Madden NFL 18 Review: Greatest Story Never Told

The 2017 SuperBowl will be forever remembered as one of the greatest moments of all time with an incredible comeback led by one of the Greatest of all Time, Tom Brady. Now, the season is over and this year in Madden you can rewrite history or make it by playing the all-new story mode Longshot. Welcome to the season that matters; welcome to Madden NFL 18.

Start off selecting your preferred play style: Arcade, Simulation or Competitive. Arcade is the fast lane of Madden NFL, play traditional gameplay as most have over the years. Simulation lets you play what matters in a more authentic setting as your team or player of choice. Competitive is for those looking for an online experiences liked ranked head-to-head games.

The main hub lets you choose from Ultimate Team (including MUT Squads), Longshot, Franchise, Head to Head and Play Now Live. Play Now Live lets you revision games from NFL real-life matchups. It was the first mode we played; Nice! We’re going to dive deep into gameplay but first let’s talk discuss the elephant in the room, Longshot.

The Longshot

The Longshot is without question one of the biggest reason to pick up Madden NFL 18 this year. You play as prospect player, Quarterback, Devin Wade but with a twist. Longshot isn’t simply about an NFL season, College ball or High School, but instead the rise, fall and comeback of Devin.

To be honest the story is so well written I forgot multiple times I was playing Madden at all, and the frostbite engine truly compliments the visual settings. Longshot allows you to make decisions that may be huge or detrimental, similar to Alex’ story in FIFA, as well as perform various QTE that plays pivotal roles throughout the story.

Without teasing too much, in short, EA had the formula for an outstanding and it truly works. In addition, completing and unlocking achievements will also reward you exclusive MUT card for your Ultimate Team. This roughly 5 hour campaign reminds me of the career mode that began in NCAA games; this is truly “The Road to Glory.”

How Is Gameplay

Back to Play Now Live, you can set your own teams or play recommended matchups from real NFL games. And once the game begins, it’s truly a jaw-dropping experience. There are new cutscenes to start off Madden from the beginning which intensifies both gameplay and presentations. As it was removed a few years ago, I personally still miss the coin toss, the most important call before the first quarter.

Visually Madden NFL 18 is a beast thanks to the Frostbite engine. Players, coaches and field are all aesthetically pleasing. As for the cameramen and referees that slide across the sideline as a a player or coach bump into them, they look less than stellar. Then again who cares about them right?

As for play by play action Madden NFL 18 feels more of the same in regards to 17 which is in no way a bad thing. There is a new mechanic added called target passing allowing you to see where the ball is going before the throw. It considerably great for creativity when passing and controlling your receiver, however I didn’t find much use due to the difficulty of utilizing it.

Commentary was great in Madden NFL 17, 18 goes the extra mile with the most fluid conversations to date. It was intriguing not only hearing about my game, but in-depth season stats and history. While on audio, M18’s soundtrack is fire to say the least.

Madden NFL 18 also introduced 3v3 MUT Squads, allowing you to play with two other friends and other players as one unit. It immediately reminds me of NBA MyPark where everyone’s fighting for possession, however more structured.

Now there are a few hiccups in Madden NFL 18. Time to time you’ll see players clipping through each other, it’s small but noticeable to where it slightly pulls away a bit from authenticity; nothing game breaking though.