Madden NFL 11 (Xbox 360, 2010)

~Intro~
I've played every version since Madden took over the top spot from Techno and simply put this IS the best version to date!

~Review~
My biggest concern I have with Madden each year is the gameplay. Is it really going to feel and look like the NFL that we all love? Well, this year's game comes as close as ever to bringing you every spin move and sternum-rupturing tackle that you see on Sundays. Little touches like deemphasizing the suction of the hit stick so that landing big hits actually feels special are great. As is the dual analog stick control scheme which allows you to perform all the jukes, spin moves and stutter steps you could ask for. It also gives players the ability to pivot their upper-body to guard the ball from incoming tacklers. It all looks cool and works well on the field.

While using the right analog stick for more than simple juking is great, the biggest departure for this year's Madden in terms of control is the elimination of turbo (on default settings). At first, it's weird, yes. But before long you'll forget what using a turbo button felt like. Now your player just adjusts his speed accordingly. Rarely did I find myself outrunning my blockers as the AI was usually sharp enough to make its own changes in speed.

Another great addition in this year's gameplay is the ability for your AI teammates to actually land successful blocks and hold them long enough for you to utilize them if you can read the defense correctly.

On the defensive side of the ball, EA Sports tried to turn all of the hot routing and assignment changing functionality you're used to into something called the Strategy Pad, but the results are a bit frustrating. You navigate through options with the D-Pad, adding one extra button press to access the aforementioned functions. Anyone playing against a fast-paced offense is going to be a bit handcuffed to make their adjustments in time before the snap.

All-in-all the core gameplay on the field is great and looks fantastic in motion. The players have a nice level of polish and they move with the elegance and power you'd expect from top NFL talent. The replay system has also been re-crafted to better articulate all of the cool animations on the field.

A huge departure for the series is called GameFlow. It's an automated play calling feature that shortens a typical gameplay experience to about 30 minutes (where it used be closer to an hour) by theoretically cutting the amount plays from more than 300 to one. Newcomers to Madden will enjoy the ease of use, while hardcore vets who are well versed in their X's and O's will stick to calling their own plays.

There’s no question that the gameplay in Madden NFL 11 is great at its core, but some of the AI tuning slants the game too heavily in the offense’s favor. Both Online Team Play and the inclusion of Gus Johnson are fantastic and add a lot to the package, but I can’t help but feel that the moneymakers of old have been cast into the darkness.
I think it’s clear that this year’s Madden is geared toward the mainstream football fan; someone who just wants to come in after playing a game of catch outside and get their hands on some real NFL talent. For that audience Madden NFL 11 delivers. However, if you’re the type of player who sits alone in your living room combing the free agent wire for a player to add to your beloved franchise, I think this year’s Madden is going to leave something to be desired.


8.5 Presentation
Gus Johnson coupled with the cool new Super Bowl presentation and replay elements help bring the look of this year’s broadcast closer to Sunday than ever.
8.5 Graphics
Player details are solid and the animation work on the field just keeps getting better and better every year. Moments of slowdown during some graphical transitions are a downer.
8.0 Sound
Gus is a great addition, but they need to re-work the technology running under the hood so his dialogue isn’t so fragmented. Soundtrack could be more imaginative.
8.5 Gameplay
It’s a great game of football at its core, some of the AI decisions are more annoying than helpful. The added offensive firepower might please mainstream players, but it will upset hardcore fans.
7.5 Lasting Appeal
Madden’s typically deep Franchise Mode has been totally left out in the cold. Online Team Play is great, but it’s not the rock hard, never-ending activity that Owner and Franchise Mode once were.
8.0
OVERALL Impressive

The name "Madden" speaks volumes by itself- I have been playing EA sports games way back from the Super Nintendo days-Every year I say to myself how can this years Madden top last years? Well, after playing this weekend numerous times I see for myself-
Was a great purchase at a great price for an awesome game.

Now, I've been a Madden player for many many years. In ten I was unstoppable. I could tackle at the snap of the fingers, throw the ball over thousands of defenders head. In our last 8 years of our 30 year franchise I won 7 superbowls against my friends. I was the one they always worried about, the one that was feared in the playoffs, the Seahawks. Of course we started with a fantasy draft and from that point on 11 superbowls were won by the Seahawks, but was it skill or knowing of the game. I knew in Madden 10 the player would not catch a ball near the sidelines, I knew they would catch the ball in the back of the end zone, and I knew if I stopped the run the other factors were too hard to overcome. I was a passing team and now in Madden 11 I cant find a way to stop the offense. I hate losing! But this is the best Madden made as of now because of the toe steps, keeping the ball in play/endzone. The fact that you can now run the ball and not always end up with a loss of yards. I will say I HATE THIS GAME! But best of all, THIS GAME IS MORE REALISTIC!

I was looking forward to this game just as everyone who plays Madden is. I was thinking that this was going to be the greatest game ever because Madden 2010 was outstanding! Madden 10 set the standards so high because it was so enjoyable and just an overall fun game. You would only think that Madden 11 would be extremely better.. if not then at least a little bit improved. well... we were all wrong. This new Madden is horrendous! They literally have not changed anything except taking out the sprint button which feels weird. The title screen and every other screen are still the same and it feels wrong. The true worse part of this game is that there is no DEFENSE!!! In online play the game feels like basketball scores! In Madden 10 Defense was perfect, it was based off of skill and if you knew how to run it! Even if you didn't the scores weren't so ridiculous! An average score in Madden 11 is 52-45. That should be saying something. Basically who ever makes the first mistake loses. I think this game was just a huge joke. Nothing about this game is fun. I ended up selling Madden 11 two days after I bought it at the Midnight release! Could possibly be the biggest let down of my life. Just take my advice and don't go through this heart attack!