Madden NFL 20 Review – Pass Interference

Madden NFL 20 is here and for the first time in years there are some legit, notable changes as EA Sports would say, “in the game.” With Patrick Mahomes taking the lead as cover athlete, and you becoming the Face of the Franchise, one can only hope Madden NFL 20 will dominate like never before.

We’re looking into the years where gameplay means everything, from overall presentation, transition from Longshot to Face of the Franchise and the rise of Madden Ultimate Teams. There are those who look at Madden and wish competition was out there to make the game what it should’ve already become. But EA is proving in M20 they’ve kept their ears open to the community and it honestly starts in the career mode, reintroducing a glimpse of what once was the best route to the NFL, NCAA. We knew it as Road to Glory. We haven’t seen a college football game since EA released NCAA Football 14. Since then, there’s been a mob of players missing the game that took us back to High School and made us prove to be the true prospect in the NFL Draft. With that breakdown coming later in the review, welcome to Madden NFL 20.

1ST & 10

M20 begins with gameplay settings. From there it’s on to a game we haven’t seen in a while, a trip to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl. While you play as the AFC and gain control of Patrick Mahomes there’s quite a bit that stands out from the gate, beginning with presentation. I think back to the yesteryears of Madden and how teams came out in a rally. It was over the top, fireworks, fans zoomed in on with warpaint, you name it. In Madden 20 I’m a bit disappointed with the lack of opening presentations and the hype we’d witness when watching an actual NFL game. In the stadiums it’s the little things that fans go crazy for and here honestly lacked that high level of authenticity. Not to mention the official coin toss being removed several years ago.

Gameplay however is quite solid and the new animations in M20 makes the play routes worth experiencing. Partaking in all the play by play action is exhilarating, especially on offense. Managing to break tackles and drive into the endzone is quite the journey and well worth the wait. One key feature stands out most on both sides of the lineup: X Factor Zone Abilities. Think “Takeover” in NBA 2K19 and you’ve grasped the general concept. Zone Abilities are earned by select players as you perform certain objectives consistently. Cover Athlete Patrick Mahomes can extend his range by 15 yards for example, as long as he isn’t sacked after successfully throwing a 30+ yard pass. On defense, Houston Texan’s J.J. Watt can add on a tremendous amount of pressure on the Q.B. when managing to earn 2-3 sacks in a game.

What separates X Factor from 2K’s takeover ability is the legitimacy of how it’s lost. No one player on the field will gain momentum and lose it in 60 seconds. Realistically, something likely happens from the opposing team that diminishes your adrenaline, knocking the ability and player off their high horse. Madden NFL 20 does a great job of fine tuning that exploit.

Face of the Franchise

As we look at what the new story has to offer, EA has done a great job with one story every year, FIFA. The Journey has been of the greatest stories ever told by the Dev team, leaving players looking forward to what was next to come. The formula was almost there with The Longshot in Madden NFL 18 but shattered the very next year, becoming a huge disappointment and lackluster attempt filled with QTE’s and a short, forgettable story.

Face of the Franchise starts with you becoming the newest player for the college of your choosing; we went with the Longhorns. From there the story gets intense from players depending on you as you are placed in an impossible predicament, taking your team to the NCAA Championship game and winning. No pressure! For us the game ended 51 to 49, managing to take the win thanks to a two-point conversion in overtime. Based on your win/loss it leads to the combine challenge to determine your pick in the overall draft. Regardless of where you land, welcome to the NFL.

I would’ve loved playing a game or two in high school, especially considering that’s where the story begins. Players will take the story quite personal, especially considering the “Longshot” story this time around evolve around YOU and your character development. Is there a downside? Yes. The cutscenes around your character development is shorter than anticipated, almost immediately taking us back to the traditional career mode. In-between you can expect a ton of humor, touching stories around players and fans, a random agent that has a pointless role and an awkward driver. While silly more than anything, I appreciated the straightforward career path that surrounded the story in Face of the Franchise.

While I absolutely loved the direction of Face of the Franchise character, interaction and story build, I was completely confused as to why I couldn’t use my last name. The most generic name in the world, “Harris” wouldn’t work. But, “IRBGamer” did. Not entirely sure why this was, but apparently after making it to the NFL I was able to rename my player.

After making it in the NFL, it’s back to the traditional warmups and coach interactions each week, along with completing objectives to become the best QB the league has to offer, earning a spot for your name in the record books in M20. Leading to ask, how is this 30 minute story considered a mode of its own?

2ND & 5 – MUT and Franchise

Madden Ultimate Team is back and continues to make an imprint of being one of the most successful modes in Madden. Buy cards, personalize your own fantasy team, and visit the auction to save time finding who you want and selling player you don’t. The best feature in MUT has to be earning enough coins and not necessarily buying everything like NBA fans have to in other games. This year Madden also introduced Missions, navigating you towards unlocking the cards you’re seeking rather than unveiling items that most could live without.

Franchise mode is more of the same as well. Whether you take lead as a single player, coach or owner, it’s about taking your team the end and earning a Super Bowl ring for your city. Technically the real Face of the Franchise.

Which One is This Again?

Visually, Madden NFL 20 doesn’t appear to have progressed from M19. Almost every other EA game utilizes unique engines to share with everyone a next level experience. Meanwhile Madden NFL 20 is more of the same. New animations and the X Factor abilities are big enough to ‘sort of’ accept the price of admission. I did enjoy the commentary team of Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis as they called the game, including the unreal plays that made them break script and talk about the player controlling the Madden game. Try scoring a touchdown when up by 14 with less than 20 seconds on the clock. Just unfortunate how line are repeated too often in Face of the Franchise.

Without question the replayability is there as at the end of each game I found myself looking to play one more time. There’s that instant gratification in scoring and celebrating, especially in the role of the QB.

VERDICT

This isn’t the best Madden ever by far, but progress stands out in Madden NFL 20. Sadly, Face of the Franchise doesn’t live up to the hype we all hoped for. Then again, if other positions release throughout this year in Madden NFL 20, I might eat those words.