‘Madden NFL 23’ review: EA Sports takes a step in the right direction for gamers

Gamers pounded the table last year after the release of “Madden NFL 22”, begging EA Sports’ developers to fix Franchise Mode. It’s the mode most Madden fans grew up playing before the introduction of Ultimate Team, and over the years, it’s seemingly gotten ignored – and in the opinion of some, it’s even regressed.

The good news is that “Madden NFL 23” is a step in the right direction for fans of Franchise Mode. There’s an added layer of depth that makes it feel more like you’re actually running a franchise, from free-agent negotiations to deeper scouting methods.

And as a whole, Madden 23 seems like a more polished and improved version of last year’s game, with better gameplay, a souped-up Face of the Franchise mode and a more focused approach by the developers, targeting gameplay over something like Ultimate Team and The Yard.

Gameplay improvements

Precision passing

One of the most notable additions to this year’s Madden is the Skill-Based Passing mechanic. While you’ve long been able to lead receivers in a certain direction by using the left stick when throwing passes, Madden 23 refines that feature. You can now be even more accurate with your placement, picking exactly where you want to put the pass in the target area.

Free-form passing allows you to move the ball outside the target area even further, so you can place the ball high and outside where only your receiver can catch it. There’s even an option to slow down the game when beginning your throw, allowing you more time to place the ball where you want.

There are still the three types of passes – lob, touch and bullet – which are determined by how long you hold the pass button. That makes passing the ball feel even more authentic when paired with the precision passing.

Tackling

FieldSense improves the overall feel of the game, particularly on defense. Gang tackling is much more realistic, allowing you to pile onto your fellow defenders when trying to make a stop. Even using the Hit Stick in a group tackle works significantly better than in recent years.

When on offense, you can decide whether to mash the “X” (or “A”) button to fight for extra yardage and break a tackle, but that brings in the risk of fumbling. That’s a nice addition to the game, too.

Overall, collisions in Madden 23 are more authentic, especially in-air ones. The physics on this hit from Jalen Ramsey and Jordan Fuller is better than you’ll see in recent versions of Madden, with both players hitting the receiver.

Running the ball

Madden introduced 360-degree cuts this year, which makes it easier to maneuver a ball carrier with the left stick while holding L2/LT. It makes running the ball more satisfying, and you can still use the right stick to cut, spin and dodge defenders as you have in past games.

Playing as a WR and CB

Playing as a wide receiver or cornerback was never all that fun in Madden. There wasn’t a great way to choose your release off the line or to press a receiver to re-route him at the snap. But in Madden 23, you can pick your type of release, and cuts at the top of routes are even easier (and deeper) than before.

This makes usering a wideout or cornerback much more enjoyable, knowing you have much more control over the outcome of the play. There’s something very satisfying about shaking a defender with an in cut as a wideout.

Defense AI

Defenders are much smarter in Madden 23 – almost to the point where playing offense has gotten frustratingly difficult, especially when throwing the ball. Zone coverages are better, with defenders showing better awareness in coverage.

But at the same time, you’re going to throw a lot of interceptions, even if you consider yourself a good Madden player. The Reddit community has expressed its frustration over the number of ridiculous interceptions by AI defenders, as evidenced by this clip.

It’s good to see defender AI improving, but the unrealistic catches can be maddening.

Franchise Mode

It’s good to see Franchise Mode get some attention from the developers after it went years without many notable improvements. The biggest change to Franchise Mode comes in free agency where players now have motivations when picking a team.

For instance, one player might prioritize a team close to home that’s poised to make a Super Bowl run. Others might want to play for a team with an established quarterback. That makes things more interesting when negotiating with free agents – assuming you didn’t turn off the salary cap and throw buckets of cash at everyone available.

There are more contract options when it comes to signing a player, and the salary cap is more realistic by including rollover money.

Scouting has also gotten better, with more scouts and options available. You can assign scouts to certain regions of the country, and each scout has a position specialty, too.

Face of the Franchise

Madden transitioned from the Longshot story mode to Face of the Franchise in the last few years, but it still wasn’t a mode that generated much buzz or positive reactions. There were a ton of cutscenes and the whole mode felt like a dead end.

