Madden NFL 13 Review (PS3/360)

[comen]

One thing I think I disagree with is it being the best Madden ever. On this gen, yes. But I think Madden 05 takes the crown for best ever.

Ya I like 05 n 06 ps2!! Im sure when I say there will never be a great nfl video game until competition comes back! Its like being crowned the heavyweight champion of the world without ever fighting anyone!!

[SamoanSteelerFromAus]

I've only played the demo as the retail hasnt come out here yet but from what i've played I'd give it a 6.5
I think the stupidest mantra i've heard from EA is the " no two plays will ever look or feel the same"
Well i've seen many plays that are literally identical because there is still a surprisingly limited amount of animations EA use and i've seen dreaded ones i've always hated from previous maddens show up in this one more frequently than not - like that horrible wrap up waist tackle that takes seconds to get them to the ground.

Football begins in the trenches and the fact that we're 7 years on the new gen and it doesnt feel authentic is a joke.

Another big thing that I'm still yet to see mentioned is impact and momentum...I mean, when Im sprinting 40 yards down field on a kickoff and then collide into a blocker I feel absolutely nothing. There is no impact whatsoever unless it triggers a pancake animation. Cmon, how many times to people collide a full speed only to have the blocker gently put his arms on the gunner and they all of a sudden become motionless. I wanna see heads fly back, arms flail upwards from colliding and momentum carrying me towards the ball carrier based on the angle I collided with the blocker and my weight/power/speed. This should happen to blitzers smashing into lineman but instead you just get stopped gently and then have to animation your way out of the block. All Pro football 2k8 is the only game that captured leverage off the line, so much so that a nose tackle can travel 4, 5 yards whilst still engaged in a block and then sack the qb - brilliant.

This still just doesn't feel like football, it feels more like a chess game with football players as the pieces.
Madden does not capture the violence and impact of this game and I understand why people rate this high, most of the time it's because we don't have that outside reference point to grade it against because this is what EA has given us every year. I'm glad the engine has been upgraded but I think it will be a few more years until I think its worthy of a rating higher than 7.
Peace.

[Tweeg]

The AI is not a worthy opponent whatsoever in CCM. The game plays completely different than Play Now.

[Redskinsfan26]

I've only played the demo as the retail hasnt come out here yet but from what i've played I'd give it a 6.5
I think the stupidest mantra i've heard from EA is the " no two plays will ever look or feel the same"
Well i've seen many plays that are literally identical because there is still a surprisingly limited amount of animations EA use and i've seen dreaded ones i've always hated from previous maddens show up in this one more frequently than not - like that horrible wrap up waist tackle that takes seconds to get them to the ground.

Football begins in the trenches and the fact that we're 7 years on the new gen and it doesnt feel authentic is a joke.

Another big thing that I'm still yet to see mentioned is impact and momentum...I mean, when Im sprinting 40 yards down field on a kickoff and then collide into a blocker I feel absolutely nothing. There is no impact whatsoever unless it triggers a pancake animation. Cmon, how many times to people collide a full speed only to have the blocker gently put his arms on the gunner and they all of a sudden become motionless. I wanna see heads fly back, arms flail upwards from colliding and momentum carrying me towards the ball carrier based on the angle I collided with the blocker and my weight/power/speed. This should happen to blitzers smashing into lineman but instead you just get stopped gently and then have to animation your way out of the block. All Pro football 2k8 is the only game that captured leverage off the line, so much so that a nose tackle can travel 4, 5 yards whilst still engaged in a block and then sack the qb - brilliant.

This still just doesn't feel like football, it feels more like a chess game with football players as the pieces.
Madden does not capture the violence and impact of this game and I understand why people rate this high, most of the time it's because we don't have that outside reference point to grade it against because this is what EA has given us every year. I'm glad the engine has been upgraded but I think it will be a few more years until I think its worthy of a rating higher than 7.
Peace.

I don't understand how you can rate the retail game after playing the demo.

[SamoanSteelerFromAus]

I don't understand how you can rate the retail game after playing the demo.

