Since the early 1990's the EA Sports Madden NFL video games series has been a staple of the video game sports genre. Year after year they seem to add features and adapt the game to match the evolution of the NFL whether it be something as simple as allowing the user to “challenge” plays or something more complicated like dynasty mode where you can control your team for upwards of thirty seasons. This year's version of the Madden series is no different in that they did an appropriate amount of upgrades to keep the game interesting and relevant. One new feature that I find very interesting is the addition they made to “Madden Moments.” In the past, “Madden Moments” was a mode in which you got to pick a memorable game from the past and control the team to either a legendary finish or a disappointing conclusion. In previous years, they had only a select few moments that you could choose from. Now, due to the existence of Xbox Live and PS3 online, the game developers are able to add many more “Madden Moments” week by week depending on what had happened during the actual NFL season up to that point. This is a great use of the online gaming technology to keep the game fresh and relevant week in and week out. Another thing that this game does a great job of is it's use of 3D graphics and environments to make you feel like you are in the middle of actual NFL game. The visual details are nothing short of vivid from the 3D grass to the shadows casted on the field and in the stadiums. The animations used are also very smooth and realistic. In the past it seemed as if the players would almost snap into a certain position in order for the tackle animation to work properly but due to new technologies, the game now uses more physics (rag doll) based animations so each movement seems much more smooth and realistic. The only real flaw that I found in this game is the amount of detail used in the “Franchise Mode.” I know it sounds weird for more detail to be a negative thing but when it takes away from the efficiency of the game, that's when you run into some problems. For the “Franchise Mode” in years past you would simply play the games, sign free agents, draft players and move on to the next season. Now they have rookie scouting and training camps which are time consuming and take away from the overall game experience. So all in all this game is very good and I am anxious to see how they make adjustments for Madden NFL 2013 next year.
