Madden NFL 13 – Review
I’ve been a dedicated Madden player for the past eight years. Each year, I am among the millions of fans itching to get a hold of the newest edition as part of a cherished ritual counting down to the start of the NFL season. Some years are better than others, bringing about new features and interesting presentational improvements, but Madden has remained fairly consistent over time. While some complain that there are too few changes between releases, one surefire way to experience Madden in a new way is to try it on a new platform. Madden NFL 13 heralds the franchise’s debut on Sony’s new handheld and brings with it a host of unique control options wrapped around the core Madden experience you're likely already familiar with.
Madden NFL 13 makes full use of the Vita’s many unique control inputs, starting with the touch screen. You can tap on any player to immediately take control of them before the snap or use your finger to drag a receiver and send them in motion. By far the best use of touch control is for on-field play calling. By pressing the L button, you can edit the play on the fly by tracing a route for your receivers with you finger. Madden has implemented new ways to call plays while on the field before, but this is the first instance of it working really well. The touch controls open up the gameplay considerably, allowing you to change your entire play without calling an audible and alerting the defense. There are inherent risks to abusing this feature, though. Often times a player might become overzealous and mis-time the throw, or the receiver might follow the route a little too well, incorporating any unintentional squiggles you may have made when trying to trace a straight route into his run. Regardless, open play calls makes the Vita version stand out and is one of the most enjoyable additions to the game in years.
The Vita’s rear touch panel also gets in on the gridiron action. While carrying the ball you can swipe your finger on either the right or left side of the handheld to perform a spin move in that direction or double tap it to juke. Truth be told, these inputs are less responsive than pressing the circle button to spin or juking by moving the right analog stick, but it's nice to have the option. Kicking the ball relies on motion controls and works out much better than expected. You still control the power of your kick by pulling back then pushing forward on the analog stick, but you control the direction and elevation by tilting your Vita from side to side or pitching it forward and back. This may sound laborious, but trust me, it quickly becomes second nature.
Madden NFL 13 still relies on the Franchise and Be a Superstar modes to provide most of the single player fun. Franchise mode is still fun and as deep as we've come to expect from Madden. In addition to cut days, more scouting options, and free agent bidding, the ability to trade future draft picks adds another notch of realism to the experience of roster management. Consistency also now plays a factor in player performance - players will now experience hot or cold streaks based on their performance, which will affect their morale and how they respond when the pressure mounts. It adds another thing for gamers to consider while playing. Perhaps, after three consecutive weeks of 4th quarter disappointments, you'll find yourself benching a cold Mark Sanchez and giving Tebow a chance to call the shots for the tail end of your play-off run. Another aspect of the game I like is the ability to switch teams after a completed season. There is something oddly satisfying about managing the front office of another team and having to compete against the dynasty you helped create.
There's also Practice mode, where you can fool around or improve your skills, and Madden Moments Live, which hosts challenges that task the player to recreate the most amazing moments from the previous week of football using actual conditions from the NFL season. The game comes pre-loaded with challenges based on the best of the 2011 season, which should be enough to tide players over until the weekly updates start to roll in. Be a Superstar is consistent with past iterations; you allocate skill and influence points for your up-and-coming superstar by using points earned through your exploits on game day or in a scheduled 10-play practice session. The player creation options are limited, though, and it's a mode that still desperately needs more ways for your player to express himself as an individual.
The Vita is still in that phase of its life cycle where its visual prowess hasn't been fully tapped. Due to this predicament I find it hard to tailor my visual expectations when it comes to a game like Madden. On the surface it looks as good as Madden looked in the early years of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but it's obviously not on a par with modern HD iterations. The graphics would be more impressive if the game ran at a smoother frame rate but, as it stands, the technical limitations are obvious. On the field of play the graphics are smooth, but during the interstitial presentations pop-in and clipping are highly noticeable. At least the players and coaches are recreated with sufficient visual style; the facial animation of a frustrated Eli Manning after being sacked for the third time is quite intense and coach Tom Coughlin’s grimace is chillingly true to life.
The menu system is clean and simple to navigate, but I would have liked it more if it had made use of the touch controls. The loading screens are kept at reasonable lengths and always share useful information about the game’s features. Overall, I think the entire game could do with more visual flare to prevent it from becoming such a staid affair - even the enhanced presentation for the Super Bowl could use some more excitement.