Yeah I probably should of expressed how I'm assuming the aforementioned issues will be in the retail version. My rant also feels justified to me seeing as we pay $90 + for it here.

[TjJunior]

Re: Madden NFL 13 Review (PS3/360)

Nailed it.

How this game received a 8.5 when so many of the fundamentals are off is beyond comprehension. I guess when you say its the best Madden this gen you tend to think it deserves a 8.5, but you can't look at it that way. You have to look at it as a product of the NFL, and how well does EA translate the authenticity of the sport, along with presentation, and features.

The game is not authentic where it matters most. Line interaction. Madden fails big time in this area. Its not authentic with how LB's attack the run. It is not authentic where you RB runs into his offensive lineman and collapses like he has been shot, and the list goes on and on.

The presentation is still way below standards. The computer A.I calls a horrible game in the closing minutes.

CCM which is a nice addition , but major features were sacrificed for it, so it is still greatly incomplete. They even admitted its the beginning of something special, and things had to be removed for it, which again means it is incomplete.

Listen I'm not bashing the game. I will buy it , but I'm just stating that there are way too many important elements of the game that are not done correctly in madden.

Can Madden be fun, yes it can, but this game is not a 8.5 by any stertch. It is a 7 at best.

A 7 mean its a good game. 8.5 means it's a excellent game, and Madden 13 is not a excellent game.

For Madden to be a excellent game. It has to have a realistic pocket. Realistic line interaction. Realistic WR and Db interaction. A Realistic QB passing game. I just named a few of the elements of the game, and madden is not realistic in any of these areas, so how can it be a 8.5 when a few of the very important aspects of the sport are not translated accurately in the game?

Didn't MLB the show receive a 8.5, and that game is as close as it gets to be a perfect duplication of the sport. MLB The Show gets a 8.5 then Madden in no way gets a 8.5

If it gets a 8.5 or a 7, its getting bought and recognized regardless. If its for a wierd glitch or precision passing, its being bought and talked about. Me Im gonna play it and enjoy it no matter what some guy on a website says. No offense to the reviewer, I just value my opinion much more. Line interactions, realistic wr/db interaction, and a realistic passing game have not been accurately done in any football game to date. APF 2k8 has been the closest to having all three aspects down, and its still only average. Can't knock them for something that no one has done great.

[22cowboys22]

i agree with score i do think this is the best madden they have ever made and it's about damn time.I just wish there was a simple season mode option,with that said I do like the connected career modes also.

[22cowboys22]

One other complaint replay's are way to close all the time i love replays that show how the whole play developed.Hopefully EA can fix that through tuners every replay in real football isn't all close up's.Good game overall though

[DetroitStyle]

I think we need to redefine "game breaking". Freezing issues found in NCAA '12 or transfer failed issues in NCAA '11 - game breaking. Duplicate numbers in madden '13 - not game breaking. OS should insta-ban people who throw around BS and call it game breaking. Game breaking means you are physically unable to play the game due to a software malfunction. Anything beyond that is a mental malfunction that you need to get over IMO.

Now, for the review I thought it was very fair and well written. All of the advertised features seem to have delivered, for the most part, and when compared to previous maddens this is certainly the best of this console generation.

Stop reading deeply into the arbitrary rating. If anyone was even around, which most complainers were NOT, they would have remembered reading the announcement of the new review procedures. What was the one thing to take away from it? That you should NOT focus on the number score!

Anyway, the amount of fire and brimstone unleashed upon the madden release by OSers never ceases to amaze me. Even long before I joined and was just lurking it wasn't even this bad. I mean, this year with the season ticket release the backlash by the community has been bloody biblical. Now with the official release today I worry about what's yet to come...

[TjJunior]

Re: Madden NFL 13 Review (PS3/360)

You guys crack me up when it comes to Madden. The nit picking is insane.

Yet games like the Show and NBA2k have entire portions of the game not working. No problem.

Yet every year those games are the best ever and Madden doesn't compete. Really.

Just on a competitive level and finding out how good you really are. I'll always give Madden one thing. Online is going to work. 2k and the show. Out the box. Not likely.

