Upon loading into the game you'll notice that many of the new additions to the title are focused on refining the game to enhance its appeal. Whether its watching the ball carrier get gang tackled thanks to the new Pro-Tak system or seeing a mountain of players diving over a loose ball, this added depth and detail adds to the experience, particularly for those of us who have never had the opportunity to experience the game up close and personal in real life. The point that we are trying to make here is that Madden 10 is not only the most realistic video game representation of the sport, it's the best one to date.
Are you ready?
One of the most important changes to the game this year is game speed, with the developer finally slowing it down to give those of us not blessed with the knowledge of the intricacies of the game an opportunity to really scan the field of play to get that great pass off before the quarterback is gang tackled by a group of large men; something which in past years would turn people off the passing game and onto the running aspect of the sport as it assured a higher success rate. While playing the passing game is now easier than ever, it's interesting to note that player ratings have taken even more of an emphasis to ensure that gamers won't be able to constantly pull off a slew of ridiculous hail mary plays, making it harder to anticipate the play when playing against a human player as the long throw was almost a certain touchdown everytime you ran the play. This overhauled ratings system also greatly highlights the wide skill gap between the superstars of the game and the middle tier players, a move which clearly replicates the strengths and weaknesses of each team - meaning that those with an intimate knowledge of the sport will be able to more easily recognise the playing style of the individual teams.
Unfortunately for all of its refinements there are still a few nagging issues that have lingered in the title over the last few years and it is quite disappointing that the effort hasn't been made to address these points. Most notable is the game's commentary which sounds more like a couple of bad actors reading lines than actual commentators and analysts from the vast pool of NFL experts shedding some light on the intricacies of the game. For a game that seems so geared towards giving players a realistic presentation of the game, it is disappointing to note that all of the hard work throughout the other additions to the title is simply let down by some wooden voice work.
If only there was a Mexican wave.
The biggest additions to the title by far are the two first-time online additions of co-operative play and the online franchise mode. As it suggests, co-op gives those less experienced gamers the chance to pair up with another player online against a computer controlled opponent. While some may see this as simply a way to tag along and cruise to victory, in essence it serves as a great way to pick up the 'ins and outs' of the title from a more adept player. While not all players are willing to open up their playbooks to others, many are willing to give a number of general tips which can drastically improve your game. While it doesn't contain all of the features that its offline counterpart is renowned for, the online franchise mode can say that it has made a serviceable maiden entry to the world of Madden. Though it doesn't contain things such as a salary cap or CPU trading logic, we think that it has a made a solid start and we can only hope that EA Tiburon can improve on it in the next title. As a whole we found that the online modes of Madden 10 generally ran well, even when playing against an overseas opponent, though there were minimal instances of lag.
Decisions, decisions.
After playing Madden 10 for a few hours you can really see that the developer has instilled a policy of going back to the fundamentals of the game in order to produce a more rounded effort which emphasises the intricacies of the game in a way that even a non-native could appreciate - and for the most part the game succeeds in being a fun way to wile away a lazy afternoon or two. Nagging glitches and issues aside, Madden 10 proves to be a fun sports game which is deserving of its long-standing tenure.
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