Madden NFL 13 Review, 9.0 out of 10 based on 1 rating

Madden has been in a rut for while. You know it, we know it, and even EA Sports head Andrew Wilson knows it. However, this year is different. 2013 is the year of the Infinity Engine.

Before we really get into the gritty details of what sets this entry apart, let’s step back and start at the beginning. As soon as you pop the game in, you are going to be met with various updates, end-user license agreements, sign-ins and sundry other things that have nothing to do with large men attempting to hurt one another. Of course, this is only a minor annoyance in the long run, but it is indicative of a greater Madden experience that EA Sports is trying to craft here. This isn’t just about you and some buddies on the couch anymore–the advent of online gaming has irreparably changed the way games are made.

This image has meme written all over it.

For instance, take the new user interface. Instead of the familiar “Franchise” mode, you have “Connected Careers.” This collects both the Coach and Player experience, both online and off, into one cohesive package that serves as a main campaign of sorts. You can take a legendary athlete or leader through their storied career, create a rookie from scratch, or just go through the motions with your team of choice. Everything is compartmentalized and streamlined in a way that is simultaneously brilliant and intimidating.

Tweaks from NCAA 13 transition to the pros, as scouting, commentary, and stat-tracking are all improved in some capacity. Perhaps even more impressive is the worldwide network available at EA Sports’ official website. You can look over the statistics from every game you play online, send friend requests, and check your online leagues status anywhere you get internet access. At times it all can seem a bit excessive–Who really needs these many features?–but it speaks to Tiburon’s ambition that they would attempt to implement and integrate such an array of mechanics.

I call BS. Twitter is never that well-spoken.

Some of my favorite additions aren’t even new ideas, but rather good concepts that finally made it over to Madden. The “Total Control Passing” and “Read and React Defense” from NCAA 13 have been noticeably integrated into the core gameplay, making passing more satisfying without sacrificing the competence of the secondary. There are still some problems with wideouts dropping balls they damn well shouldn’t, but it’s a step up from the kangaroo middle linebackers we had to deal with for years. Other additives include fake social media feeds during the course of your seasons, something I first saw in The Amazing Spider-Man. While it’s no substitute for a true narrative, it does add life to the traditionally stale yearly progression.

Probably the most fun I had with the game was a result of a feature dating back (to my knowledge) to several generations of Tiger Woods Golf. Dubbed “Game Face,” the EA Sports application allows you to create custom faces for your created players, giving you the opportunity for a more personal investment in the game. Personally, I used it to try to import Garrus Vakarian from Mass Effect into the game so I could use him as the Bears’ starting quarterback (What? Cutler sucks). Unfortunately, it turns out that Game Face only uses the proportions of the submitted face to create a likeness, meaning I was not able to have a Turian run amok on Soldier Field.

My offense just needs a few… calibrations.

In the end though, we are all here for one thing: Madden‘s new physics engine. The franchise has been in desperate need of better collisions for years, so badly, in fact, that Backbreaker was able to get a full console release based solely on the inclusion of Havok. On the bright side, the Infinity Engine exists and it is in Madden NFL 13. On the other hand, it still needs a little work. Don’t get me wrong, it is awesome. Even from a few meager screenshots you can tell the difference, as true gang tackles, realistic body contortions, and unique contact angles make every hit a new experience. I just don’t want to exaggerate and give you the impression that every problem in the game is now solved.

There are occasional glitches in evidence. More than once I had a player teleport a couple feet after a play was over, apparently as a result of having his trajectory recalculated after he had already bounced off in one direction. The excision of the Fantasy Draft is almost inexcusable, especially given the game’s support for NFL.com’s fantasy league. Both graphics and color commentary are very minimally improved, although that seems to be a result of the hardware seemingly reaching its limit.

Jim, your face is melting.

The take-away here is that this is an important Madden game. With the inclusion of a real-time engine and a condensed UI, every football game to come after will be compared to this one, for better or worse. If you care at all about this sport and its evolution as a digital simulation, you need to buy Madden NFL 13. It’s not perfect, but given a few years of tweaking, it just might be.

A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes and played for about 20 hours in every mode. The title was played on PS3, but is also available for Xbox 360.

Also, follow me on Twitter @austinyorski (please).

Madden NFL 13 Review

By Austin Yorski

One of the most pleasant surprises of the year.