Madden NFL 18

Madden 18 is yet another triumph for the series, and this year’s big success story is the game’s Longshot narrative. It seems incongruous to be talking about heartfelt, well-acted storytelling in a Madden game, yet it’s a perfect fit, hanging some drama off EA’s rock-solid mechanics and fantastic visuals.

Even without any changes to Franchise mode, Madden NFL 18 is the best entry in the series to date. Realistic visuals, overhauled mechanics, and Longshot mode create a more authentic NFL football experience.

One of the best Madden games I have ever played. It’s accessible to new players and offers brand new experiences for seasoned video game football vets. There are some years when Madden just doesn’t have the right feel, and I usually will be the first to tell folks to hold off on buying the game. But this is not one of those years. 2018 is coming, and Madden is ready to give you hours of awesome gameplay experiences.

Overall, Madden 18 marks an unusually large shakeup in a series that, due to its annualized releases, rarely features much more than small, iterative changes. The Frostbite engine allows the game to reach new levels of realism in its visuals, and EA has put a lot of effort into constantly evolving the game to keep it in line with real-world events. But it is the Longshot story mode that defines Madden 18.

EA Tiburon continues to find new ways to improve their Madden series and so far, at least in the last few years, they’re doing a good job of bringing worthwhile experiences to gamers.

Last year, I said that Madden NFL 17 was refined, yet was lacking something. Something that could shake the series up. Well, this year they took a gamble with Longshot and it paid off.

So much content and so much variety you’ll likely get your fill well before you manage to do everything.

Madden has been good for a long time, but this year it's great. There are so many small improvements made to the core of Madden NFL 18's gameplay thanks to the new engine, it's hard not to be excited when hitting the gridiron every time you fire up a game. Even after hours of play, we're still noticing new ways in which players are reacting and moving between the hash marks.

More than ever, Madden NFL is a demanding but fun simulator that accurately represents the real-life sport, and is capable of draining dozens if not hundreds of hours of your time. The jury is out on whether Longshot will be a long-term success; but with the transition to Frostbite and the rock-solid play on the field, Madden 18 has to be considered among the upper echeleon of sports sims.

Madden NFL 18 may be the biggest leap forward in the franchise since going to 3D in 1999. The tightest and crispest Madden to date, it looks and performs stunningly, all while adding tons of little things to correctly represent the game of football.

Madden NFL 18 is an impressive leap forward for the series. Not only is Longshot an ambitious and fantastically told story, it's one that isn't limited to preexisting football fans. There's also more ways to enjoy the game than ever before, as there are several play styles that will mold the game into either a more realistic or arcade-like experience depending on what the user desires. EA Tiburon has set a new high bar for the series, that they'll have to work towards reaching every year going forward. For now, though, NFL fans can enjoy one of the best sports games that Electronic Arts has ever put out.

This year's entry polishes the core of the series, with an improved control and, what's more important, a very well executed story mode.

The new storymode Longshot and other improvements make Madden NFL 18 the biggest in the series.

Madden 18 is a step forward in the franchise. The different styles of play, the incredible story mode and the use of the Frostbite engine are enough to enjoy a really solid experience.

A great new story mode makes it at least a significant improvement, even if it’s more incremental than we’d hoped from a new game engine.

The Madden series is iconic in the world of sports gaming. Regardless of your reason for playing, you can't go wrong with Madden NFL 18 because it's the ultimate NFL simulation experience on the market. This year's iteration brings dramatic changes in the form of an interactive movie, but there's something here for everyone, whether the interest is in MyTeam, online play, the MUT system, the competitive scene and community, or the superstar career mode.

Madden NFL 18's gameplay is a small step forward for the series. It's a good football game, but not a masterpiece.

Madden NFL 18 is a breath of fresh air in the franchise, highlighted with Longshot, a new engine, and more accessible game modes to round off the package.

Madden NFL 18, with its variety of new modes and features, has quickly become my favorite entry in the Madden series to date.

So, is it worth buying two years in a row? The answer is probably a bit of a cop-out. No, it’s not. But, this is only because annually released sports sims never are. But – and this is a big “but” – Longshot is different, and it’s an experience worth having. MUT has never been more engaging, while online is packed with modes and runs great. Madden has never been friendlier to new players, and, who knows? Like me, you might learn something new about football.

