Madden question from an old school NFL2K fan

[hrudey32]

So, I grew up on the team formerly known as the Redskins and, for the first time since 2012, watched every game last year. We def need a name besides WFT but it was fun.

So I grabbed Madden 21 for Xbox One X. I enjoy it but part of me still thinks 2K5 is king.

So my question. To the NFL gaming experts here. What is the best, most realistic NFL game for playing a Season/Franchise mode? Does a game 16 years old still reign and/or what Madden game is the best/most realistic of it's run?

Again, just talking Season/Franchise mode. Not interested in MUT or all the fluff sports games seem to have these days.

Thanks for you guys valued opinions!

[canes21]

From a purely franchise point of view, Head Coach would be the way to go despite it being so old. If you want to control the gameplay on the field directly which rules Head Coach out, then I would argue Madden 20 on the PC with mods offers one of the better experiences.

If Madden on the PC is not an option for you, then I think you need to decide if the gameplay in 21 is good enough for you to enjoy the limitations of the current franchise mode. I am a big 2k guy as well who will always prefer 2k's gameplay to EA's, but 2k5 shows its age and never had a stellar franchise mode. 2k8 obviously has no franchise mode. I don't hate the gameplay of Madden 21. I think it can actually be pretty decent, but the franchise mode needs so much more love, so it's hard for me to just tell you to stick with Madden 21 at this point because the mode is lacking so many features that older games always had.

[tinpanalley]

It actually depends on one further level which is what you do with Franchise/Season Mode. I possibly couldn't give you advice, for example, because I play COMPLETELY stripped back. No injuries, no trading, no draft, no progression. Nothing. Week 1 roster, playing through the season for nothing more than the teams and their ratings going against each other. Where there are massive blockbuster transactions, I do those. For MY style of play, 2K5 and Madden 08 on PC are the best because they interfere the least with fantasy elements in the progression of the season or the gameplay.

[hrudey32]

Thanks for the input, fellas. I play rather stripped back as well. Actually, I don't even care about franchise. All I want to do is take a team thru a complete season at a time with correct rosters. I could care less about drafting, progression. I play one season, then I start over with as accurate rosters as possible. It's old school, I know but it's my preference.

[Madden08PCgmr]

12, IMO.

Full training camp rosters. Realistic IR. Ability to trade future picks. Decent CPU AI, if you're not interested in controlling all 32 teams.

All it is missing is the practice squad.

They incorporated alot of stuff from Head Coach in 12. Probably the last version they put real effort into the soul of franchise mode.

[Boedefeld]

So, as someone who’s been religiously playing NFL 2k5 since 2008, mostly around Christmas time, I’m honestly very surprised and satisfied with Madden 21. The gameplay is better than 2k5, there’s no question about it. There are things in 2k5 that are still better than Madden, but in general the gameplay is much more enjoyable. Playing against a QB who doesn’t go 9/27 every game is such a relief.

I hold 2k5 very dear to my heart as it’s one of the greatest video games of all time imo. But Madden 21 is very enjoyable, the gameplay at least. Franchise needs big improvements tho.

[ripcandlestickpark]

Quote: Originally Posted by hrudey32

Thanks for the input, fellas. I play rather stripped back as well. Actually, I don't even care about franchise. All I want to do is take a team thru a complete season at a time with correct rosters. I could care less about drafting, progression. I play one season, then I start over with as accurate rosters as possible. It's old school, I know but it's my preference.

Might be worth looking into M16, then. That year's Franchise mode is pretty bare-bones, but the gameplay has aged pretty well. Many consider it the best of this past generation in that regard. Plus, the game is ultra-cheap these days, to boot.

Only downside is the servers are no longer up, so you won't be able to access patches, roster updates, etc..

[TheButter]

Quote: Originally Posted by hrudey32

Thanks for the input, fellas. I play rather stripped back as well. Actually, I don't even care about franchise. All I want to do is take a team thru a complete season at a time with correct rosters. I could care less about drafting, progression. I play one season, then I start over with as accurate rosters as possible. It's old school, I know but it's my preference.

Then get 2k8, it doesn't have the nfl rosters but it has a single season mode and the best football gameplay to date.