Madden NFL 22 review: A fresh change of pace

Madden 22 Source: EA Sports

The common criticism around the Madden NFL franchise (and a lot of other sports game franchises for that thing) is how the game feels stale despite multiple annual releases. For years now, some of the complaints surrounding the game accept been that a handful of core modes — namely Franchise mode — haven't seen whatsoever major updates in some time.

Thankfully, with Madden NFL 22, things have finally changed. EA Sports came into this game clearly knowing what it wanted to change, and did so while also calculation some big tweaks that make it feel even more like the real-life production on the field.

Madden 22 Box Art

Madden NFL 22

Bottom line: Madden NFL 22 injects some much needed improvements into a series that was dangerously shut to growing stale. Coupled with some big changes to core modes, Madden NFL 22 elevates itself into one of the best from the long-running series.

The Skilful

Hyper-realistic gameplay
Incredible broadcast/commentary
Major changes to Franchise experience great

The Bad

Various bugs and animation errors go along to plague gameplay
Face of the Franchise feels as well barebones compared to other modes

Madden NFL 22: What you'll love

Madden 22 Source: EA Sports

Category	GameNameXXX
Title	Madden NFL 22
Developer	EA Tiburon
Publisher	EA Sports
Genre	Sports
Xbox Version	Xbox Series X
Game Size	55.4 GB
Play Time	thirty+ hours
Players	Unmarried-player, Local/Online Multiplayer
Launch Price	$70

When it comes to the world of sports games, change isn't something that happens all too often. When trying to replicate the on-field experiences of a sport, there's only so much a studio can practice to make it all experience truly different year in and year out (just look at Madden NFL 21). Notwithstanding, with Madden NFL 22, instead of focusing on adding unlike game modes, developer EA Tiburon has instead turned its attention to many of the existing modes, and delivered what many fans have been wanting in the form of some pretty major overhauls.

Much like past entries in the Madden franchise, one of the showtime things you'll find when jumping into the game — specially on a current-gen system like the Xbox Serial X — is just how incredible the game looks. Not merely do the upgraded graphics make for a much better-looking game, but the small tweaks to things like the broadcasting and crowd reactions make Madden NFL 22 await even realer than before. The detail you'd see in an bodily NFL game is there, with players reacting both on the field and on the sidelines as if information technology were a real game. Similar to Madden NFL 21, EA Tiburon has continued to add to that level of detail, with quarterbacks similar cover star Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers having their throwing motions and other small quirks they take at the line of scrimmage show up in the game.

Perhaps the biggest and strongest addition to Madden NFL 22 comes in the form of Dynamic Gameday.

EA Tiburon's committment to realism has as well extended beyond just graphical upgrades. Perhaps the biggest and strongest addition to Madden NFL 22 comes in the form of Dynamic Gameday, something the studio added this year. As its proper name suggests, information technology helps dictate a multitude of things you'll feel in any given game. It's cleaved up into three components — Gameday Atmosphere, Gameday Momentum, and Next Gen Stats Star-Driven AI — all of which take the act of playing to the next level.

Gameday Momentum, much similar its name suggests, is an addition that brings with it changes to the ebbs and flows of how you're playing. While homefield advantage has always existed in sports games, Madden NFL 22 tweaks this a fleck with the addition of a new Momentum Meter and unlockable perks called M-Factors (Momentum Factors). These Thou-Factors are like to how X-Factors exist in the game for specific players, but only for the 32 different stadiums in the NFL. Now, how y'all play in the game will either add together or subtract from the the Momentum tracker that appears above the scoreboard. Each stadium also has its own unique M-Factors, ranging from playart not showing upwards to the buttons for receivers no longer actualization if you're performing too poorly.

The second piece, Gameday Atmosphere, isn't something y'all'll feel immediate in gameplay, but rather something you'll feel while you play, bringing the scale and experience of the actual NFL to fans. Brand new crowd animations are at present available, along with the additions of things like super fans in the stands and remastered audio that helps make whatsoever given stadium feel more than live. It isn't as big of an add-on as say Gameday Momentum, but it does assistance make every round experience more like you're actually watching an NFL game and not simply playing a video game.

Finally, Next Gen Stats: Star-Driven AI is the latest add-on and tweak to the games physics and overall gameplay feel. After initially being introduced in Madden NFL 21'due south Xbox Series Ten|S and PS5 versions, Next Gen Stats are back, and more detailed than ever. Similar to the real-life tool that the NFL uses to help suspension down the game of football, Next Gen Stats in Madden NFL 22 uses real-earth data such as speed, separation, and more finer details like the routes players run or how fast players tin break tackles.

The game then takes the data and applies it right to the AI beliefs of the players on the field. Now, when you brand a big play or suspension complimentary of some tackles en route to a huge gain, the game will show you how fast yous're going or just how much airtime you got on a pass. Aslope giving yous more information on how sure teams play, Star-Driven AI volition also affect how the non-thespian-controlled football players operate on the field. Smaller, faster linebackers will be able to hit a gap faster than earlier, while bigger, bruising hitters volition accept to brand up for their lack of speed by landing some intimidating hits on their opponents instead.

Franchise Manner: Big changes where it matters

Perhaps the single biggest and virtually heady modify to Madden NFL 22 isn't in any new modes or new tweaks. Rather, it'due south in big changes to some of the cadre game modes, specifically its Franchise Mode. While the incorporation of Dynamic Gameday and changes to how the game plays and feels are always welcome, fans accept been hoping for years that one of the well-nigh played modes would become some changes. Thankfully, EA Tiburon finally listened, and the event is the best Franchise Mode that Madden has always put forward.

