, yet still get drafted because off-screen you lit up the scoreboard. You’ll even get a chance to force your preferred team to pick you if you’d like, or switch positions to running back or wide receiver.
Bring All The Boys to The Yard
The big new mode this year is called The Yard, and it has proved to be a bright spot in Madden NFL 21 even if it comes at the expense of other modes. At first glance it seems a bit like NFL Street or NFL Blitz, but it’s actually nothing like those at all. Instead, The Yard is a completely new way to experience American football: a 6v6 mode that pits superstar-caliber players against one another in a ludicrously silly but oddly captivating backyard game. The closest comparison would be that it’s trying to emulate how you may have played football with friends at school during recess, with fluid rules, lots of movement, and everyone lining up on both sides.
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There are no quarters or time limits here, and the field is only 80 yards long. Each side gets three offensive possessions, starting at their 20-yard line, with a 1st-and-20. There are no kickers so it’s always four-down territory and when you give the ball back, it goes on the opponent’s 20. To make matters even more complex, you can hike the ball to any player on your team and you can throw behind the line of scrimmage multiple times. You even get bonus points for interceptions or for throwing a TD after already passing it once. Heck, you can even go for three after a TD by lining up from the 20-yard line!With so many new and unexpected rules to learn The Yard is extremely jarring at first. On top of that, players dress up in bright, flashy clothing instead of typical uniforms, giving it a more jumbled look, and every person on the field is a top-tier talent at their position, which makes the margin for error even slimmer than usual. Giving up a big play usually results in a touchdown and, with only a handful of possessions to count on, coming back from a big deficit early on is extremely tough.
Much of the gains The Yard makes in ingenuity, though, it gives up in its lack of depth. Other than unlocking a handful of customization cosmetics and experiencing the thrill of beating a stranger online, there isn’t a whole lot to it. You can play solo or in team games with and against other players, but there isn’t a Franchise structure or League format to go through other than a handful of stadiums with unique rulesets. It plays out like a tutorial for a deeper, more involved mode that never materializes. I enjoyed The Yard for what it is — a nifty distraction from the real core of Madden — but it doesn’t have enough meat to satisfy on its own.
DISENFRANCHISED
Speaking of the core of Madden, Franchise mode is once again relegated to background status and completely neglected. In Madden NFL 21 the main classic Franchise mode is almost identical to last year, all the way down to the menu visuals and on-screen layout — and that means it’s almost identical to Madden NFL 19, as well. It’s like a case of deja vu, all over again.
Last week you may have read my op-ed about the state of Madden’s classic Franchise mode. I wrote that before playing Madden NFL 21 but everything still stands true after spending an entire weekend with EA’s latest. Other than expanded Wild Card rounds to match actual NFL rule updates, new X-Factor abilities that were added this year, and more authentic rookie contracts, it is literally identical to last year, with only vague promises of patches over time as a “live service” to look forward to. It’s a shameful lack of attention for what is, historically, one of the franchise’s most-played modes.
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Instead of focusing on the mode that actually lets you take over the career of a player, coach, or owner in the quest for Super Bowl victories, EA has shown a continued allegiance to cash-cow features such as Madden Ultimate Team and now, The Yard, which features additional microtransactions in spite of its lack of depth.
I have not had time to dive into Madden Ultimate Team very much yet — or a lot of online multiplayer in general — but I will do so prior to finalizing this review later this week. However, considering that MUT is a perennial disappointment that’s shamelessly built with the sole purpose of selling microtransactions that directly affect gameplay, I am not all that optimistic that my lukewarm feelings on Madden 21 will be improved once I do. In a world where its contemporary sports games continually evolve with innovative new game modes like NBA 2K20’s Neighborhood, deep franchise options like MyCareer, MyTeam, and MyLeague in the NBA 2K series, or even the cinematic story mode from EA’s own Fight Night Champion — a boxing game from 2011. There is no excuse for Madden’s stagnation. I appreciate the tweaks to the core gameplay and the chaotic novelty of The Yard, but that isn’t enough to make me want to sing its praises.