The audio has its high and low points. The deafening roar of the crowd almost compensates for its lackluster visual representation and is quite convincing overall. The quality of the commentary takes a hit from past years. On the positive side, the two commentators, Phil Simms and Jim Nantz, are both new to Madden, meaning essentially no lines of dialogue are recycled from past games. On the down side, they are a complete bore to listen to. Chris Collinsworth may have been annoyingly repetitive in past games but at least his distinctive personality came through in his performance. The problems with the commentary are exacerbated by disconcertingly out of place observations that at times are wholly removed from the in-game scenario, such as when a comment is made about failing to convert on fourth down after scoring a two point conversion. Another strange audio choice has to do with licensed soundtrack, or lack thereof. I personally look forward to the Madden soundtrack as an eclectic mixtape that helps each iteration stand out on its own, but this version only has grandiose orchestral tracks that play during the menus. You can catch clips of licensed songs playing in the stadiums but it doesn’t have the same effect as a well put together soundtrack.
In terms of value, Madden NFL 13 on Vita offers a comparable and competent alternative to the HD console version while costing a third less. The biggest drawback is that the online features are not as rich, but they do go far beyond what has been offered in previous handheld iterations. The ability to compete in online leagues is missed, but the lobby system works well in facilitating head-to-head ranked or unranked matches with players of similar skill. When playing online, I got the sense that my opponents were taking advantage of the touch control play calling just as much as I was, which led to some really unpredictable in-game situations. As I stated above, drawing out your own receiving routes on the fly can require precision at times, an issue compounded by lag. Luckily, if you have a stable enough connection you shouldn't run in to too many issues. Online is augmented with comprehensive chat and invite functionality, along with a scrolling ticker providing up-to-the-minute news from around the league courtesy of NFL.com.
There doesn’t seem to be much in the way with cross-play integration between this and the PlayStation 3 version. That is a shame, because earlier iterations on the PSP would allow you to transfer franchise mode save files so that you could continue the game on the road, and one would expect that process to be made easier with time, thanks to unified PSN/Origin accounts and the handheld’s streamlined connectivity capabilities with its console counterpart. However, the back of the box promises that you will unlock a Madden NFL 13 Ultimate Team Pack if you play a game online with both the PlayStation 3 and Vita.
Madden NFL 13 is a strong debut for football on the Vita, but there are still many possible improvements to be made. Now that the online infrastructure and touch controls are in place, the challenge is there for the developers to take things further and build a better, more exciting game of Madden. I can imagine future iterations with modes and mini-games built around the touch controls, as well as worthwhile console connectivity, but for now what is here is more than serviceable. Madden NFL 13 on Vita is the first football game I’ve played that gets touch play calling absolutely right and for that reason alone it is worth consideration.
This review is based on a copy of Madden NFL 13 for the PlayStation Vita, provided by the publisher.
This story was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Madden NFL 13 - Review
Related Games:
- Madden NFL 13 (PSV) - review - sales - walkthrough - cheats
Madden NFL 13 (PSV) – Review
I’ve been a dedicated Madden player for the past eight years. Each year, I am among the millions of fans itching to get a hold of the newest edition as part of a cherished ritual counting down to the start of the NFL season. Some years are better than others, bringing about new features and interesting presentational improvements, but Madden has remained fairly consistent over time. While some complain that there are too few changes between releases, one surefire way to experience Madden in a new way is to try it on a new platform. Madden NFL 13 heralds the franchise’s debut on Sony’s new handheld and brings with it a host of unique control options wrapped around the core Madden experience you're likely already familiar with.
Madden NFL 13 makes full use of the Vita’s many unique control inputs, starting with the touch screen. You can tap on any player to immediately take control of them before the snap or use your finger to drag a receiver and send them in motion. By far the best use of touch control is for on-field play calling. By pressing the L button, you can edit the play on the fly by tracing a route for your receivers with you finger. Madden has implemented new ways to call plays while on the field before, but this is the first instance of it working really well. The touch controls open up the gameplay considerably, allowing you to change your entire play without calling an audible and alerting the defense. There are inherent risks to abusing this feature, though. Often times a player might become overzealous and mis-time the throw, or the receiver might follow the route a little too well, incorporating any unintentional squiggles you may have made when trying to trace a straight route into his run. Regardless, open play calls makes the Vita version stand out and is one of the most enjoyable additions to the game in years.
