If you keep an eye on the latest iPhone release, you’ve grown accustomed to a certain cadence every summer: an announcement of a new model similar to the one you already have, but with a remarkable quality of… life solutions that may or may not be worth splurging on. You may have some complaints about your final purchase as you may encounter a few bugs along the way, but you will be happy with the minor upgrades. You’d probably prefer those changes to be bigger and change the industry just like they did years ago, but what you have now is a net positive, and that’s good too.
If you’ve been keeping an eye on this year’s latest Madden release, chances are you’ve experienced something similar. This position may seem cynical at first, but some of it is not true Madden NFL 24‘The changes are small but remarkable. Have these differences convinced you to put down your copy? Madden NFL 23 in favor of 24? That all depends.
Image: EA Tiburon/Electronic Arts
Madden NFL 24The game’s gameplay is solid, filled with a slew of minor changes to mechanics and play-calling. When you start the game for the first time, you will be greeted with different passing options depending on your level of expertise. The presence of the NFL-branded Next Gen Stats has been scaled back, but the feature will still appear to help you determine your overall offensive and defensive strategies at halftime. There’s also the long-running Coach Suggestions feature, which lets you choose your offensive and defensive strategies between each game. Layering the two together makes the play-calling feel like a hat on top of a hat, but it also encourages you to find the perfect balance between the two.
If you’re new to the series this may all seem a bit intimidating, although I imagine the number of new Madden players is minuscule compared to the franchise’s hardcore audience, especially since Electronic Arts has had an exclusive licensing deal with the series. NFL since 2004. But that same complexity can be perfect for novice Madden NFL fans: lots of Madden NFL 24 is fully adjustable. If you take the time to experiment with all the different dials and gauges, you might come across your ideal Madden setup.
The basis for this flexibility dates back Madden NFL 22: You can select the simpler, high-octane simulation option, or the rigorous competitive mode. FieldSense, the updated gameplay system introduced last year, also returns here. Skill-based passing allows you to make high and low passes using the left shoulder buttons in combination with the familiar touch and ball passes found in virtually every Madden game. Getting the ball to an open receiver becomes much more nerve-wracking, but also much more satisfying when you complete the perfect pass.
Image: EA Tiburon/Electronic Arts
The physics in it Madden NFL 24 are smooth, except in some rare cases. One time I went diving near the goal line with a running back. The animation was lifelike and uninterrupted. The only problem was that my player gained zero meters because of a defender nearby. As in most years, videos with glitches have already gone viral on X, the website formerly known as Twitter – so much so that it’s becoming as much of a tradition as the Madden games themselves.
The career mode previously known as Face of the Franchise is now more stripped down and reminiscent of the career modes of previous years. Instead of a storyline where the player you create is a veteran looking for his breakout season a la Madden NFL 23they once again leave college and enter the NFL draft a la Madden NFL 22.
If you enjoyed last season’s career mode you might be disappointed, but putting the focus back on the college football world could be a sign of something bigger for the future of football video games, especially as EA Sports plans to to release the first college football game. game since 2013 next summer. The return of the beloved franchise coupled with the return of Madden could be a very aggressive indication that integration between the two games will happen next year, much like the way many iPhone updates paved the way for more integration within Apple’s own ecosystem of devices. accessories and software.
Image: EA Tiburon/Electronic Arts
And so Electronic Arts repeats itself and releases another Madden, a quality product that, like any new iPhone, is usually better, but only barely needed after last year’s. It works, and there are more features, many of which will make it easier to play nuanced football – but the biggest innovations happen incrementally. Is the jump from one year to the next big enough to make the annual purchase worth it? Not necessarily, unless you prioritize having the most up-to-date schedules. You could reasonably wait to buy a Madden game until EA Sports adds so many new features to future versions that it makes your next purchase a no-brainer.
But this season’s Madden could also be someone’s first, and the reason they become a die-hard fan of the franchise. Some of my most cherished memories are playing an old copy of Madden NFL 04 with friends, browse franchise mode and create custom rosters without even playing a game until the crack of dawn. Every football fan has their favorite game and will tell you that each year’s entry is flawed. Madden NFL 24 also has flaws, but it offers more customization than ever, even if just barely. I can’t wait to dive in Madden NFL 28.
Madden NFL 24 was released on August 15 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. The game was reviewed on Xbox Series X using a download code from Electronic Arts. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions on products purchased through affiliate links. You can find Additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy can be found here.