Madden 13: Full Game Review

Madden 13 is upon us and as we all know there will be the usual mad rush to pick up the title to play through Ea Sports’ latest bag of tricks.

Never in any previous title has the game undergone so many drastic changes from one year to the next.

Having spent two weeks with it, I can say that there were things that I loved about it right out of the box and there certain things that took a bit of getting used to.

Die hards and serious players will bug out over the new Infinity engine which utilizes true physics to render realistic game play.

The days of standard tackle animations are over as collisions, stumbles, tackles and other movements are generated by the interaction of size, speed, body mass and other physical attributes.

How Cam Newton bows down to a blow from linebacker Ray Lewis versus one from a smaller cornerback such as the Giants’ Prince Amukamara differs greatly.

This type of play has been demanded from the Madden universe for seemingly over a decade and it has arrived.

Casual players may not care for this much realism as the opportunities for big plays on the offensive side of the ball are almost as limited as they are in true-to-life action.

To get that featured running back a 100-yard game it’s going to take average players more than five-to-six carries.

Throwing the deep ball is not as simple as picking a fast receiver and a quarterback with a big arm.

Whereas before a fairly skilled player could chuck it from shotgun and score 90-percent of the time, in Madden 13 the deeper exploration of realistic results cuts that number by almost 50-percent.

The variation of end results range from completed passes that simply end up as first downs for big yards, incomplete passes and a noticeable change in generated interceptions.

Madden 13 introduces a much deeper mode of ranking players that could be responsible for some of this.

A player’s overall rating is now simply a cumulative figure that is the sum of previous and at least a dozen new attributes that micro-manage the outlook of each player.

In playing one particular game with the Falcons it was well noted that cornerback Asante Samuel made plays in zone coverage yet he was able to be had when used in man-to-man press coverage.

The deeper dive into what makes player’s tick is another one of those situations that the hardcore fans of the franchise will love.

A lot has been made of the game’s new Connected Careers mode which somewhat blends the game’s previous franchise and superstar modes into one package.

This took a bit of getting used to and at the first run was a bit awkward.

After a few days of play, it made a lot of sense and as to why  things were reshaped to give the game more long term value.

In Connected Careers you will have the option to play as a created coach, a created player or  to take over the careers of current and Hall of Fame players.

In doing so, you can unlock and infinite number of possibilities in both on and offline play as you build your version of the ultimate NFL landscape.

What initially irked me about the mash-up was a sense of having to figure things out that came from playing every previous edition of this game into the ground.

We sometimes don’t like change and this change is a big one.

Once the mind is opened, Connected Careers will be appreciated to its fullest extent.

One vanity trait that was always desired is the ability to upload one’s own photos into the game as a coach or a created player.

Madden 13 takes a large step in that direction as you can upload a picture to provide the working template for EA Sports’ graphics module to recreate your face.

With a bit of tweaking a roughly 80% accurate representation of myself was achieved and imported into the game.

Actually, my created player looked a lot younger than I do these days so for that I am grateful.

Noticeably absent is a proper soundtrack for the game which is always one of the biggest things that set one year apart from the next.

Players of the NCAA Football franchise will notice that much of Madden 13’s menu music has similar orchestration and vibe as recent versions of that title has.

How big of a difference is it?

The new and emerging artists whose biggest moments came from being featured in the game are not missed.

There’s a reason why some of those bands/rappers fall deep into the rabbit hole.

The artists that brought strong songs to the table prior to being featured in the game are missed and it would have been nice to be able to once again create a menu of songs off of personal preference.

Is it a deal breaker as to whether or not you should buy it?

Of course not but sorting through the music you do and don’t care for is a Madden ritual.

Madden 13 brings to the table true RPG-style features that will either be embraced by the online community that is looking for a richer experience with others.

Things run so deep this year that you can post your greatest moments directly to your social media accounts directly from your console.

The adjustments that were made within the presentation of the game is ridiculously on-point. I don’t even want to spoil anything by talking up specifics.

Anyone that has ever complained about Madden more or less being the same every year has no leg to stand on with Madden 13.

The question now is will you like the changes which reach all the way down to how the navigational menu is setup.

My guess is yes and that is coming from the oldest of the old school when it comes to this title.

EA Sports has done it again.

Rating: A+