Much has been made about the fact that Madden has a captive audience and that there’s hardly any inclination to improve the game. They can update the rosters and graphics and slap a new-game price tag on it, and anyone who wants to play virtual football has no other option. Year after year, gamers had nowhere else to go.
As usual, the new rosters, rookies, and overall ratings are always good. It can be tough playing Madden 23 in the aftermath of the NFL Draft when players like Bryce Young, Bijan Robinson, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are on teams but not in Madden. That’s often not enough for players to pay for a new game.
Madden 24 was supposed to be the change to all of that. For the first time, EA Sports had teased quite a few major changes that were supposed to address those very concerns. This year’s game was designed to finally be what players longed for. They were supposed to feel like a different developer didn’t need to take the NFL’s partnership. Did they succeed in doing that?
If you’re interested in reading more about Madden 24, check out all player ratings, how to activate X-Factor abilities, and what made it onto the soundtrack.
Madden 24 gameplay
Madden’s gameplay is one source of criticism every single year. They have often neglected anything that needed to be changed, such as the blocking scheme, inexplicable AI decisions, and more. For the first time, EA Sports has made what seems like a concerted effort to fix or at least acknowledge these issues. They revamped the blocking system, made the AI smarter, updated FieldSENSE, and more. It’s certainly not perfect, but it’s clear that for what feels like one of the few times, they tried. Wide receivers seem to benefit the most. In playing, they felt realistic and their catch animations flowed with the game. Instead of doing a set animation regardless of anything else, they catch the ball like a real WR would. The QB scrambling is something we notice is improved as well. The roll out is more fluid and they get going much faster than in years past.
This year, the game feels familiar enough that you don’t have to learn a new game, but there are plenty of changes that make it better overall. Some of the same issues from Madden have cropped up again, as they’re largely inevitable.
In the coming years (the NFL has partnered with EA to make Madden for at least the next three years), this game will be viewed as a genuine shift in the franchise. They didn’t make the tremendous leaps forward that some might have hoped for, but they did take substantial steps in that direction.
Madden 24 game modes
Most of the game modes from Madden are good. Everyone loves Madden Ultimate Team (MUT), and Franchise Mode is another hit. These two are once again dependably good. Franchise Mode might be better than ever. The gameplay changes stay present, and there’s more you can do with your team now. Scouting is more in-depth and realistic, and there are a lot of possibilities now. The MUT sets will come as the season continues, but it’s off to another reliable start. The challenges are fun and engaging to actually entice players to try them rather than just bank on them needing to do so. Furthermore, the cards they’ve awarded are pretty good for starting a team, such as the 80 overall Jalen Hurts or 83 OVR Odell Beckham Jr.
Superstar mode is also good. The Face of the Franchise mode was good, and Superstar is effectively a reworked version of that. Playing Superstar mode feels like you are the player. In years past, it’s often felt like you’re just controlling another avatar, but the updated version has added realism that puts you right in the action. It might not be as popular, but it’s fun and EA has done a fine job implementing it once again. Allowing it to be single-player and multiplayer was a good choice, too. This allows for a lot of variety in gameplay, which is vital to a game that can be extremely repetitive.
Madden 24 graphics
Graphics don’t have a huge impact on a lot of games, but when the game is emulating real people and real things, it’s good to look realistic. They’re still not perfect, which is arguably a good thing since the Uncanny Valley exists. However, they are markedly improved from Madden 23, which is the main goal of EA Sports’ graphics department every year. Comparing 23’s graphics with the current game is almost like night and day. They may eventually make it look just like the real thing, but regardless, these graphics are great and still have a video game feel. The players look good because they’re clearly animated, but with an extreme attention to detail. Some of the finer details, like fans in the stands or coaches on the sideline, can be lackluster when not in true focus.
Madden 24 user interface
As technology gets better, the games they are made for get better. The next-gen systems are smoother and have generally better interfaces than last-gen consoles, but Madden 24’s UI is an improvement. Everything is laid out correctly and pretty easy to navigate. It doesn’t take very long to get from one place to the other, and it’s not an eyesore. The designers responsible for the layout made it aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate, which is the perfect balance.
Madden has finally struck a balance between giving the community what they want while keeping the game similar from year to year. Previously, this battle was exclusively won by EA’s commitment to consistency. But through that, you can see that Electronic Arts has at least made a concerted effort to fix things the community wanted.
