Madden NFL 21

 Xbox One
User Score
0.5

Overwhelming dislike- based on 1047 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 1047
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 1047
  3. Negative: 1,006 out of 1047
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  1. Xbox_Alive
    Sep 6, 2020
    7
    Madden NFL 21 is an American football video game based on the National Football League, developed by EA Tiburon and published by Electronic Arts. It is an instalment of the long-running Madden NFL series. Every year a new Madden NFL game comes out, and every year the marginal improvements and new additions feel like just enough to keep the series moving forward. This year, however, thingsMadden NFL 21 is an American football video game based on the National Football League, developed by EA Tiburon and published by Electronic Arts. It is an instalment of the long-running Madden NFL series. Every year a new Madden NFL game comes out, and every year the marginal improvements and new additions feel like just enough to keep the series moving forward. This year, however, things feel a bit different in Madden NFL 21. Despite the introduction of the surprisingly fun and unique The Yard mode, the list of persistent issues, neglected features, and new annoyances is growing quite long. While you can play against the computer, or online and unlock different fields and challenges to partake in, at this stage you have to wonder about the longevity and depth of The Yard. If more content is planned it will go down as one of the best innovations in a Madden release for years and fans should be excited for where EA can take it. The graphics haven’t changed much and some will say there wasn’t much needed in that department, especially as this is the last in the current gen series, but veterans will note how stale the presentation feels. Madden NFL 21 is a great example of why competition breeding innovation is a good thing. Without a comparable NFL experience on the market, EA has allowed its marquee sports franchise to fall behind in almost every significant way, hopefully we will see something significant on the Series X version.… Expand
  2. TVJunkie93
    Aug 27, 2020
    5
    Why a 5? I agree with essentially every single complaint against this year's release. Chief among them, the lack of care about Franchise mode, which spent decades as the anchor for this franchise before MUT and micro-transactions became EA's top priority.

    However, to EA's credit, the gameplay is smooth and the graphics are impressive. That's about it. It's not literally the worst game    Why a 5? I agree with essentially every single complaint against this year's release. Chief among them, the lack of care about Franchise mode, which spent decades as the anchor for this franchise before MUT and micro-transactions became EA's top priority.

    However, to EA's credit, the gameplay is smooth and the graphics are impressive. That's about it. It's not literally the worst game of all time. But it is the most disappointing Madden release of all time. It's the bare minimum of competency.

    Beyond the lack of Franchise improvements, the new mobile-style presentation package is annoying. Celebration controls popping up after every big play breaks the immersion. The presentation is stale, with the halftime show untouched for the 4th year, and a new unrealistic, drawn out pre-game introduction that's somehow a step down from another year of Coachman would have been.

    The Yard? Give me a break. EA creating such a vast player customization engine for that mode, even including mouth-guards, but not implementing any of that into Franchise is a massive middle finger to long time fans of the franchise.

    If you have a PC capable of running Madden 20 (doesn't need to be a gaming rig), I would highly encourage you to use Madden 20 with updated community rosters. There's even a mod for Franchise mode that will let you start this upcoming season, with all of last season's stats added in, all roster adjustments made, it even has COVID opt-out players properly designated as such, which Madden 21 doesn't even feature (at this moment).

    #FixFranchiseMode    … Expand
  3. BigMike681
    Aug 28, 2020
    7
    The only problems for me is that they didn’t really update franchise or MUT. Presentation is very nice. The new game mode “The Yard” is really fun and seems great to play with friends. Face of the Franchise was ok. The gameplay is fun and feels good, there are some glitiches/bugs, nothing that can’t be fixed in some updates. Overall good game, could’ve been better. #FixMaddenFranchise
  4. DSooHoo
    Dec 20, 2020
    5
    This game is the mostly unchanged in Franchise mode, which has not been updated since Madden 13 and in Regular Play

Awards & Rankings

93
#93 Best Xbox One Game of 2020
4
#4 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. GamingBolt
    Nov 1, 2020
    70
    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.
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  2. TheSixthAxis
    Sep 14, 2020
    60
    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.
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  3. GameCritics
    Sep 10, 2020
    75
    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.
    Read full review
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