Yes, there are some foibles in the game, but overall, Madden NFL 11 is a triumph. Simplicity has paved the way for more elegant football strategy, co-op finally makes sense and is fun to play, and Online Franchise is a keeper for years to come.
The Pros
- Simplified game features make Madden more accessible to all players
- GameFlow allows you to game plan for opponents and play a fast, fluid game
- Deep online experience still the gold standard for football fans
The Cons
- Menus bury some of the best features in the game
- GameFlow still makes some bizarre play calls
- Perhaps too few changes from Madden NFL 10
August is here, the dead heat of the summer is upon us, and, all over the country, NFL training camps are open. Football is in the air, and, with it, the release of a new Madden game. This time, the folks at EA Tiburon have placed an emphasis on simplicity and making the game quicker, and the result, Madden NFL 11, is as fine a football simulation game as you can find on the market today.
This isn't to say the game is perfect, but it's a deep, rich experience that should find both die-hard football fans and those with only a cursory interest in the game playing long into the fall season.
Go With the Flow
The first thing you're going to notice with Madden NFL 11 is the new GameFlow play-calling system, which simulates the way games are actually called in today's NFL. Your offensive and defensive coordinators call in plays from your situational playbook, saving you valuable time flipping through page after page of plays trying to figure out what you're going to do before you run down the :40 clock and incur a delay of game penalty.
This is much different from the old "Ask Madden" system, which just sort of incorporated John Madden's advice, in case you didn't want to pick a play. With GameFlow, you can game plan for an opponent in advance, and select the plays that will come up in a given situation. This allows you to be more thoughtful about what you're doing ahead of time, and lets you play the game when the time comes.
What it doesn't mean is that these plays are necessarily infallable. You will still get play calls to throw deep when you're on the opponent's two yard line, so, even though it takes down and distance into account, it doesn't always do the same with the game situation, which means you'll have to be smart enough to audible out of plays that are clearly bad calls.
He's Throwing for the End Zoooooooooooone...
Chris Collinsworth is still the analyst in the booth for Madden NFL 11, but, this time, he's joined by play-by-play man Gus Johnson, one of the best in the business. This makes the presentation, which was already pretty awesome in Madden NFL 10, that much better. Of course, presentation is a big part of Madden, and the graphics are the real deal. The stadiums are rich environments in which to play, and additions of extra touches, like the visitng team getting off the bus and matchup-specific pre-game analysis, only add to that feeling.
Some care, too, has been taken in tweaking the animation, with a greater predominance of excellent sideline catches, and defensive backs that turn to look for the ball as it comes down, both of which add to the realistic presentation. This is not to say that there's not still the occasional hiccup when it comes to animation, but this is much less a problem than it has been in the past.
The More Things Change...
Online, Madden NFL 11 has some new elements. 3-on-3 online co-op, a new feature, allows each player to take charge of a certain element of team play throughout the course of the game. On offense, it's broken into QB, RB, and WR, and on defense, it's DL, LB, and DB controls. This means two things. One, you're going to get to concentrate on a very specific part of the game and really get good at it. Two, you can't be selfish and play Madden in the way most people normally do, throwing long bombs on every play and going for it on 4th and forever, because not only will your mates need to be on the same page, but you're playing against three other people who know how to cover that stuff. In short, you're going to have to play football the way it was meant to be played, and how could that be wrong?
Also new this year is Madden Ultimate Team, which combines elements of fantasy football, card games like Magic the Gathering, and games played to allow you to gather coins (which can also be purchased online) and assemble the ultimate Madden team, at least on paper. The idea is good, but the functionality is a little clumsy. This is one aspect that needs some fine tuning for next year's model. You can also scout your opponent's tendencies online in this year's game, which will allow you to better prepare to play them on the field.
The other online elements from last year's game are mostly intact, including Online Franchise, which was a huge hit from Madden NFL 10, allowing you and 31 other players to simulate teams from the NFL over the course of 10 seasons.
