Another year.... another bad madden.

The game looks pretty good. Like the UI is nice and I quite like the presentation for the games. The actual commentary for the broadcasts has remained as bland as its been, but the broadcast presentations are fun.

But yeah, none of the "next gen" features are really worth it. Momentum is very annoying and so stacked in favor of your opponent its ridiculous. Simulation in franchise is ONCE again so dependant on playbooks. You can build up a super team and still go 10-6 losing to an 8-9 team in the wild card if you don't have the proper playbook. Also, get used to seeing the Cowboys and the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. The Falcons too, oddly enough.

I sunk a good bit of time into the game and Franchise mode can be decent fun, though I think a good chunk of that is just coming from NFL season hype.... I only bought this because it was on sale and I didn't have Madden for next gen.... if you don't play Ultimate Team then there's no point in upgrading to the next Madden game. Hell, if you don't mind the proper facecards and stuff, then playing modded versions of NFL 2K5 or Madden 04 will provide a far better experience for significantly less money.

This is my first Madden in a few years. I played a full season in Franchise mode playing offense only, using a custom-made QB. It took about ten hours to make it to the Super Bowl, and it was just so lame. The UI is wonky and glitches out. At certain points, the UI would just flash and stutter back and forth, it caused a headache when I played in the dark, and I wouldn't be surprised if this bug has the potential to cause seizures in some individuals.

There are no more alternative camera angles. You used to be able to customize the camera angle while playing, but that feature is gone. There seems to be no instant replay anymore either? How is that even possible?

The announcer lines are broken. My QB ran for an NFL record 2,200 yards and 30 rushing TDs. Once a quarter in the Super Bowl, my QB would go for a run of 20+ yards, and the announcer would say "Wow! With that run he has surpassed Lamar Jackson's QB rushing yards record". I did that in the regular season in like week 12 lol. They also kept saying the coaches were holding their breath every time the QB ran it. Like I get it, it's hard to program for these bizarre situations, but almost nothing else changes about these games year-to-year. I'd love if they started accounting for these crazy situations. If they can have those thousands of voice lines in Hades, then Madden can put a little more effort in than they currently do. And I only had the announcers on for the Super Bowl. EVERY other game I had them muted.

This is just such a step down from all the sports games I love. I hope something changes fundamentally in this genre, because almost everything released is utter garbage.

Positives? The animations are smooth. It looks authentic. That's really all I can muster. It kinda looks like the real thing, if you can look past the glitches, the terrible replays that don't show the full plays, and cuts off at weird moments.

And keep in mind I haven't even interacted with the predatory online features. What I've played is about as pure as Madden gets.

I'll go back to playing my modded NFL 2K5 roster. And when I get my Switch fixed I can continue my Retro Bowl career. Don't think I'll be coming back to this one.

The game is very much the same in a general sense. But it is actually a significantly better experience than 23. The animations/camera angles alone make it feel far more immersive. And more importantly, far less game breaking bugs. You can go a play session without something going wrong! Unreal! Revolutionary!

I also like the Minor improvements to player customization.

Thats about it. Would recommend if its on sale if you are playing the hell that is 23

REREVIEW 2 MONTHS LATER!

i just sunk 90~ hours into a 25 year franchise LOL
i got very attached to the players i drafted. after my franchise qb retired (my stopping point for this self contained series), it felt like i had just completed a 50 hour long story game LMAO
maddens franchise mode is probably the only bright spot of the entire game.. but tbf it still has a lot of its own issues.
since finishing this long ass franchise, i've found the game very boring so... yeah. probs wont sink many more hours into this. ultimate team is terrible, the mycareer thing isn't good, and there's lots of glaring issues all over in madden.
can defos still find enjoyment though

This was my first time playing a Madden Game since Madden 18. Since that time, all I had had seen were sloppy absurd madden clips of errant catches, fumbles not being recovered properly etc etc. Against better judgment, I picked up Madden 24 and found it to be the same usual Madden antics that are alright. There's weird glitches in superstar mode in places I wouldn't expect like with dialog or day to day options your character can choose. As for the gameplay, I will give credit and say this feels the most realistic madden I've ever played (keep in mind my last time touching Madden was '18). I was playing all pro Superstar mode and there was no margin of error for my mistakes. I couldn't play sloppy and not have the consequences come back to bite me in this. I felt the pressure of trying to be a rookie/sophmore qb and being selective and purposeful with your deep and medium throws. In previous experiences, I would just throw Four Verts, PAs and slants but the defense AI mechanics felt tougher in this year's all pro compared to previous editions I've played. X-Factors and Team Advantages were a cool kick too.