If you really got into Madden. Not just looking for the crossing route a slant or a screen pass. There is a deep game of football in there.

But hey. Keep worrying about the halftime show and the announcers.

I came to play football. Not watch a halftime show.

LOL.

I don't get it either. Its like folks harp on EA not respecting the fundamentals of their respected sport, when games like NBA 2k has horrible passing, but is praised. NHL has had horrible skating for years, sports game of the year. The show and APF I give due credit because they represent the fundamentals better than any other sports games in my eyes. Im not talking about cameras and equipment either. Player movement, actions/reactions/interactions, the way situations are handled are done so well in those titles.

[TjJunior]

Re: Madden NFL 13 Review (PS3/360)

I think we need to redefine "game breaking". Freezing issues found in NCAA '12 or transfer failed issues in NCAA '11 - game breaking. Duplicate numbers in madden '13 - not game breaking. OS should insta-ban people who throw around BS and call it game breaking. Game breaking means you are physically unable to play the game due to a software malfunction. Anything beyond that is a mental malfunction that you need to get over IMO.

Now, for the review I thought it was very fair and well written. All of the advertised features seem to have delivered, for the most part, and when compared to previous maddens this is certainly the best of this console generation.

Stop reading deeply into the arbitrary rating. If anyone was even around, which most complainers were NOT, they would have remembered reading the announcement of the new review procedures. What was the one thing to take away from it? That you should NOT focus on the number score!

Anyway, the amount of fire and brimstone unleashed upon the madden release by OSers never ceases to amaze me. Even long before I joined and was just lurking it wasn't even this bad. I mean, this year with the season ticket release the backlash by the community has been bloody biblical. Now with the official release today I worry about what's yet to come...

If that makes a broken game then add APF, NBA 2K, NCAA, and MLB 2K12 to the list cause they all have duplicate numbers.

[maddenfan2324]

Madden 13=worste madden series ever..the hardcore madden gamer has been placed in shackles. heed my warning and save your money. do not purchase this game. franchise mode and superstar mode are better than connected careers because you are given the ability to do what you want. in CCM you only can do what ea allows you to do. you cannot edit rosters in CCM either playing superstar or coach mode and that is because all the twitter feeds and the cpu trades are scripted and they dont want their cover blown.

[maddenfan2324]

if you are one of those people that enjoy playing offline franchise then this game isnt for you. Granted they added a ton of new equipment accesories but what the point if you arent allowed the ability to edit your team in coach mode!? all the videos on connected careers talks about letting you play the game "your way" when in fact your playing the game in set rules and boundaries that dont let you do anything. The game basically sux. if you like creating yourself and using him in your franchise then dont get this game. the only way you can create yourself is in create a player...and lets be honest, who wants to be one player for seasons on end...i give this years madden a 3.5 and that is only cuz the infinity engine..which isnt even all that cuz you get players doing some ******** and awkward movements...smh wtf EA!!!!!

[TjJunior]

Re: Madden NFL 13 Review (PS3/360)

if you are one of those people that enjoy playing offline franchise then this game isnt for you. Granted they added a ton of new equipment accesories but what the point if you arent allowed the ability to edit your team in coach mode!? all the videos on connected careers talks about letting you play the game "your way" when in fact your playing the game in set rules and boundaries that dont let you do anything. The game basically sux. if you like creating yourself and using him in your franchise then dont get this game. the only way you can create yourself is in create a player...and lets be honest, who wants to be one player for seasons on end...i give this years madden a 3.5 and that is only cuz the infinity engine..which isnt even all that cuz you get players doing some ******** and awkward movements...smh wtf EA!!!!!

I don't care about franchise, ccm, editing equipment, adding new cleat colors, halftime shows, or any other window dressing. On the field in between the lines is the primary concern for me. I just play exhibition games all day, if I want a different expirence, I play Max Payne or something. Never get the hang up folks have with game modes. I suppose Im easy to please.

[Moegames]

Re: Madden NFL 13 Review (PS3/360)

You guys crack me up when it comes to Madden. The nit picking is insane.

Yet games like the Show and NBA2k have entire portions of the game not working. No problem.

