As a football fan, I've been waiting for this game for a long time. This game is very good. The new game function, Game-Flow, is great for casuals and new Madden players while there is still a chance to play the game the conventional way. They have improved almost everything. The Madden Moments are great to replay some very good matches in the history of NFL. The on-line part is really good. The Co-op playing is fun with football fan friends. In conclusion I can recommend this game to every NFL fan. It's a good way to prepare for this year's season.
This year's version of Madden doesn't take a huge stride forward, but it does take a few steps in the right direction. If Gameflow can be improved, and the defense is given the same level of attention offense received this year, Madden NFL 12 could be amazing.
Aside from the new dpad mapping, gameflow and some new graphic elements, there aren't too many innovations in this last chapter. It seems that the best football simulator is getting hard to update.
Overall, Madden NFL 11 is a really fun title. As I outlined above it does have its share of issues, however, when you look at the experience as a whole you should have a lot of fun here.
It's not a standout season, unlike some past hallmark Maddens that hold up well today. The guts are there for greatness, but there's still some work to be done until it reaches that high level.
Excellent release for Madden. The run game has been fixed with improved blocking schemes on offense. On defense, blitzing has been made more realistic. The one negative in this game, which is the dpad defensive audible system. Fortunately, EA has promised a patch to fix this and revert back to the old system. The locomotion system makes fighting for extra yards and running in general more fluid. The addition of online team play is very addicting if you have friends to play with. The included Super Bowl and AFL modes also add extra value(AFL was a DLC add on last year). Weekly roster updates for ratings and injuries will be released throughout the season, so the roster will always be up to date. Madden Ultimate team also returns for the best time waster in the world.
EA's long-running Madden series has reached its 12th installment over the past 20 odd years. The series has seen its ups and downs throughout various releases, leaving many both amazed and disappointed. Madden 11 isn't a disappointment, but those looking for deep changes to the Madden franchise may still not find what they are looking for with this game.
Madden NFL 11 introduces some new features, but overall the game sticks with the template that each game in the series follows, which technically isn't a bad thing. The typical Play Now exhibition mode as well as the Franchise and NFL Superstar modes are found once again in this edition of Madden NFL. However, these modes have been left virtually untouched, much like previous games. Though the deep experience, particularly with Franchise mode, is still as good as it was in years past, the modes are becoming a bit stale, and I am sure many fans would like to see some new additions/depth to these game modes. The Madden Moments feature in this game is particularly fun considering last year's season had many intense highlights. Packaged with these modes are the traditional training mini game modes, practice, and roster options.
One of the new features in Madden NFL 11 is the addition of 3 player multiplayer co-op, where you and two friends control a team of your choice and play either another team of 3 players or the CPU. If you have ever played multiplayer in Madden in the past, you know how frustrating it can be, particularly for the second player controlling a wide out or running back. However, Madden 11 does an amazing job at making each position genuinely fun to play. No longer does the quarterback have all the fun. This is definitely the most enjoyable multiplayer experience in a Madden game yet.
Another new feature that you'll experience soon into the game is the Gameflow feature. This feature condenses play-calling into a single button press. By simply pressing the A button, the CPU automatically selects a play that will work well in the situation your team finds itself in. This feature shortens the amount of time it takes to play a game. With accelerated clock and Gameflow on, typical 5 minute quarter games are over in about 15-25 minutes depending on the events in the game. You can also play full 15 minute quarter games in a much shorter time span if you would like to be on the field for a little longer. Though one might expect Gameflow play-calling to be a poor method of moving the ball, the CPU usually does a very good job at selecting a good play. I have yet to have a running play called on 3rd and long, and that seems like a good testament that, overall, the CPU knows what its doing. This particular feature is obviously targeted to new or more casual fans of the series. Thankfully, the playbook option is still available for those who wish to choose their own plays.
The gameplay in Madden NFL 11 has improved significantly from last year's game. Running the ball is the most enjoyable it has ever been in the series. The game removes the turbo feature, which may sound like a foolish idea, but your player picks up speed in a very fluid, natural way. This also prevents you from outrunning your blockers, which do an excellent job of making holes for you to run through. Rarely ever did I find myself stopped because of a missed block. Your juke and spin moves can also be controlled by the two analog sticks, and once you get the hang of it, it feels the most natural way to play the game, making all of your stiff arms and spins more effective. You can also pivot your upper body to avoid would-be tacklers.