Madden 18 provides all the things I want in this year’s game; updated rosters, a brand new engine, and gameplay tweaking makes me a happy fan. The Longshot mode is a turnover on downs, but again it doesn’t take anything away from the main game, so I can’t fault them too much for trying something fresh and original.

Madden 18 is missing a host of fixes, wishlist staples, and improvements, but it doesn't have to appease to have worth. It captures the joy that I find in playing video game football even after all these years. That's not just a love of the sport with a license slapped on it; it's the continuing refinement of gameplay and modes that still has the ability to surprise and excite.

Comprehensive, realistic and highly technical, Madden NFL 18 rises to the level of the best sports simulations games. Boosted by the Frostbite engine, the game is not only a visual feast but also offers quite a decent challenge for advanced players.

It may not be the most well-written Madden game you will ever play. But it definitely is the best all-around football video game you’ve ever seen.

If you are holding out hope for wholesale changes and improvements, I think that is probably a little unrealistic based on the annual release cycle and you will come away disappointed. Personally I look forward to the fresh roster updates, appreciate subtle tweaks to a series that I have been playing yearly for more than twenty years and thoroughly enjoyed the two major modes additions.

Madden 18 is a very solid product, featuring the best passing mechanics I’ve ever seen in a football game. The game has come a long way improving the physics and collisions, and overall presents a great product on the field, despite a few glitches. Some of those glitches can cause fatal errors, and there is no more hilarious fatal error than the hacky Longshot interactive movie/football experience that I can imagine ever being in a football game. Overall, this is a really great Madden release with a few errors that need fixing.

Were it not for "Longshot" and MUT Squads, many veterans of the "Madden" franchise might have had a difficult time discerning last year's edition from this one. Thankfully, those two new modes pay off, making all the effort devoted to them worthwhile. They're joined by subtle but valuable improvements to gameplay that become apparent the more Madden NFL 18 is played.

Madden NFL 18 places its bets on a tried-and-true tale more than changes to gameplay or new layers in the career suite, and Longshot may not impress more worldly people.

This year in Madden they really stepped up their game, ‘Long Shot’ is one of the best things Madden players have seen in a while, and many players wanted it. ‘Long Shot’ had its many faults but going forward in the next few Madden’s the Career Mode will get better and it will be more interesting. Lovers of Madden should get this game because it has many new additions. If you haven’t got a Madden in a while it’s a good idea to get this one. But all together, Madden 18 is a good game with many new perks, and it’s headed in the right direction.

Another year, another Madden. Unfortunately no big changes in gameplay, but Longshot is a fun addition to the game. The Frostbite Engine looks nice, but is still kind of buggy. Overall EA gets a pass with a decent Football game.

Copy pasted from Madden NFL 17, the 2018 edition of EA's American Football franchise doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel. Adding a story mode was a nice touch though and will no doubt keep fans happy for a while.

Overall, Madden 18 offers some fun new additions. 'Longshot' isn't perfect, but it's a big step in the right direction. If you buy Madden every year there's enough fresh content to satisfy you, but if you had Madden 17 and only buy the game once every few years, nobody could blame you for holding off.

Most of the Madden 18 experience is exactly what you expect, but the twist is the new exceptional Longshot mode that proves sports can be an avenue for video game storytelling. Turn off false start, offensive holding, and instant replay; raise catching ability through the roof; and stay away from the slimy Ultimate Team mode. Do that and you'll have a good time with Madden 18.

Though the new Longshot mode is ultimately a disappointment and the gameplay hasn't changed much, Madden NFL 18 is still an excellent pigskin sim despite its lack of competition. Welcoming for newcomers and deeply detailed for die-hards, this year's edition of the long-running franchise is certainly not a Maddening experience.

Madden ‘18 is a solid annual update that continues the franchise’s good form as of late. It doesn’t hurt that Longshot mode is absolutely fantastic, too.

Despite some hiccups with the ambitious new story mode, Madden NFL 18 remains a solid entry in the franchise.

Madden 18 shines brightest with its new Longshot mode, but the lack of improvements elsewhere makes this year’s Madden offering an incremental – but still highly-playable – update.

Madden NFL 18 doesn't reinvent the sports game narrative, but it does enough to move the chains and inch a little closer toward the end zone.