Madden NFL 20

Madden NFL 20 is still one of the best videogames if you want to simulate any sport but it's very clear that it needs more: more graphics, more gameplay changes, more news in its modes... X-Factor is a good new, but still insufficient to sense that gameplay is different that last year's edition.

However it got here, it’s a distilled, slightly faster game that focuses on ironing out its rough spots rather than introducing anything that could cause new ones. And as much as we love the spectacle of an attempt at interactive story or the novelty of a quirky new side mode, enhancing the part people actually play could be of more long-term value.

I'm having a lot of fun with Madden 20, and readily admit it is improved from last year's game, which I didn't hate. However, my fun is regularly curtailed by an inexplicable limitation in almost every mode. Madden 20 gets a lot more right than it gets wrong, but it still won't let itself be great.

The unveiling of Superstar X-Factors had long-term fans of the series cowering, but happily they inject welcome freshness into a stalwart that had grown a tad stale. [Issue#166, p.86]

Thanks to the MUT and Franchise gamemodes, the game offers a great density and an immersive experience, with a solid technical aspect. Unfortunately, the story mode, this year, isn't better than the Longshot mode that we saw on last year's edition.

Madden NFL 20 is a great American Football game, and whilst it's better than last year, some of the mainstay modes could do with an overhaul.

If you like the fast-paced and high-scoring outcomes much like the NFL wants its games to be, this Madden is for you. Simply put, it has an arcade feeling with simulation elements. If you’re looking for improvements to game modes, that isn’t happening even though Face of the Franchise shines at times. Ultimately, Madden NFL 20 is the most fun the game has been in quite some time, but not the most realistic and doesn’t add any evolution in its game modes.

Overall, Madden NFL 20 updates and adds some interesting attributes to its football structure. It polishes up the story mode and gives it focus while maintaining the entertainment value of the series steadily. It needed a bit more with regard to content, but what it has is still good.

Continuing the Madden franchise's recent tradition of story modes, Madden NFL 20 introduces a new narrative campaign. This new mode generally falls flat, but the pro football sim stands out on the field, with new additions that faithfully capture the essence of the NFL experience while making it fun to play again and again.

The shift of Longshot to the Face of a Franchise and the addition of X-Factors provide some tangible and beneficial changes to the game. Sure, the Pro Bowl is sort of a weird and pointless area of emphasis, but Madden NFL 20 provides one of the most entertaining and polished sports experiences available.

Madden NFL 20 maintains important elements of previous deliveries, but it is still an experience of contrasts with successes and specific errors that may change in the future. Despite this, it is a good football game that will keep fans entertained throughout the season.

If you're looking for good-to-great football, you'll likely find what you're looking for in Madden NFL 20. The game plays faster, the new superstar power system adds a dimension of fun that doesn't compromise the spirit of the game, and its third year in the Frostbite system has given it time to refine its overall aesthetic. I also feel like every year, we're still waiting for Madden to make some kind of next-level jump, and it hasn't quite gotten there yet. There were plenty of yards left on the field in terms of the Story and Franchise modes, but I have hopes the next Madden experience will be the one that puts everything together. Until then, I'll be trying to no-look throw the ball over the field as much as possible.

Madden NFL 20 takes a step in the right direction and I really enjoyed the X-Factor additions to the series. While I still think some form of competition would force EA to make more drastic changes, I’m not optimistic with any developers taking a spin with the football genre (maybe the XFL?). If you haven’t caught the pigskin for a few seasons, Madden NFL 20 is the right route to run for this year. With the new consoles coming (most likely) next holiday, I’m looking forward to seeing what EA builds upon from Madden NFL 20 and brings over to next gen. For now I’ll enjoy taking the Broncos to the Super Bowl, while beating up the cover pretty boy, Mahomes (not bitter at all).

I like aspects of Madden 20 like the addictiveness and slightly easier progression of Ultimate Team, the way players feel, and the new abilities. But too much remains stagnant and unchanged. It’s like expecting a few free agents to change the course of an entire organization when there are key areas the franchise needs to have addressed yesterday. Instead, its roster has gotten old fast and the problems are mounting.

The greatest show on turf gets a bit more personality with Madden NFL 20’s new X-Factor abilities. While this headline addition only applies to the sport’s biggest superstars, it injects new life into the on-field action. The new QB1 campaign may have potential in the future, but in its current guise it’s a step back from the Longshot story explored in previous entries, while the fan-favourite Franchise mode continues to see neglect. Ultimate Team is unquestionably the series’ underlying bread-and-butter, and with tons of new challenges to complete, it’s sure to become your new obsession as American football’s 100th season gets underway – just be wary of investing too much money into the mode.

Bluntly put, I found Madden NFL 20 to be a fairly vanilla entry in the franchise.

While no great strides have been made to blow the minds of returning players, Madden 20 brings enough refinement to the table that it earns its place there, and will surely be an enjoyable experience for even the casual football fan. Just don't let cover athlete Patrick Mahomes get in the zone; he has an arm like a cannon.

The casual fan will find plenty to enjoy but diehards will see Madden 20 as just another facelift to a franchise that knows how to succeed but struggles to innovate.

Madden NFL 20 manages to iron out some nagging issues, making gameplay better than it has ever been. Ultimate Team sees deep refinement, but online play needs some work. Madden NFL 20 feels like a game made for existing Madden fans.

Just like skipping out on watching the Pro Bowl, you're not missing out on all that much.

The new Face of the Franchise mode is totally underwhelming and fails to tell a meaningful story and the X-Factor abilities are helpful for newcomers but don’t really change how a solid player would play the game any. These changes are all a positive for long-term but it lacks any selling point and has launched in a frustrating state that undermines the solid football mechanics that EA has refined over the past several decades.