Madden 21 Review: Execution Not Power Is The Problem Here

[capa]

Ahh..if your last statement were only true.

C

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

That was sarcasm. There isn't a sports game that I've played that hasn't had players bodies go through one another, with the exception of golf and tennis. I don't pay much attention to youtube folks, sorry. I'm the best reviewer of what I need from a game. Nothing against Moody trying to improve the game.

Sent from my Pixel using Operation Sports mobile app

[TampaTom]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

I haven't seen players go through players in any game that I've played this generation, yet. Interesting. Actually, I respect the review Bob, spot on with game play and FM takes.

Of course you haven't.

I'm truly confused coming to OS. I don't understand how so many people playing the game are so upset but all the mods and most top posters are praising the game and heaping on excuses.

Why does OS give EA such a pass on Madden? They straight up made us promises and lied. Again.

Even though EA lies to us each year and provides a relatively terrible football game, OS management/leadership as a whole defends it.

Either you people have horribly low expectations and/or don't care about simulation football, or there is something else going on.

To further prove my point, I just searched and went through quite a few reviews/threads from past Madden releases and its the same thing - total blind eyes to Maddens failures. Judging my the amount of bans that took place during that time the only positive thing I can say about OS is that you've banned less people this year.

[SmashMan]

Quote: Originally Posted by TampaTom

Either you people have horribly low expectations and/or don't care about simulation football, or there is something else going on.

They’ve been paying us in Madden bucks. The last fifteen years, just piles of it. That’s why nobody on OS has ever said anything negative about the game. A decade and a half of pure bliss around here.

Sorry you’ve missed out on it, man.

[newtonfb]

Quote: Originally Posted by ChaseB

The bolded is how every great post starts in the many years of peeps coming to OS to disagree with a reviewer giving an opinion on the game. Newton I don't even have a general beef with the post because it's just your opinion on where the game should be, but if two opinions disagreeing about gameplay improvements means you lose "respect" for a website then fair enough.

Coming to OS? Ive been here for many years, not a regular but I've been here for awhile. With that being said I hold OS to a higher standard than any other reviews for sports games. When IGN gives a game a 6, thats big. IGN is or the casual gamers while OS is for the dedicated sim players who are looking for all things sports video games. So when I read on OS that Madden 21 is not a bad game and it doesn't address the year after year issues I lose respect..or standard that I have thought OS to be. The game is plagued with so many issues that even IGN or other reviews dont mention and they still gave it a bad review. Its to date, the worse Madden on Metacritic and thats for a reason. If we keep reviewing the games as "Its a decent game with minor updates....etc" we will never see change. Unfortunately that comes from reviews. The game will always sell because little Jimmy will always get Madden for Christmas from his mother because its the only game with the NFL license.

[therizing02]

Quote: Originally Posted by newtonfb

The game will always sell because little Jimmy will always get Madden for Christmas from his mother because its the only game with the NFL license.

There ya go.....

[ChaseB]

Quote: Originally Posted by newtonfb

Coming to OS? Ive been here for many years, not a regular but I've been here for awhile. With that being said I hold OS to a higher standard than any other reviews for sports games. When IGN gives a game a 6, thats big. IGN is or the casual gamers while OS is for the dedicated sim players who are looking for all things sports video games. So when I read on OS that Madden 21 is not a bad game and it doesn't address the year after year issues I lose respect..or standard that I have thought OS to be. The game is plagued with so many issues that even IGN or other reviews dont mention and they still gave it a bad review. Its to date, the worse Madden on Metacritic and thats for a reason. If we keep reviewing the games as "Its a decent game with minor updates....etc" we will never see change. Unfortunately that comes from reviews. The game will always sell because little Jimmy will always get Madden for Christmas from his mother because its the only game with the NFL license.

I wasn't saying you never come to OS, I'm saying people who come onto OS and start a post the way you did are numerous through the years.