The Vita’s rear touch panel also gets in on the gridiron action. While carrying the ball you can swipe your finger on either the right or left side of the handheld to perform a spin move in that direction or double tap it to juke. Truth be told, these inputs are less responsive than pressing the circle button to spin or juking by moving the right analog stick, but it's nice to have the option. Kicking the ball relies on motion controls and works out much better than expected. You still control the power of your kick by pulling back then pushing forward on the analog stick, but you control the direction and elevation by tilting your Vita from side to side or pitching it forward and back. This may sound laborious, but trust me, it quickly becomes second nature.
Madden NFL 13 still relies on the Franchise and Be a Superstar modes to provide most of the single player fun. Franchise mode is still fun and as deep as we've come to expect from Madden. In addition to cut days, more scouting options, and free agent bidding, the ability to trade future draft picks adds another notch of realism to the experience of roster management. Consistency also now plays a factor in player performance - players will now experience hot or cold streaks based on their performance, which will affect their morale and how they respond when the pressure mounts. It adds another thing for gamers to consider while playing. Perhaps, after three consecutive weeks of 4th quarter disappointments, you'll find yourself benching a cold Mark Sanchez and giving Tebow a chance to call the shots for the tail end of your play-off run. Another aspect of the game I like is the ability to switch teams after a completed season. There is something oddly satisfying about managing the front office of another team and having to compete against the dynasty you helped create.
This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Madden NFL 13 (PSV) - Review
Related Games:
- Madden NFL 13 (PSV) - review - sales - walkthrough - cheats
Madden NFL 13 – Review
EA’s long-running Madden NFL series often gets a lot of flak for its annual releases that only change incrementally rather than feeling like a full-fledged sequel year after year. This is a sentiment I could never get behind. After all, the goal of the series has always been to provide the most accurate simulation of America’s true sports pastime (suck it, baseball), so there’s not much change that can be added in terms of gameplay rules or mechanics. On top of that, there are usually a slew of new features added each year to make it feel new, despite ultimately being the same experience. So, if you’re a gamer still in this mindset, Madden NFL 13 will do little to change your mind. Long-time Madden players and football fans in general, though, are in for a treat.
Last year’s outing was criticized for playing it too safe, and it seems developer EA Tiburon took this criticism to heart, adding new options for players on the field to determine the flow of gameplay. The most apparent of these is “receiver awareness”, where receivers that aren't far enough into their runs won’t be ready for the ball if you throw it to them too early. This subtle alteration completely changes the dynamic of otherwise familiar plays, putting more pressure not only on the receiver but the quarterback as well, who must patiently wait for his open receiver to be aware of the ball. Luckily, quarterbacks have new juke moves available to them in the pocket courtesy of the left stick, allowing them more maneuvering room to avoid sacks.
The new Infinity physics engine overhauls what you’ve come to expect in a Madden game, though it won’t be apparent at first. Give it some time, though, and you’ll see that this is the most realistic iteration of Madden yet. Tackles still carry the bone-crushing intensity as the last couple of entries, but this time around the new physics engine allows tackling animations to be generated on-the-fly. No more predetermined tackles, meaning animations between players are completely unique. While this makes for exciting gameplay, it often results in odd post-play moments that take you out of the experience, such as players tripping over downed teammates for no apparent reason.
This is too bad, because graphically, Madden looks great. Character models look great (no doubt aided by the aforementioned physics engine) and the dynamic lighting featured in the last game is still an excellent feature. On the other hand, it’s clear that we are nearing the end of this console generation. The Madden series has pretty much peaked graphically, and it looks like all we can expect are incremental advancements until the next generation of consoles hits. At least the game still sounds great, featuring the voice likenesses of over a dozen NFL quarterbacks, including Tom Brady, Tim Tebow, and the Brothers Manning. CBS Sports anchors Phil Simms and Jim Nantz make their debut as Madden commentators, and are a marked improvement over Gus Johnson's performance for the last couple of years. Of course, no one will ever beat the classic John Madden, but hey, you take what you can get.