...the More They Stay the Same
Madden NFL 11 welcomes back such elements as "fight for the ball," which has you actively trying to scrum for a loose fumble, and "Madden Moments," featuring key moments from the previous season that you will either have to steer toward their conclusion, or change, thus causing a sort of Butterfly Effect that will change the NFL, retroactively, forever.
Still a problem with the game, however, is the clunky menu layout, which buries "Madden Moments" and other features like the training system in places where they're hard to find. On the one hand, this speaks to the overall depth of the game, but, on the other, it makes it so you will be many hours in before you realize all of the cool stuff that the game has in it. For a franchise that is so grounded in excellent presentation, this is one element that still needs an overhaul.
Ok, Men, Bring It In.
Overall, the folks at EA Tiburon have done a really good job at taking some of the mystery out of Madden for casual football fans and softcore sports gamers, while still retaining the hardcore integrity of die-hards who spend days preparing for that next game. The presentation still gives you chills, animations and player tendencies are more real than ever, and there are even awesome bonus features like the AFL mode, which allows you to play as an old American Football League team, with old-school presentation to match.
Yes, there are some foibles in the game, but overall, Madden NFL 11 is a triumph. Simplicity has paved the way for more elegant football strategy, co-op finally makes sense and is fun to play, and Online Franchise is a keeper for years to come. Football fans will be happy to pay the $60 for the embarassment of riches to be found here.
Comments
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trackboy
is it me or do some of you notice how they got so many bugs in the game and glitches? now ill admit it i dont suck at madden and im not the greatest madden player either. i play because i love the h@ll out of football. but seriously why is that they got drew brees peyton manning and tom brady completing every pass? how is it that sacking the quarterback is so easy? and doesnt it seem like they didnt do anything with challenging plays. those of you that play madden ask yourself how many times when they ask you to challenge the play and press L2 or for the xbox guys Ltrigger. how many times do the play actually get overturned? or how many times do they call holding on you? it seems like holding is mainly the only penalty that the game calls, and sometimes offsides and its on your own team. i mean really now cmon madden. Me and the rest of these gamers that love sports game have spent our hard earned money to play this glitched out game. some of use have even waited at midnight to own this game.now im not trying to sound like im whining or whatnot all im saying is i hope they actually put more work into the next installment and not disappoint so many folks the next time
The_prince_of_canada
@ foogie and anyone else who is whining about the whining
I'm bashing madden and G4 because i've actually played the game, and its terribly average. The new announcer sounds like he's had a few penis's for breakfast over every Old Spice ad they announce, the cinematics between plays are overly repetive, the game is FAR too easy, On average i was beating the opposing team by roughly 35 by the half, so i ended up supersimming the rest cuz i like for there be at least a little bit of resistance on the way to endzone, the menu's are exactley the same, the soundtrack makes no sense, half of their songs are classic rock (Guns n Roses, Kiss) (which i dont mind) but every other word is censored out. Even the words "sex" and "kill" . All and all the game is still good, i thought it had better physics, and the QB handled well, and the gameflow i didnt mind, but at times i didnt like the playcalling. Also the there was no super bowl extravaganza at the beginging of the game, though at the end they really went wild with it, even showing Aaron Rodgers holding a Packers jersey with Barack Obama (i was the packers) its still a good game, but it is soo painfully average i could cry. This is also the first year i would say that the NCAA game is definitely better than madden, because that one actaully has IMPROVEMENTS
The_prince_of_canada
@ foogie and anyone else who is whining about the whining
I'm bashing madden and G4 because i've actually played the game, and its terribly average. The new announcer sounds like he's had a few penis's for breakfast over every Old Spice ad they announce, the cinematics between plays are overly repetive, the game is FAR too easy, On average i was beating the opposing team by roughly 35 by the half, so i ended up supersimming the rest cuz i like for there be at least a little bit of resistance on the way to endzone, the menu's are exactley the same, the soundtrack makes no sense, half of their songs are classic rock (Guns n Roses, Kiss) (which i dont mind) but every other word is censored out. Even the words "sex" and "kill" . All and all the game is still good, i thought it had better physics, and the QB handled well, and the gameflow i didnt mind, but at times i didnt like the playcalling. Also the there was no super bowl extravaganza at the beginging of the game, though at the end they really went wild with it, even showing Aaron Rodgers holding a Packers jersey with Barack Obama (i was the packers) its still a good game, but it is soo painfully average i could cry. This is also the first year i would say that the NCAA game is definitely better than madden, because that one actaully has IMPROVEMENTS