Yet every year those games are the best ever and Madden doesn't compete. Really.

Jut on a competitive level and finding out how good you really are. I'll always give Madden one thing. Online is going to work. 2k and the show. Out the box. Not likely.

If you really got into Madden. Not just looking for the crossing route a slant or a screen pass. There is a deep game of football in there.

But hey. Keep worrying about the halftime show and the announcers.

I came to play football. Not watch a halftime show.

LOL.

Totally agree... this is what it boils down too...you can go into MLB The Show, NBA 2k forums,etc,etc and you will ALWAYS see the nitpicking from certain individuals. We gotta keep in mind in this world we live in that we are not all the same in rational thinking... some people are super picky, some are very selfish....some are just down right mean and others are just too damn judgmental and expect perfection...that is life and that is how some people are.

When it comes to the NFL in America... a LOT of people love the sport with all their heart..so i can understand why some want this and that to be in the game...i love NFL Football with all my heart too! I just happen to be one of those more rational, more understanding and more forgiving when it comes to video games because i know damn well that there will NEVER EVER be a video game that produces AI Logic that is on the level of human intelligence and that will satisify all my expectations..i never played a game that did that for me to this day and i am a die hard gamer that's been gaming for over 28 years. I some times see people in here expecting a perfect playing game of football and that just flat out baffles me and quite frankly..its hilarious but again..we are all different folks and we all want the game to suit our personal preferences. There are things i wish that were in the game that are not int his years game..there are things that i wish that were not in this years game that are...but at the end of the day..i look at Madden 13 for what it is and that is it is one heck of an improvement over any madden this generation..period. So i cant sit here and whine and cry like a baby because some things are missing or some AI logic does not act like it should in real life scenarios...that's just silly and i don't got time to sit around and dissect a damn video game because i am too much of a gamer that just wants to play a fun and exciting NFL Football video game and Madden 13 finally delivered that......regardless of its downfalls and bugs and some faults in its Logic.

Some of you guys need to examine yourselves, sit back and really think what you expect in a video game..some of you peeps are just totally irrational about it..i can only imagine how you deal with other things in life...no wait..i rather not imagine that lol but i have a good idea what kind of people some of these people are when it comes to life's problems and issues and when things do not go their way....i am just glad that i turned out to be a type of gamer that accepts the fact that no video game will ever match human logic 1:1....especially in a complicated sport like NFL Football...its a complicated sport and to sit and bash the game is down right selfish after the nice turnaround we got this year.

I give props to EA and they should be "PROUD" of their product this year regardless of its bugs and glitches and shortcomings. They put in work this year finally and when i see people put in effort..there is absolutely no way in hell i am going to overlook that and give them a hard time and not give them praise for their efforts...that's just not how i roll, i have a genuine respect when is see developers do all they can to make the game feel "fresh" again and try to make the game fun and exciting finally...and they done that but most imporrtant of it all is that they listen to us and take our suggestions and use them..there are not many developers that do this..some of you guys cant appreciate that?...Thats wrong..just wrong... I would feel too selfish to bash them..i simply cant see how some of you just are so rude and disrespectful towards the effort put into Madden 13 this year...personally i find it very selfish and mean.

I am not saying we shouldn't point out bugs, flaws,etc and discuss constructive criticism..that is what WE NEED and there is nothing wrong with being a bit upset about things that are bugged or missing..i am upset there is no half time show..i am upset that zoom cam is too low, upset with some AI logic that's not the way i wish it could be,etc..but the positives outweigh the negatives and that is how i look at games, people, life, etc...maybe some of you guys should try it..you will live life much happier and the best part of it all...you will begin to enjoy gaming in a way you never knew you could....you are truly missing out.

This is what some of you guys do..the split second you get the game..you put it under the microscope and dissect the game searching for bugs and flaws and bad AI Logic...you put yourself in a habit that is keeping you from enjoying video games for what they are...i feel sorry for some of you...it's gotta suck to be that way. Sure past madden's were dull and unexciting..i will admit that..but this year is different and that needs to be recognized.