This year, you create a character, which you’ll then use in both Face of the Franchise and The Yard, adding some depth to the mode. In Face of the Franchise, EA trimmed down the number of cutscenes, which is great to see. You can also pick your activities throughout the week, which will impact your stamina and other stats for the next game or two.

Players will have the option of playing quarterback, running back, wide receiver, linebacker and now cornerback. I only played as a quarterback and though the camera angle was annoying at times, it was rewarding to improve my character over time. Though, if you try to get benched or cut by throwing seven interceptions in a game, it won’t happen.

I didn’t reach the 99 Club, but that’s the ultimate goal of this mode, becoming a star in the NFL.

What still needs fixing?

Blocking

It’s still atrocious. It has been for years, and for whatever reason, EA refuses to fix this very simple and important part of the game. I can’t tell you how many times the opposing defense sent four rushers, and somehow, there was a guy left unblocked with a clear path to the quarterback.

Before any of my receivers even hit their break, I was being planted on my back because my tackle and tight end decided not to block their guy. Watch  the right side of the offensive line on this snap. No one decided to pick up No. 94, and thankfully, he didn’t go straight for Stafford for an easy sack.

Comical, yes. Realistic and wanted? Nope.

Here’s another example of a glitch in the physics. Cam Akers gets stuck behind his left tackle and guard, running in place for 4 seconds before zooming out of the pile at 100 mph.

This has been happening for years, and I’d love to see it fixed at some point.

The Yard is a mess

The Yard, which is EA’s version of backyard football, seemed like a good idea in Madden 21, but it’s done nothing to improve the mode. On one instance, I pitched the ball backwards and it hit the ground, resulting in a fumble. Unfortunately, my player was stuck in an animation showing his disappointment, preventing me from moving him to recover the ball.

There’s still no replay system in The Yard, either. That’s frustrating because in a mode known for behind-the-back passes and ridiculous catches, it’d be cool to be able to see those plays a second time.

In the Nike event in The Yard, the jerseys worn by each team were almost exactly the same, making it just about impossible to determine where defenders were compared to the receivers you’re trying to throw to.

The reward screens after playing a game were completely broken and took forever to load, too.

Everything else

• Ultimate Team is mostly unchanged compared to previous Madden versions. That’s a good thing because there’s not much more EA can do to improve the grind-to-win mode. It’s still based on microtransactions and grinding through solo challenges to earn coins to upgrade your team and buy packs.

• The Yard and Superstar KO took a backseat in Madden 23. At first glance, I thought the modes were completely removed from the game because they didn’t appear on the main menu. But after further digging, they’re under the “Play With Friends” section. That shows how much attention EA paid to each mode. They both seem unchanged from last year.

• EA fixed a bug that drove a lot of players crazy last year. With the introduction of Homefield Advantage, it became impossible to see audibles and hot routes in-game. The Homefield Advantage on-screen tips covered them, which is thankfully fixed in Madden 23.

• I did chuckle when I saw Tom Brady on the sidelines after a touchdown, holding his right hand up searching for a high-five, never getting one from a teammate. Nice touch, EA.

• The Madden Legacy Game when you first fire up Madden 23 is fun. It features stars of the past such as Brett Favre and Randy Moss alongside big-name players of today, including Cooper Kupp. The differing versions of Madden on each sideline was neat to see, too.

• There are still a bunch of bugs that I ran into, including the inability to pick an offensive focus at halftime (the menu just froze), characters walking through walls in Face of the Franchise and instances where after supersimming, I was unable to pick a play or go back into the game.

Verdict

“Madden NFL 23” is definitely an improvement over last year’s game, which caused a lot of frustration among gamers. The devs seem to have heard the outcries about Franchise Mode, which is encouraging.

That’s led to less attention being paid to Ultimate Team, The Yard and Superstar KO, which isn’t a bad thing. Gameplay has improved, even if there are an inordinate number of acrobatic, unrealistic interceptions. That’s something EA should be able to tweak in an update.

It’s a game worth picking up if you’re itching to play some football and searching for something that’s more than just a roster update. There’s still a lot of room for improvement, but EA is taking steps in the right direction.

Story originally appeared on Rams Wire