Madden NFL 21

Madden 21 incorporates some innovative aspects to the franchise in order to attract the public that had gone furthest.

Madden takes a step towards a more arcade-y approach, becoming the most accessible NFL game in many years. EA is trying to find the right identity for the series, and so far we have a very solid title, that still needs some work to be the game this sport deserves.

Those looking for a huge step forward in the EA Sports’ football franchise won’t find it with Madden NFL 21. However, despite its lack of major upgrades, Madden NFL 21 is still a mechanically sound and fun football game.

Given the sheer depth of the title, this Madden NFL 21 review could theoretically go on for another 1,000 words but there’s a good chance most readers already know whether or not they plan to invest in another season of tried and true NFL gameplay. Make no mistake, Madden NFL 21 is the best rendition of football this generation, and is A solid experience for anyone who takes the plunge — it just comes down to whether or not the new features warrant another purchase for regular fans.

Madden NFL 21 is as fun and realistic as every Madden game, especially in its new “The Yard” mode and its increased focus on superstars, but its stagnation in gameplay innovation and established modes makes it sometimes difficult to distinguish its improvements over previous games.

In short, it's a drive where the saga has lost ground.

Madden NFL 21 isn’t a bad game. It’s good, in fact. It just feels wholly unnecessary.

There is a lot of football to be had in Madden NFL 21 on the Xbox One, and when you are on the field, the football is good. EA have created a game that if you have 15 minutes or a couple of hours, they want you tossing their digital pigskin. From modes like The Yard and MUT that offer quicker challenges to a full simulation in either Franchise mode, you will be spoilt for choice. Sadly though, they’re not all good choices. MUT is the big money earner, so receives the most TLC, but this comes at a cost to all other modes.

Madden 21 takes a few shots down field but ultimately plays it safe — and in some ways, too safe.

Madden NFL 21 is an imperfect game, with some modes like Franchise and MUT lacking any meaningful upgrades. Fans of those modes will still have fun, but they will have to wait for next year's Madden to see where the major evolutions take place. Meanwhile, Face of the Franchise is awkward from a story perspective and lacks player agency. But the core gameplay experience feels better than ever, with things like the new Skill Stick controls allowing for creatively on the field. Lastly, The Yard is so good it could be its own stand-alone game.

Madden NFL 21 will not be the game in the series to win a GOTY again for this long-lived sports franchise.

While it seems like the Madden franchise is trending in the wrong direction, the future remains bright for EA Sports virtual gridiron game. A new generation of consoles is right around the corner and the timing couldn’t be better. I have to give EA some credit here as folks who purchase Madden NFL 21 for PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, are able to upgrade their copy to PlayStation 5, or Xbox Series X at no extra cost. That said, it feels as though EA Sports has done everything they can with this generation of consoles and is merely on cruise control until they have the technical capacity to do so much more. Madden NFL 21 isn’t necessarily a bad game; it will improve over time with updates. Yet the product at launch is riddled with deficiencies and the incremental additions aren’t significant enough to warrant a purchase recommendation from me.

All in all Madden NFL 21 is a major case of deja vu. Is it bad? Not in the least. Is Madden NFL 21 a great advancement in football simulation that some might be looking for? Not in the least as well. The hope for me is that the next gen versions (which is included with the purchase of this years’ release for current gen versions) will be a significant upgrade and not just a higher res version with faster loading times. So this is one of the more difficult scores I’ve had to give a sports title. On one hand you get to versions of Madden NFL 21 (current gen/next gen) and it’s a great football release. On the other hand if you play/buy Madden every year I find it hard to fully endorse buying this year’s release based on just how similar it is to Madden 20.

Madden 21 is the first time I have found it hard to recommend upgrading. It truly does feel like a roster update in a lot of areas. Franchise mode is super disappointing for me. I spend hundreds of hours in it yearly and I can’t tell a difference between the game I played last week and today. The developers have said they are listening and have heard our requests. This could be patched in. I still want to see this game on new hardware, but as of now I am having a hard time saying Madden is worth the annual upgrade for gamers.

While the gameplay is in as good of a spot as it’s been for a while, Madden 21 is dragged down but neglected features, stagnant and/or underdeveloped concepts. Hopefully, this inconsistent effort is a product of the development team packing tons into the next-gen version. If not, all things considered, from a reception standpoint, this could be one of the worst years in franchise history.

Madden 21 has the components to be a solid, if utterly by-the-numbers entry in the franchise. However, a raft of bugs and glitches serve to undo the game’s atmosphere at every turn.

Although Madden NFL 21 sees some improvements to its gameplay, and the enjoyable The Yard Mode makes an impressive debut, there's far too much that has been ignored. It feels more like an update than a fully blown follow-up, and it sucks that Franchise Mode has been left in the dirt.

There is a day-one patch that will go up right around the time of this review that will address some of the less polished elements I experienced. But it’s a game that more so than past versions feels like it needed more development time before release. It’s also a tough one to recommend because the changes between this year’s game and last feel minor. It’s still a very good game of football and I’m excited to see where the franchise goes on the next-gen consoles, but as the swan song for this generation, this version goes out with a very quiet release.