Returning are the player and coach careers mode, allowing you to take the shoes of either a professional or custom-made player, or a coach, and leading your team to victory. On its surface, it’s what we’ve seen before, but adds in an RPG element to make it more involving. In addition to sculpting your coach or players' background, managing your team, and winning games, the practice modes give you various simulations of specific game scenarios you must win in order to earn experience points. The harder the practice scenario, the more experience you get (can you come back 35 - 3 in the third quarter?). These experience points can then be spent to improve your coach or player. These experience points can also be earned through achieving certain milestones in your career (getting X passing yards in a season, etc.), though failing to achieve these milestones can result in you getting demoted, or even fired. This addition adds a huge amount of depth to the career modes, though it feels like it takes an excessive amount of experience to climb up the ranks. If you so desire, you can even take on the avatars of NFL legends such as Barry Sanders, Walter Peyton, or Jerry Rice, controlling them from their rookie days to their rise to greatness.
Madden NFL 13 adds and improves plenty enough to write home about, but I still have a few misgivings about the package. There are still the usual AI hiccups - receivers making no attempt to catch a ball right in front of them, defenders making the wrong coverage, and so on - but these issues are nowhere near as pertinent as they were in previous entries. More troublesome are the frequent framerate dips, especially during replays. It seems odd for a series that prides itself on its presentation, and it’s a darn shame.
With its new engine, new features, and improved presentation, Madden NFL 13 provides the most in-depth, immersive entry in the series so far. At the same time, the new engine often works against it to produce illusion-breaking glitches and player quirks that take you out of the experience. Still, it’s nice to see Madden go out of its way to produce more than just an incremental update (especially this late into the console cycle), so the game has to be commended for that. Presentational issues aside, Madden NFL 13 is an easy recommendation for fans of the series.
This review is based on an Xbox 360 copy of Madden 13, provided by the publisher.
This story was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Madden NFL 13 - Review
Related Games:
- Madden NFL 13 (X360) - review - sales - walkthrough - cheats
- Madden NFL 13 (PS3) - review - sales - walkthrough - cheats
Madden NFL 13 (X360) – Review
EA’s long-running Madden NFL series often gets a lot of flak for its annual releases that only change incrementally rather than feeling like a full-fledged sequel year after year. This is a sentiment I could never get behind. After all, the goal of the series has always been to provide the most accurate simulation of America’s true sports pastime (suck it, baseball), so there’s not much change that can be added in terms of gameplay rules or mechanics. On top of that, there are usually a slew of new features added each year to make it feel new, despite ultimately being the same experience. So, if you’re a gamer still in this mindset, Madden NFL 13 will do little to change your mind. Long-time Madden players and football fans in general, though, are in for a treat.
Last year’s outing was criticized for playing it too safe, and it seems developer EA Tiburon took this criticism to heart, adding new options for players on the field to determine the flow of gameplay. The most apparent of these is “receiver awareness”, where receivers that aren't far enough into their runs won’t be ready for the ball if you throw it to them too early. This subtle alteration completely changes the dynamic of otherwise familiar plays, putting more pressure not only on the receiver but the quarterback as well, who must patiently wait for his open receiver to be aware of the ball. Luckily, quarterbacks have new juke moves available to them in the pocket courtesy of the left stick, allowing them more maneuvering room to avoid sacks.
The new Infinity physics engine overhauls what you’ve come to expect in a Madden game, though it won’t be apparent at first. Give it some time, though, and you’ll see that this is the most realistic iteration of Madden yet. Tackles still carry the bone-crushing intensity as the last couple of entries, but this time around the new physics engine allows tackling animations to be generated on-the-fly. No more predetermined tackles, meaning animations between players are completely unique. While this makes for exciting gameplay, it often results in odd post-play moments that take you out of the experience, such as players tripping over downed teammates for no apparent reason.
