Madden NFL 19

Put on your helmet and brace yourself for impact as MADDEN NFL 19 by EA Tiburon performs a perfect touch down right in your living room. The popular Football series returns with the introduction of the updated locomotion system, improvements and upgrades to popular modes and a new chapter in the Longshot campaign that follows the stories of Devin Wade and Colt Cruise.

It’s got the Look

For all intents and purposes, this title is a perfectly functioning game and makes for an excellent annual addition to the franchises long history. They took everything we loved from last year and built on it to create an immersive experience for all, with excellent broadcast packages that provide a brilliant atmosphere and an awesome simulation of the sport in its media. Reaching a similar, although different, level of polished presentation that matches NBA 2K19; the basketball based equivalent released the same year.

With improved visuals, this title enters a new realm of satisfying gameplay, the players react realistically when tackled and hard hits are met with a cringe worthy CRUNCH that makes you feel the punishment these animated athletes endure. There is a plethora of interesting additions that immerse you, from interactive touchdown celebrations to ragdoll physics and watching your player get thrown around like a dog toy, both provide an odd sense of gratification that I really enjoyed. Sometimes when a player moves out of the “devastated mess on the floor” tackled animation, they look a little disjointed which can be a little amusing. The realistic commentary provided by Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis that completes the illusion of disbelief, truly bringing you into the game.

For Longshot, I got nothing but praise. This story mode adds depth to the game with a realistic and engaging tale about the all or nothing life surrounding the sport and the impact the sport can have on the player. Praise for both the animation and acting.

Play of the Game

Character movement is smooth and dynamic with the improved locomotion system. It adds a real ferocity to your player’s actions that simulate Real Player Motion (RPM), these are intrinsically linked to ball carrier mechanics and the difference to former titles is definitely noticeable, giving the character an authentic weight and power that hadn’t yet been seen. Thanks to these changes, the repetitive feel that was often tied to former titles is gone and instead a far more fluid experience on the field is offered.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack featured over 30 tracks from popular artists like Cardi B, Nicki Minaj and Post Malone that really brings it all to the current day. This tied with a pretty good original score by John Debney, these tracks set the tone for the game and bring you and enjoyable focus.

Pros

• Smoother gameplay mechanics.
• Improved visuals.
• Greater ease with controls.

Cons

• Not a huge departure from last year or the following.
• Sometimes clunky and disjointed movement.