By Collin Moran
With football season right around the corner, this year’s edition of Madden will impress any fan
of the sport. The all new graphics system in Madden NFL 18 will make anyone feel like they are watching a game on television. Classic fan favorite game modes like Ultimate Team and Connected Franchise make a strong return, along with an all new single player story that allows the player to go from high school and play up to the professional level. Each of these different modes come together to make Madden feel like one of the most complete sports games on the market. Many aspects of the game have remained the same over the last few years, and while that can be bad thing for most games, it
tends to be a positive for a game franchise whose fans expect a specific style of gameplay year after year. Madden may be the only football game on the market, but that doesn’t stop the developers from trying to impress buyers each year.
The enhanced graphics and the improved game modes will keeppeople coming back for more, and this instalment may even be regarded as the best Madden to date.In most cases, sports games don’t have a lot to offer in terms of game modes, but that is where this games exceeds. Players are able to compete in standard NFL games right from the main menu, whether it is against a computer opponent or another player online. Madden now offers a way to play exact matchups from the NFL depending on what week it is. Play as your favorite team in a certain week and then you can continue to the play out the rest of the season if you choose to. The most popular piece of the game is the returning Ultimate Team mode where players collect cards of current and former NFL stars that are used to piece together their ideal team. Ultimate Team is based online where cards are bought with in game currency and can be sold on an auction market to other people in the community. This mode can get extremely addictive with hundreds of challenges to complete for currency. Players just have to be careful because the game does encourage the purchase of micro-ransactions using real money to buy extra in game currency.
The other big part of the Madden NFL 18 gameplay experience is the Connected Franchise mode. This game mode has been in Madden for a number of years now and is a fan favorite for people who love to take over a team as the owner, head coach, or star player. Being an owner or a coach allows players to play each game for their team, as well as making roster decisions and business decisions involving ticket prices and stadium upgrades. Connected Franchise also allows someone to create a player and play as any position on the offense or defense. It is a fun way to practice your skills and stay away from spending any extramoney like in Ultimate Team. The game mode can also be played with up to 31 other people all taking over a team or creating a player.
For the first time in franchise history, Madden is introducing a single player story mode that is similar to modes in NBA 2K and FIFA. The new story called Longshot lets the player assume the character of Devin Wade, a former star quarterback in high school looking for one last shot to make it to the NFL. Longshot mode gives players a couple hours of playtime that feel mostly like a movie with a little bit of gameplay added in. This story mode isn’t as complete as NBA 2K MyCareer mode, but it gives the series a new idea to play with, and could have some big potential in future games. Longshot is a refreshing add-in for this years game. This year, EA decided to add their impressive Frostbite graphics engine to the game. These are the same graphics that are featured in titles such as Battlefield 1 and Star Wars Battlefront. The improved graphics make the gameplay and cutscenes look photo realistic and the game feels even more like an actual NFL game on television. Players and stadiums have a lot more detail this year and make the game feel even more authentic. Other sports games such as NBA 2K and MLB The Show still have a better graphics presentation, but Madden has made big strides this year and only figures to get better with future versions of the game.
Sports games get more realistic every year, and Madden is leading the charge with great graphics and an authentic gameplay experience. The game comes with a lot of replay value and should receive a lot of talk over the next couple months with the NFL season getting ready to start.
This may be regarded as the best installment of the franchise yet and is definitely worth a try for any gamer who likes football. The gameplay should feel familiar to past games but it has made strides to feel more realistic than ever.Madden 18 is an impressive game and should be one of the top sellers of this fall. Game Review Score: 4/5 Paws