This is too bad, because graphically, Madden looks great. Character models look great (no doubt aided by the aforementioned physics engine) and the dynamic lighting featured in the last game is still an excellent feature. On the other hand, it’s clear that we are nearing the end of this console generation. The Madden series has pretty much peaked graphically, and it looks like all we can expect are incremental advancements until the next generation of consoles hits. At least the game still sounds great, featuring the voice likenesses of over a dozen NFL quarterbacks, including Tom Brady, Tim Tebow, and the Brothers Manning. CBS Sports anchors Phil Simms and Jim Nantz make their debut as Madden commentators, and are a marked improvement over Gus Johnson's performance for the last couple of years. Of course, no one will ever beat the classic John Madden, but hey, you take what you can get.
Returning are the player and coach careers mode, allowing you to take the shoes of either a professional or custom-made player, or a coach, and leading your team to victory. On its surface, it’s what we’ve seen before, but adds in an RPG element to make it more involving. In addition to sculpting your coach or players' background, managing your team, and winning games, the practice modes give you various simulations of specific game scenarios you must win in order to earn experience points. The harder the practice scenario, the more experience you get (can you come back 35 - 3 in the third quarter?). These experience points can then be spent to improve your coach or player. These experience points can also be earned through achieving certain milestones in your career (getting X passing yards in a season, etc.), though failing to achieve these milestones can result in you getting demoted, or even fired. This addition adds a huge amount of depth to the career modes, though it feels like it takes an excessive amount of experience to climb up the ranks. If you so desire, you can even take on the avatars of NFL legends such as Barry Sanders, Walter Peyton, or Jerry Rice, controlling them from their rookie days to their rise to greatness.
Madden NFL 13 adds and improves plenty enough to write home about, but I still have a few misgivings about the package. There are still the usual AI hiccups - receivers making no attempt to catch a ball right in front of them, defenders making the wrong coverage, and so on - but these issues are nowhere near as pertinent as they were in previous entries. More troublesome are the frequent framerate dips, especially during replays. It seems odd for a series that prides itself on its presentation, and it’s a darn shame.
With its new engine, new features, and improved presentation, Madden NFL 13 provides the most in-depth, immersive entry in the series so far. At the same time, the new engine often works against it to produce illusion-breaking glitches and player quirks that take you out of the experience. Still, it’s nice to see Madden go out of its way to produce more than just an incremental update (especially this late into the console cycle), so the game has to be commended for that. Presentational issues aside, Madden NFL 13 is an easy recommendation for fans of the series.
This review is based on an Xbox 360 copy of Madden 13, provided by the publisher.
This story was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Madden NFL 13 (X360) - Review
Related Games:
- Madden NFL 13 (X360) - review - sales - walkthrough - cheats
- Madden NFL 13 (PS3) - review - sales - walkthrough - cheats
Electronic Arts E3 2012 Conference Round-Up – Article
Electronic Arts held its pre-E3 press conference and revealed information on not eight, not twelve, but ten games, from ten difference developers. Not everything they showed was a new title in its own right though, since there were a few expansion packs thrown in for good measure
So in case you missed it earlier (or even if you didn't) here's a recap of what the good folks at EA have in store for us .
Dead Space 3
What better way to open the show than with EA's most anticipated title, Dead Space 3? The press conference kicked off in a big way when EA's gameplay demo not only showed off a beautiful, yet haunting alien world but also confirmed the oft-rumored two player co-op for the campaign. As the demo went on, we were shown battles against a massive mechanical drill, enemy soldiers, and of course the series' trademark necromorphs. The demo ended with the main character being swallowed by a massive alien beast and awakening deep inside the gut of the behemoth. A thrill ride to be sure. We were also given a release date of February 2013, so get those plasma cutters ready to go.
Madden NFL 13
From the belly of the beast to the gridiron, Madden NFL 13 was next up for EA. The big additions to this year's edition of handegg revolve mostly around the all new 'Infinity' physics engine, which will help deliver a more authentic football experience where your players' momentum and mass will actually dictate how a play... plays out. The game will also feature a whole slew of social features that Michael Irving (EA's special guest) promised will help take a 'bite out' of the competition. These include 32 player online leagues, the ability to start a new career within the same league, and the ability to track your progress on mobile devices, as well as RPG elements (see what you did Call Of Duty!) like experience points and an actual story to drive your virtual NFL career further.
