GameSpy
Review
of Madden NFL 10
Madden NFL 10 is the most realistic Madden in history, and a giant leap in the right direction for those who want the game to edge closer to a realistic NFL experience. It starts with Pro-Tak, the impressive new technology that combines the best aspects of motion captured and procedurally generated animation. Pro-Tak brings all sorts of tasty new features to the game, like gang tackles (with up to 9 players!), dynamic fumble pile-ups, and an offensive line that forms a realistic pocket around their QB on pass plays.
A Focus on Core Gameplay
The greatest possible way to improve on Madden is to make the game look, feel, and play more like the real NFL. Madden 10 looks more like football, thanks to the gorgeous stadiums, the newly-introduced sideline activity, and the dramatic addition of the chain gang when a measurement is required. Visually, this is the best looking Madden game yet. Sure, your QB may strike a rather effeminate pose during his post-game interview, but at least the game makes a serious effort at recreating an authentic NFL presentation, and for the most part it works.
Madden 10 feels more like football as well, which you'll notice when your running back drags a defender for a yard, getting slowed down in the process, then slips free, picks up speed, and breaks for daylight. You also have to love how the series finally has a Super Bowl game that actually feels different from every other game of the year.
Madden 10 plays more like football, running the play action more believably, intelligently balancing multiple backs in committee situations, and just doing a better job overall of mimicking the real game. Just be sure to find a group of players that don't rely on cheap money plays and instant sacks off the line, because these "nano blitzes" are still in the game.
There are some issues, though, particularly with the passing game. Targeting a receiver in the middle of the field, for instance, works a lot better than taking shots at the sidelines. Receivers aren't very good at staying on the field, running out of bounds more often than not. And while the new pocket mechanics mimic the real game of football far more than in years past, it's now much more difficult to establish a strong passing game. I've been playing Madden for a long time, and I've never taken this many sacks or had this many balls deflected in a game.
Customizability is one of Madden NFL 10's strengths. You can create your own athletes, edit every player's stats, and adjust nearly every aspect of the game with sliders, including run speed, penalty frequency, and a great game speed slider that lets you easily speed things up or slow it down to a more leisurely pace.
The Magic of the Internets
Online play has helped define the greatest gaming experiences of this generation, and Madden NFL 10 embraces the online revolution wholeheartedly. Are you ready for online co-op play to go with your head-to-head games? I sure am. The idea of playing with a friend instead of against one has been in there since John Madden '92 in the Sega Genesis days (remember the four-player adapter?), but online co-op makes it so much easier to get a game together with a friend.
Developer Tiburon's latest bloody sacrifice to the goat-headed Gods of the Internet comes in the form of the new online franchise mode. Now you can geek out over stats with your friends in a long-term NFL team management experience built around an NFL season structure, a drastic change from the previous online tournaments. You'll take part in yearly drafts, watch your players progress, regress, and retire, and even manage all that through an online site built specifically for this aspect of the game. This crossover between the game and the web allows for you to still take part in your franchise when you're off the couch. This could mean many lost hours of productivity, so employers beware if you happen to employ football fans.
Fumble!
As good as these new features are, Madden NFL 10 manages to also cough up the ball in more than one way. On the audio front, the game suffers in numerous ways. When selecting the "Madden's Pick" play calling option, the audio track for Madden's description of the play will often overlap with Collinsworth's color commentary track, resulting in a garbled inaudible mess.
Apologies to the NFL Network's Alex Flanagan, but her voice work in Madden is a stilted, awfully delivered mess. Her laugh-inducing robotic delivery makes the Extra Point half time and post-game presentations come across as hastily slapped together and completely unworthy of your attention.
Hammond and Collinsworth don't fare much better during the game. A lot of their lines are recycled repeatedly, and even come across as implausible. In my franchise mode I fantasy drafted DeAngelo Williams to my home team, the Miami Dolphins, and I was running the Wildcat offense. Every time I'd throw a lousy pass, Collinsworth would express great surprise, remarking on Williams' prolific skills as a passer. Then there were the times that he'd comment on how speedster Chris "4.24" Johnson was the kind of runner who craves contact, wanting to lower his shoulder and bowl over defenders. You can't help but laugh.
You might also balk at how Madden NFL 10 allows players to nickel and dime themselves for minute bonuses. You can, for instance, spend real life money on the ability to maximize progression for a franchise roster. Or you can drop some real world currency on a ten percent bonus to your team's stats for one play. I can't think of a situation where such a thing would be worth paying for, and paying for what amounts to cheat codes just rubs me the wrong way.
Many football fans will miss John Madden's analysis and distinctive personality during the season, but his legacy lives on (and likely will forever) in the Madden NFL series. While this latest effort has its share of missteps, it's still the best Madden in recent memory. Gameplay is king, and Madden NFL 10 is plain and simple a hell of a lot of fun to play. This is a must-have for football fans.
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