Madden NFL 13 Reviewed By Matt Roberts

Rating: 90% (Ratings Key/Explanation)

The world renown EA sports franchise brings to you the 2013 installment from the much acclaimed Madden series. There has been a lot of hype surrounding this release, as America’s number 1 sport just keeps garnering greater interest and popularity. As someone who is foreign to the American game, I was intrigued to see if Madden 13’ was exciting and fun enough, to turn me into a fan. It did.

From the get-go Madden 13’ grabs your attention. Before you hit the menu’s, there is a ‘hair standing up on the back of your neck’ speech delivered by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. Even without knowing who he was at the time, it got me fired up and in the mood for football. The main menu is quite simple to navigate around, offering the staple modes like exhibition, online and career, as well as adding new modes such as ultimate team and connected careers.

In the beginning I must admit, I felt a little overwhelmed sifting through the playbook, trying to find the right play and just hoping for the best. After a while though, it just made sense to choose the ‘Ask Madden’ feature which narrows the amount of plays down to three, making it a whole lot easier. Running an NFL offense is more fun then I thought. Being able to design an attack whether it be a run with a half back or a pass with a quarterback, gives you a lot of empowerment and control to dictate where you want the play to take you.

This year Madden has added the ‘Infinity Engine’ designed to make the tackles and collisions look more realistic and physical. I believe it definitely adds to the experience of a game that is already very well defined and lifelike. Every hit and tackle is slightly different, which makes you feel like you’re riding the bumps out there.

On the defense side of things, my immediate reaction was that this is boring and will be nowhere near as fun as the offense. Once you get the hang of it though, and I got a feel for my teams best linebacker (Pittsburgh’s Lamarr Woodley), you can begin to assert aggressiveness on the opponents quarterback. It’s a great feeling sacking the QB and just getting all up in their grill!

The career mode is now a common feature in sports games these days. And for good reason. It’s always a fun mode and gives you an interesting perspective of what it takes to make it in the big time. Madden 13’ gives you the option of living out the career of a past player or coach - or you can choose a present day player or coach. I decided to give this mode a whirl with the Chicago Bears half-back great, Walter ‘Sweetness’ Payton. It works like usual career modes, work your way up from having hardly any statistic points, to consistently accruing stat points through achieving challenges (e.g. gaining a specific amount of yards or winning the game), and then finally achieving all your dreams and accolades to be a true great.

In the ‘Ultimate Team’ mode, you get the chance to build your own legendary football team from scratch. It’s comprised of Madden football, fantasy football and trading cards. You can buy, sell and auction your players in a bid to find that one team with undeniable talent and cohesion that goes all the way and takes the NFL title. Being able to combine past and present players is a great feature. The nostalgia the old greats bring, added with the athletic explosiveness the current players bring, is a recipe for a damn good time.

This year Madden 13‘ brings to you an extension of the career mode. ‘Connected Careers’. You can now enjoy career mode as a fully interactive online experience. Doesn’t matter where you are, you can manage your team from your console, the web or mobile 24/7. This is the full 360 degree NFL experience.

The presentation of this game is quality. As mentioned earlier, the introduction to the main menu get’s you in the mood. Surprisingly there is no soundtrack in Madden 13’, so you have to scroll the menu’s with some dramatic instrumentals playing in the background that to be honest, ring truer to football than a Lil’ Wayne track would. The commentary from the CBS crew (Jim Nantz & Phil Simms) is dynamic albeit a bit repetitive, but still does the job nicely and informatively especially for an American football ‘n00b’ like me.

Overall this game is a great experience. Without knowing completely, I would suggest that hardcore NFL followers would also be impressed by Madden 13’. It definitely offers something for the amateur too - although word of warning; if you’re not willing to want to learn about the game and apply yourself, you will probably not get much enjoyment out of it. Video games can sometimes be great learning tools.

In Madden 13’s’ case, if you’re foreign to the game like me but willing to give it a good shot, you will be able to learn the sport, it’s intricacies and acquire a new following. Touchdown!