The friendly folks at EA Sports were kind enough to invite GameCritics to a closed beta of the hotly anticipated Madden NFL 23. Obviously, I jumped at the chance to spend a few hours with it, as this latest Madden is expected to represent actual forward progress into the current generation of consoles, and not just a cross-generation juke step.
HIGH It’s great watching a team come together. Exciting games on the field
LOW Questionable AI. Poorly-synced commentary
WTF Why are all the draft picks TERRIBLE?
HIGH It’s more than a roster update…
LOW …but not by much.
WTF Madden Ultimate Team is the ultimate wallet drain.
HIGH Improved game flow. Crazy-deep franchise mode.
LOW Blocking is still weird.
WTF why is my LB spasming like that after a hit?
HIGH A great tutorial.
LOW A long-winded story.
WTF 6’8” and 250 lbs. is not a middle schooler.
HIGH The match dynamics.
LOW Trick shots.
WTF That live action dub.
HIGH The Skill Stick controls are much improved on defense.
LOW The graphics are really showing their age.
WTF Bad acting is forgivable. Unnecessary game modes are not.
HIGH Juking a corner out of his cleats on the way to a 37-yard TD.
LOW Watching my human-controlled DT jump offsides for the 9th time because of a
glitch.
WTF Why are my blockers rushing downfield to catch a punt?
HIGH: Finally, a kicking system that isn’t always a sure thing.
LOW: Ultimate Team seems to be a bigger cash-grab than before.
WTF: Two hours in and still in training mode?
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