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- [Reviewer] With every new Madden
comes a new set of upgrades and disappointments,
but Madden NFL 20's balance
is a bit more favorable than usual.
Among the new features are a couple of key changes
that underscore the difference between a typical player
and a true NFL superstar in meaningful and exciting ways,
making the moment-to-moment gameplay as strong as it's been
since the switch to Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
On the other hand, it leaves Franchise Mode
without significant new features
and microtransactions continue to be somewhat of an issue
with Madden Ultimate Team.
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Of course, it is easy to say that Madden 20
looks and plays better
because Madden does that to some degree almost every year.
But, in this case, it's true in some very important areas
that make it a worthy upgrade.
The biggest one that changes virtually everything you do
on the field for the better
is a revision to how players are controlled.
In Madden 19, there were some real issues
with the running game,
especially when running between the tackles
and trying to execute a quick cut
to hit a small opening to run through.
This level of precision allows us to spend less time
worrying about what the runner is doing
and more on thinking two or three moves ahead,
observing the flow of the offensive
and defensive line interaction
or the pursuit of the secondary.
That said, there are still some animation
and clipping issues that occasionally pop up.
The bigger quirk is that while defense line improvements
shine often in Madden 20,
the secondary play offers some real head-scratching moments.
During zone defense, the safety will sometimes play
too far back, not follow his assignment,
or simply act like he didn't understand the play
that was called.
This kind of thing is all too common
and forces you to play man defense
or a zone call that isn't necessarily correct
for the offensive situation.
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Another major change addresses a problem
Madden has struggled with for years,
creating consistent defensive line pressure
in a way that feels organic.
Finally, Madden 20 delivers a new trait system
that forces you to not only scan
the defensive scheme during presnap,
but also to keep one eye on the defensive linemen,
especially those who may have completed objectives
to unlock an X-Factor ability.
Why is that important?
Well, because these superstar players
can have an immediate impact not only on the particular play
but the entire game, precisely as they should.
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If you see a guy like Khalil Mack, Von Miller,
or Aaron Donald with an X underneath him,
you need to adjust your plans
to account for the threat they pose.
And, controlling an X-Factor player
is a glimpse into what it feels like
to be a dominant force in an NFL game.
And yet, they don't feel overpowered.
Thus far, they've had a positive impact on the field.
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Madden Ultimate Team is as popular as ever,
and Madden NFL 20 offers some significant changes this year.
Gone are solo challenges.
They've been replaced with ultimate challenges,
which come with the ability to play
at one-, two-, or three-star difficulties.
You guessed it: the higher the star number,
the more difficult the challenge
and the greater the reward.
There's also a new objective type called missions
which guide you toward the best items.
Both of these provide lots of in-game currency as a reward,
which helps to take a little bit of the sting
out of Ultimate Team's infamous microtransactions.
Those are still bad though,
and Ultimate Team will always be a bit of a grind.
For fans of the single-player Story Mode,
Madden 19's Devin and Colt are out,
and QB1: Face of the Franchise is in.
Madden 20's new Career Mode puts you in the role
of a high school star whose plans didn't play out
exactly as he had hoped.
The best part is that we finally get the chance
to play in the NCAA College Football Playoffs again,
even if it's just for eight quarters.
It also takes you through the NFL Combine,
and the opportunity to prove yourself worthy
of any one of the NFL's 32 franchises.
One group of fans that will probably be disappointed
is the Franchise Mode crowd.
Those of us who love taking a favorite team
through the gauntlet of a full season,
draft, and offseason, trying to make it to the top
have only minor changes to look forward to.
Players are more aggressive about their salary negotiations
and they'll make requests that will affect the morale
one way or another, and those are nice,
but not enough to make this year's version feel essential.
That doesn't mean Franchise is bad in Madden 20,
but it has grown somewhat stale.
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In addition to the usual incremental graphics upgrade
and respectable new story campaign,
Madden NFL 20 meaningfully improves on a lot of the issues
that have plagued previous iterations.
The running game is noticeably smoother,
and X-Factor traits make superstar players
actually feel like a force to be reckoned with
on the field.
While there are still problems
that linger with animations and AI,
it's safe to say that EA Tiburon is making large strides
in the right direction.
For more on Madden NFL 20, check out 20 minutes of gameplay,
and for everything else, stick with IGN.
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