Lokkeei
lets be honest,EA hasn't made a good madden game in awhile.All they do year after year is make the game look great but play like a bunch of highschool kids instead of pro's and nothing will change until another company can get a share of the NFL endorsment that will actually push EA to make a new game instead of the same old thing with a different look.To me the AI has always has and will be the big problem for the game which in todays day of gaming there really isn't a reason for and you add in the fact they have all these stats that they give the players that they,EA, fail to deliver on. A good example being a CB with good awareness,play recognition,and cover skills that will get beat 90 percent of the time on a slant or a LB with the same skill set in a zone watching the cpu over and over complete a pass 5 feet from him because he refuse's to move from his little spot.These so called skills really are just numbers in a game and not a true part of the game like they should be.The point is why have stats that your not going to deliver on for the gamer.I've played madden games since the mid 90's and the last several of them have stunk it up,expectional the superstar mode which is a JOKE,and until they get some competition or a spark under there butt the game will continue to be a $30 game at best and not the $60 game they think it is.
allenehrl
The same old overhead camera view. They still don't have multiple camera angles. The only way you can play Madden is a view from the Goodyear Blimp. The same old crap for 30 years. Disgusting, stultifying.
HoustonOutlaw
I agree with CLFlesh on a few things.but all in all,this game was said to be a gateway for gamers to enjoy Madden and in the process,EA screwed us true Hardcore Gamers and Hardcore football fans.I agree with the con of Gameflow picking dumb plays,but to be honest,Gameflow is for the casual or anyone who don't know about picking plays.This game is really a 3 out of 5.
stauf98
This review is just proof that G4 is slowly turning shill for EA. I've been updating madden every year for the last 6 or so, and this is by far the worst version of the game I have ever played. The announcer sounds like a caricature of a real sports announcer, calling out every play like his life depended on it. Runs up the middle, in tbis world, would sound like RUUUUUUNNNSSS UP THE MIIIIIIIIDLE." I am a franchise mode player, predominantly, typically offline, and this years version of that is beyond awful. For example I always simulate the first season so that I can make my mark on the team with the first draft. The scouting of rookies during that year offers less features than in past years, and is rudimentary at best. The worst part of all this is I go into gampelay to start the second year I set my depth chart, sim the preseason, and when I go into week one, although my starting quarterback is uninjured, he is listed as inactive, and there is no way to activate him in the game so I can actually play with the person I want to start my games. The same held true at linebacker That ridiculously sloppy programming in itself makes this game awful. The gameplay is good, but the addition of the coordinators voice making plays in the helemet was silly and unneeded. I did not try online gameplay, I was so angry at the holes in the regular franchise mode I felt it not worth my time. It amazes me that ea can consistently make a great sports games like the NHL franchise, or even great football games like NCAA, and consistently get worse and worse with a half assed Madden franchise. I think EA feels like Madden is like the Chicago Cubs, meaning that it doesn't matter how half assed and crappy the actual product on the field is, fans will still flock to the franchise because of the name. In short I bought the Madden Franchise for the last time this year and it will be resold to Gamestop when NHL11 comes out. I'm sincerely disappointed that G4 did not due its due diligence as journalsists and hammer this game for what it is, a half assed peice of crap.
ScottyMadlove
Whats with all the spamming? Can't something be done? Hellllllllllllooooooooooooo is anybody at the helm over there?
ScottyMadlove
Thank you all for the comments and letting know not to buy this game. It's impossible to trust x-play when it comes to the Madden franchise. I'll be back when they let you create plays and edit playbooks again. Thanks for letting me know that is still missing.
hedrich528
i got to get madden 11
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