EA Sports has finally delivered a proper, overhauled version of Franchise, and it's great.

In case you're unaware, Franchise allows you to have over as the possessor, general manager, or coach of a team and run it how yous would like to. It's an first-class way to simulate beingness in accuse of a football team, just information technology rarely got the care and attention it truly deserved. Following some massive outcry from fans last year, EA Sports has finally delivered a proper, overhauled version of Franchise, and information technology'south great.

This twelvemonth, many highly-requested updates to Franchise accept been introduced, including a more detailed way to manage your staff as a full general manager and double-decker. At present, instead of simply being the coach or owner of a team, you'll be able to come across more of your coaching roster, including various coordinators, a player personnel department, and more. You tin can upgrade your straff now thanks to a newly included skill tree progression system that allows you to tweak exactly how y'all plan on building your squad, whether it be going for an all-out offensive juggernaut or a more than balanced team.

Alongside those two cadre changes, the ability to report and focus on plays for your team has been tweaked with a more than comprehensive weekly game strategy system. Adding in week-to-week activities was a big focus for EA Tiburon, and it shows hither, as ahead of each week's game, you'll exist able to try and strike the right balance when it comes to how you lot want to prepare. If the team you're playing is a pass heavy offense, for example, you may want to focus on different defensive scenarios then you would if you were playing a run heavy team. Now, you tin can do this by tweaking your week-to-week strategies to tailor a specific gameplan for the opponent y'all're playing.

Farther changes are also in the works for Franchise Manner, including an overhauled Scouting system that promises to add together a more than structured and robust way to scout future players. While these changes may non sound like much to players who don't swoop into Franchise Mode, the changes are huge, and testify that EA Tiburon is dedicated to really listening to fans and addressing changes where they need to exist made.

Madden NFL 22: What'southward not so nifty

Madden 22 Source: EA Sports

Elsewhere in Madden NFL 22, y'all'll observe many of the same modes you've come to wait. Madden Ultimate Team — or MUT, as information technology's known — is back once again, and continues to let fans the chance to build upward their own custom squad by collecting cards. Thankfully, this mode has seen a scrap of an upgrade over the last couple of years and relies a lot less heavily on microtransactions than it used to. Modes like Superstar KO and The G accept also returned, although, unfortunately, neither of them seem to have been given any major changes.

Face of the Franchise doesn't experience like you're actually taking your custom character through the NFL.

The modes are still much of the same, offering bite-sized versions of football to play when you're not looking to dive into a total, faux NFL game. While The Yard does characteristic more locations to explore, the gameplay can get a scrap deadening after a time. Superstar KO is similar; the 3v3 and 2v2 team gameplay is fun, but hasn't changed or been improved too much since its initial release a couple of years ago.

I of the mainstay modes that did get changed a bit, nonetheless, is Face of the Franchise. Instead of a full-fledged narrative story, the rebuilt season instead drops yous into the shoes of a actor as he prepares for the life-changing aspect of being drafted into the NFL. Forth the fashion, you'll feel a few cinematic moments that take you lot through working out for teams, signing deals with brand sponsors, and much more.

Every bit prissy every bit the mode getting reworked is to see, information technology never really feels all that unlike or enjoyable from a storytelling perspective. Pocket-sized glimpses into the story such every bit signing on with brands or playing with a college team practise more to evidence what could exist than anything else. In a time where plenty of other sports games, including the FIFA and NBA 2K serial, all sport nearly full-length singleplayer modes that let you to create a character and abound them throughout multiple seasons, it'southward a flake disappointing to see that Madden's version is so barebones.

One time your Face of the Franchise role player makes it in the NFL, you're substantially but playing a version of the game's Franchise Fashion, which isn't bad, just doesn't feel like you're actually taking your custom grapheme through the NFL.

Elsewhere, Madden NFL 22 sports some of the the problems that arise in other Madden entires, including various glitches and bugs that popular up while playing. While some of this can be explained thanks to the game not technically being out yet, information technology is disappointing to meet so many of the aforementioned technical problems continue to pop upwards over the years.

Madden NFL 22: Should you play it?

Madden 22 Source: EA Sports

At the terminate of the day, fans of football are going to play the latest Madden entry in one way or another. However, for fans who may accept left the series afterwards years of stagnation, Madden NFL 22 is perhaps the all-time entry in the serial in a long time. Tiny improvements to the way the game plays, ranging from better grab controls to tackling improvements, brand gameplay feel even better than it ever was.

Tweaks to gameplay aside, not but is it still the most realistic way to play an NFL game, but the addition of things like Dynamic Gameday make the game experience much more than like a fully-fledged experience than simply a imitation video game. Along with huge changes to its Franchise Mode, Madden NFL 22 is a must-play for any fans of football, and would be the perfect entry to dive back into for fans who may be prepare to step onto the field once again.

Madden NFL 22 retails for $seventy ($60 on last-gen consoles) and is available on PC, Xbox Serial Ten|South, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation v.

Madden 22 Box Art

Madden NFL 22

Bottom line: Big changes to Madden NFL 22 shows that EA Sports knows what needs to be done to proceed the long-running franchise feeling fresh. If y'all're a fan of football or the Madden serial, this is a must-buy game for you.

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