The character model improvements were a highlight as well. Most of the players and coaches have fairly accurate player model counterparts, which I found to be quite impressive. Though it may sound nit-picky, there are a few character models that are less than accurate--Josh McDaniels for instance, looks to be a 45 year old man. That aside, the character models both on and off the field look better than ever. Commentary has improved significantly, with the monotone Tom Hammond being replaced with the enthusiastic Gus Johnson, who often yells team-related celebrations after a win or a score. Though some aspects of the commentary do sound scripted and robotic, overall it is the best commentary we've seen. Without spoiling too much, post-game super bowl celebrations were also quite impressive.
In conclusion, though the game doesn't improve upon every aspect, the improvements it does make are very impressive and add to the fun factor and longevity of the game. The game will appeal to both hardcore fans of the series and newcomers, but those looking for drastic changes and improvements to the series may be disappointed.
Presentation - 8
Graphics - 8
Sound - 7
Gameplay - 8
Lasting Appeal - 6
Overall - 7
The cover is pretty cool, but the game itself is not that much. The option of turning the game speed faster was a really upside in my opinion, and the madden moments are still pretty cool, but it still doesn't have that awesome gameplay that madden 06 and 07 had back in the days.
I have said it before, and I'll say it again: EA Sports needs to release their sports games only once every 3 years. Not much can be done to a game in 8 months, and each iteration of Madden seems to disappoint with its lack of ingenuity. I am truly glad that NBA Live was killed for 2011, and I only hope and pray that Madden will take a sabbatical so EA can relearn its roots. This game is the same Madden of last year, the same Madden of two years ago, the same Madden of 3 years ago; it just has Old Spice commercials and "updated" rosters.
I don't usually like to jump right on and review a game within 24 hours of purchasing it. I usually give myself a little time to form a more accurate opinion, but Madden NFL 11 really left a lot on the field from my perspective. EA Sports' Madden slogan is, "If it's in the game, it's in the game". practice squads, bundling and trading draft picks from next year's crop (or the year after), fully customizable playbooks, plays, and uniforms, and 45 man game-day rosters are all things that are "in the game" but still no where near the madden franchise. I may be in the sad minority here, but I don't give a crap about online play, especially online team-play. What I tend to focus on the most is franchise mode. Playing the franchise mode on Madden 11 is a serviceable experience at best, but very disappointing if you were hoping for any upgrades. It is basically the EXACT SAME interface as Madden 10. With the exception of mid-day lighting/shadow contrasts, the In-game presentation has been polished visually (but they still get some minor uniform details wrong), but the actual game-play is frustrating. The new "strategy pad" is certainly subtraction by addition. EA has had the same format for YEARS for pre-snap adjustments with the trigger buttons. This "strategy pad" changes that for no good reason at all and actually involves more button pushes and more time than the old format. This is the opposite of what they were going for in their efforts to "streamline" the game-play. Also, they decide that after 6 or 7 years of the analogue stick kicking interface, that they would go back the X button double-tap timing system. A curious move at best. Most of these changes seem like they were made for the sake of making them, with no real thought toward overall gameplay efficiency or accuracy. The new "gameflo" system is only commendable for the effort made. It is misguided and inaccurate, but i do agree with them that coaches/offensive coordinators don't come into a game with 300 plays to choose from. It seems to me that there's better ways of going about this, like selecting from your playbook a choice of 20 plays or so, and carrying them into a game with you, and that's all you have that you can call, and you select those plays based on what works well against your opponent's commonly called plays. That would also alleviate the burden of having to hear some jacknut OC tell me why he's calling a ridiculously useless play (i know, i can just turn it off. i did.). As for the in-game commentary, once again, i'm probably in the vast minority, but i haven't listened to that in years on any sports game, so i'm no authority there. For the sake of being fair, I'm sure it's **** amazing. It's probably the one thing that would change my whole outlook on this game, because it's the one thing I turn off immediately every year. I just don't think NFL football players have the TV commentary presentation playing in their helmets while they're playing the game. Considering I was one of the midnight release people that had had this game reserved and completely paid for a full month in advance it pains me to say, but overall, this game is a $60 roster update. In summary: meh...
SummaryMadden NFL 11 promises to redefine the way you experience the game of football. SIMPLER: From 350 plays down to 1, the all-new GameFlow system puts you in the helmet of an NFL quarterback to execute an authentic, situational game plan, one play at a time. QUICKER: 60 minute game times reduced to as little as 30 minutes; spend more time o...