Sim City: Social and Sim City
Next up, for the fans of zoning bylaws, urban planning and massive Godzilla tramplings comes not one but two titles in the Sim City universe. Sim City: Social will be launching in just a few weeks for Facebook and promises to crush the competition (no really, they had a graphic) with classic Sim City gameplay available for all to enjoy. The other Sim City game is the next main installment in the series which will be the first entry in the franchise to feature a full multiplayer mode were you will either play against or with an ally to build the perfect city.
Battlefield 3 Premium
Think you've seen everything that Battlefield 3 has to offer? Well think again, as launching today (for PS3; the 360 version will be available later this week) EA is Battlefield 3 Premium. The new service, which retails for $49.99, will offer 20 new maps, new weapons, new vehicles, and early access to future downloadable content. The developer also revealed four new expansions (Close Quarters, Armored Kill, Aftermath and Endgame), each of which will feature its own unique gameplay and setting.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Another major EA game getting new content is the MMO from a galaxy far far away - Star Wars: The Old Republic. The expansion will feature a ton of new content, things like: new PVP warzones, new high level content, revisions to hardcore nightmare difficulty, a new playable species (the Cathar), a new explorable world (Kaleb), a new partner (HK-freaking-51), and a whole new storyline centered on the Hutt cartels. All of this will be coming to The Old Republic in the next few months and starting in July playing up to level 15 will be free to be play.
Medal Of Honor: Warfighter
Alright back to new games. EA's modern shooter promises to shake things up by having every mission be based on real-world events. This was demoed with a playthrough of a raid of a pirate hidehout in Somalia. The game will even feature Tier 1 Elite units from 10 different countries (JTF-2 from Canada, glee!). You will also be able to go through the campaign with a friend in two player co-op.
FIFA 13
Following the example of Madden NFL 13, FIFA 13 will feature not only gameplay and physics tweaks but also some pretty serious social connectivity. You will be able connect FIFA 13 to mobile devices and have access to online features like the auction house and much more. The game will also allow you to transfer your player XP from FIFA 12 to number 13. Players returning from FIFA 12 will also get exclusive content and gifts for the new title.
UFC Series
A small note. EA Sports has acquired from THQ the license for all future games based on the UFC.
Need For Speed: Most Wanted
Next up was a quick demo for the new title in the Need For Speed series, Most Wanted (which is, ironically enough, an old title). The game will feature some deep online integration (which seems to be the major theme of this E3) and will release on October 30th.
Crysis 3
To close out the conference EA brought out the team at Crytek to demo the upcoming Crysis 3. First off, the game's visuals are above and beyond anything else (and they weren't even running on a PC, but a PS3!). The game will take you through seven distinct and unique areas like the 'urban rain forest' that the extended demo featured. Crysis 3 will be available for PS3, X360 and PC in February of 2013.
And that's it for EA's press conference. Be sure to stay tuned to gamrReview.com for all your E3 previews and general shenanigans.
Electronic Arts E3 2012 Conference Round-Up - Article on gamrReview
Related Games:
- Battlefield 3 (PS3) - review - sales - walkthrough - cheats
- Dead Space 3 (X360) - review - sales - walkthrough - cheats
- Madden NFL 13 (PS3) - review - sales - walkthrough - cheats
gamrReview – Electronic Arts E3 2012 Conference Round-Up – Article
Electronic Arts held its pre-E3 press conference and revealed information on not eight, not twelve, but ten games, from ten difference developers. Not everything they showed was a new title in its own right though, since there were a few expansion packs thrown in for good measure So in case you missed it earlier (or even if you didn't) here's a recap of what the good folks at EA have in store for us . Dead Space 3 What better way to open the show than with EA's most anticipated title, Dead Space 3? The press conference kicked off in a big way when EA's gameplay demo not only showed off a beautiful, yet haunting alien world but also confirmed the oft-rumored two player co-op for the campaign. As the demo went on, we were shown battles against a massive mechanical drill, enemy soldiers,...Read More: Electronic Arts E3 2012 Conference Round-Up - Article on gamrReview
Related Games:
- Battlefield 3 (PS3) - review - sales - walkthrough - cheats
- Dead Space 3 (X360) - review - sales - walkthrough - cheats
- Madden NFL 13 (PS3) - review - sales - walkthrough - cheats