As for the content of what you're saying, we mentioned the bugs. We mentioned the lack of freshness elsewhere. We mentioned the game has a fundamental issue that next-gen won't solve -- I feel like that in and of itself is a pretty damning criticism where we're saying going to "more power isn't magically going to fix this game. This game has bigger issues it needs to solve first."

Having read the IGN review it basically covers the same problems we did. it also similarly says the gameplay is improved and The Yard is pretty good -- both things we say in a sense as well. Perhaps the issue is because we said the gameplay improved at all is what you're getting at? Again, if that's your opinion then fair enough. The person who reviewed the game felt the gameplay was somewhat better and so he wrote it down. I'm sorry if that means we're forgetting who we are by saying that?

I mean the final part of this review doesn't feel/sound very glowing to me:

Quote:

A lack of computational power is not the problem here. Next-gen graphics and physics (while great) are not the missing ingredient here. The ideas and the execution of those ideas feel like the broader issues at play here. All that being said, if you understand that and simultaneously understand that Madden 21 offers up a good game of football between the lines, then there is something here for you. If you’re looking for Madden to be more than that this year, then just wait until next-gen to see if it’s improved, or wait until the game has a big sale/hits EA Play.

When I read that, it basically sounds like if you've been okay with the path the gameplay has been on the last couple years then try it out -- perhaps after a sale -- otherwise ignore it.

Perhaps it's because we just don't score our games so I guess it doesn't hit as hard as a "negative" review without a 6 on it? Or saying the gameplay is "good" by any measure -- even when it's couched in multiple caveats -- means all bets are off and said reviewer is a terrible judge? If that's the case, then okay then.

[kenchun24]

Fair review, but it seems for the first time since the 2006 exclusive NFL/NFLPA deal with EA/EA Sports of the John Madden football videogame IP,* at least a large percentage of the fanbase of this series are TIRED of the continued copy & paste, half-baked, "patchwork developed" release* of a POORLY made, triple A videogame consumer product. One that continues to IGNORE what a majority of the fans want in said simulation football videogame. The ONLY NFL simulation football videogame available since 2005.


To the blind lemmings - aka Madden Challenge "glitch-ball" tourney shills, and microtransaction-addicted "Muthead Only" folks that do not have the discipline to boycott, so be it, they are tied to the EA Sports/Madden/NFL monopoly for employment reasons (or are dug in like a digital card collecting cult).


But I'm very happy to see some longtime Madden consumers, from many generations of gaming - younger baby boomer, Gen X, older/younger millennials and Gen Z - realizing this yearly, lame, Microtransaction infested NFL footbal videogame game sucks. And is LONG overdue for an overhaul.


Just like EA's greedy microtransaction Star Wars: Battlefront release day product backlash from pissed off Jedi's and Rebels, they boycotted, they made their voice heard, and they enacted change. Disney slapped EA in the butt and* SW:Battlefront 1 & 2 became more player/consumer friendly, and has thrived since then.


This also led to EA's support for Respawn's Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order. A not always online, no microtransactions, SINGLE PLAYER, action-adventure gaming experience that was resoundingly well received by critics, hard-core, and casual Star Wars fans alike. While breaking sales records for golly-gee what do you know, a WELL MADE, consumer friendly, videogame product.

Madden 21 Metacritic as of Sept. 3rd 2020:
Critics aggregate: 63 score (4 positive, 18 mixed, 1 negative)
Users aggregate: 0.3 (51 positive, 19 mixed, 3,522 negative)


Review bombing or not, a percentage of football videogame fans have spoken clearly since even Madden 18, 19, and 20. Since this past June when the details of "Classic Franchise" were released. Get your poop together EA/EA Sports/Tiburon, and the NFL. Or give up the ghost that was John Madden Football to other developers and publishers already.

#NFLDropEA, #FixMaddenFranchise, #Choice4FootballVideogames

[piffbernd]

This year releases will be all nightmare. Fifa, Nhl, NBA, maybe the show next year. I don't know how long can don't improve Franchise modes. Britain is barking micro transaction are gambling. Sooner or later Eu won't support that either. Developer need to think carefully, either government blocks them or costumers are no more buying