Madden NFL 10 Review

Written by: Darren Cartledge Posted: 31st August 2009

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NFL kicks of the EA Sport season!

Madden NFL 10 Details:

	Sports
	PlayStation 3/Xbox 360/Nintendo Wii/PSP
	EA Sports
	EA Sports

Out Now

1-4

With the NFL season having kicked off, it can only mean one thing for sports games. Yes it is once again that time of year when EA Sports release the first of their yearly sports games and as usual this start off with Madden NFL 10. So what does this year's incarnation serve up for the new season?

Madden NFL 10 doesn’t serve up any major changes over last years games, however it has been tweaked in key areas to provide a more definitive playing experience which adds to the realism of the title.

Firstly, the game is quite a bit tougher then last year as the A.I control defence has really upped its game, Passes are now harder to complete, whilst dodging players during a rush often results in you running straight into another defender. There just, seems to be a hell of a lot more movement from a defensive view point. The bonus here is that you are able to utilise these new defensive abilities thanks to the games new Pro-Tak system. This allows you to fight for fumbles, initiate gang tackles and so on. The system also provides some offensive abilities which include, quarterback avoidance moves, and a new blocking system that allows the quarter back to step into the pocket. However, the defensive cover has been tweaked so finding an open man with the pack rushing towards you still isn’t easy.

The penalty system in Madden NFL 10 has clearly been reworked! Penalties are more frequently called and occur regularly during the course of a game, something that I didn’t often experience during playing last years instalment. Match referees also tend to deliberate a lot more in order to give the correct call. All of these combined together of course enhance the realism on offer in Madden NFL 10.

Game mode wise, things are pretty much as they were last year! The games franchise mode is a little more extensive but there’s not really anything new to shout about. Although for the first time in the series history the game supports co-operative online multiplayer games, allowing you and a friend to go head to head with other gamers online.

The biggest changes in Madden NFL 10 come in the way the game is presented, the menus have all been completely overhauled and whilst it does look better, there not really as easy to navigate as last years game. Matches also feature a new TV presentation style complete, with stadium shots, half and post match reports and so on. Gameplay visuals have of course been updated. Player models are sharper and more varied, as are the crowd who can often be seen celebrating. Animation seems smoother and players tend to move in a more fluid motion, most notably when performing tackles. The NFL stadiums as always have been carefully recreated and the field of play actually looks like real grass.

The games audio follows the same high standards. Commentary is good, giving background information of players and team histories. Although, at times it can be absent and it’s not a strange occurrence not to hear anything from the commentary team for a couple of minutes. Madden 10’s sound track in the menu system is solid, featuring tracks from 2pac, Cypress Hill, Iron Maiden, Beastie Boys and Alice in Chains.

Madden NFL 10 may not have taken huge leaps and bounds forward, but the game does build on last years solid instalment. Tweaks in a few key areas, most notably the games AI mean the game provides a more realistic and fluid experience of the NFL.