Madden NFL 18

You don’t always need a huge step forward to make a big difference, and Madden NFL 18 exemplifies that. Sometimes adding something new, while also polishing the already established stuff makes for a fantastic experience. Longshot is engaging without being truly time-consuming, and this year’s Madden Ultimate Team is probably one of the most fully featured Ultimate Team-like concepts implemented by...

A common complaint of yearly sports franchises is that releases often feel like a mere roster change, or a fresh coat of paint on an already existing structure. Obviously large sweeping changes take time to introduce, and only so much can be done in a year, so these complaints do sometimes hold some validity to them. I don’t suspect any of these complaints will be lobbed at Madden NFL 18, though. ...

Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

Madden NFL 18 is one of the best Madden games I have ever played. It’s accessible to new players and offers brand new experiences for seasoned video game football vets. There are some years when Madden just doesn’t have the right feel, and I usually will be the first to tell folks to hold off on buying the game. But this is not one of those years. 2018 is coming, and Madden is ready to give you ho...

The shift to the Frostbite Engine definitely lets Madden NFL 18 look fantastic, and Longshot makes great use of that to tell a short but powerful against-all-odds story. MUT Squads also opens up a new way to play with more than two players. But beyond that, the underwhelming feel of gameplay improvements and lack of much of anything new within Franchise, Madden NFL 18 sails wide-right in the final...

Madden NFL 18 is a breath of fresh air in the franchise, highlighted with Longshot, a new engine, and more accessible game modes to round off the package.

Last year, I was down on EA Sports’ powerhouse NFL franchise. I had an overwhelming sense of disappointment with Madden NFL 17. Sure, the gameplay was as tight as ever and all the hardcore Madden fans seemed genuinely satisfied, yet I didn’t feel like there were any significant innovations. It felt more like an expansion or an upgrade. This year, however, is a different story. Madden NFL 18 feels ...

Madden 18 shines brightest with its new Longshot mode, but the lack of improvements elsewhere makes this year’s Madden offering an incremental – but still highly-playable – update.

But is it successful?

Yes, the football season may have just started in the UK, but across the pond, something different is going on: the football season is about to start. Not the one with feet or balls, mind you, but one even more complicated and technical, a sport in which “PA Max Protect” actually means something.

Madden NFL 18 isn’t the giant leap of the series, but I’m not entirely sure anyone really expects it to be. It is noticeably different than its predecessor, namely because of the Longshot mode. And while I didn’t walk away from the Longshot story a huge fan – it’s definitely worth a shot if you’re looking for something different in your Madden experience. However, if you just wanted more of the sa...

Madden NFL 18 marks a second consecutive year of Madden football in a holding pattern.  Features and additions to this year's game either just don't feel noteworthy, or miss the mark entirely.