Traditionally, Madden NFL opens the sports game season. The football simulation faces the well-known problems of the annually released titles: Is the new spin-off more than an update of the predecessor?
Football fans will grab it blindly – for everyone else, a new Madden part is probably more like an update that is sold as a full-price title. Of course, NFL 22 doesn’t have this problem exclusively, it doesn’t even apply exclusively to EA’s sports games. Even with 2K’s NBA, the same questions come up again every year.
But with Madden NFL 22, the first real next-gen offshoot of the series is released, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X&S Madden actually experiences a noticeable graphical update – although the highlight is probably more the constant 60 frames per second. Let me say up front: players who have been buying predecessors for years will quickly feel at home.
Although the menus have been slightly changed, everything remains the same. The game starts with the creation of your own avatar, after which you can dive into the various game modes Exhibition, Franchise, Ultimate Team, Face of the Franchise, The Yard and Superstar KO.
The most important changes in Madden NFL 22
One feature should catch the eye of Madden fans relatively quickly. Because the pre-announced “Dynamic Gameday” is probably the most important innovation. The home advantage influences the performance of your team and the atmosphere in the stadium changes dynamically, as the name already suggests. Depending on the score, you will see fans cheering differently or the behaviour of the coaches will be adjusted.
It doesn’t sound like much at first, but the details are nice. The volume in the arenas has a direct effect on the field players. The louder the crowd, the harder it is for quarterbacks to make their announcements and hear their teammates. The offence and defence are also strengthened or weakened by negative or positive perks. Home field advantage is an important factor in football, so it’s even nicer to see it reflected in Madden 22.
The manager mode has also been reworked and offers more control over how one’s own franchise should be managed. The weekly planning of training sessions, preparation for the upcoming opponent or the issuing of goals determines the course of events here. New talent trees for your coaches are useful additions. However, the franchise mode, which has often been neglected in the past, is unfortunately not being renewed.
The conclusion is sobering
In the end, this can also be said for the entire game. But as already described, almost all annually released titles have the same problem: The really big improvements are missing.
Madden NFL 22 impresses on Next-Gen with fresh visuals – but beyond that, there is little that justifies a purchase. Football fans already have it in their library or on their shelf, but those who are considering a new look at the Madden game are advised to wait for a cheaper price.