Madden 13 Review [XBox 360]
Much improved on last year in both gameplay and options. Still flawed as it arguably tries to do too much, but a solid effort.
rating:4
When I reviewed Madden 12 last year I said that I would no doubt be playing the game until this latest instalment, giving it what I thought at the time was a highly deserved 4 stars. I was wrong. Last year's version, whilst decent, had a severely flawed passing game, to the point that cornerbacks and linebackers were almost super-human as they made use of their performing enhancing bugs, it made the game too frustrating to play as no matter how perfectly you knew you'd thrown the spiral, it felt like the game was simply cheating. As you might expect, I paid very close attention to this particular aspect when getting stuck into Madden 13, and it is greatly improved. When I threw my 4th interception, I knew it was because I was an idiot, and not because the game felt it necessary to crush any hope I had of improving. The running game also feels very different, thanks entirely to the new infinity engine. The engine that elevated FIFA last year has been added here to provide more realistic collisions as players bounce of poorly executed tackles - however, I think that if any frustrations are to develop the more I play the game I think they will come from this aspect of the game. At times the collisions feel too light, softening the intensity of the game, but the bigger problem is that the engine seems too keen to show itself off, allowing running backs to bounce off a number off tackles from their larger and stronger opponents. Time will tell if this proves to be as damning as the passing flaw in Madden 12, but the running game still has positives. Committing to the run is a slog, only rarely busting through and making big gains, which is a testament to the defensive AI and makes the decision to use a run-first offence one of stubborn nostalgia. Great. Graphically the game has a new dynamic lighting appearance similar to that in the NCAA games. I'm not a fan. The players become lost as they are cloaked in shadow on one side, yet the game looks fantastic as the teams move to the opposite end of the field. It's clear why they did it as it is more vibrant, but vibrancy isn't necessarily always realistic or helpful to the gameplay experience. In a move away from previous EA games, there is no muddled soundtrack: the menu music, which you'll hear a lot of if you get engrossed in the career mode is a fully orchestrated composition suitable for any sporting montage. Commentary couldn't be any worse than last year's effort in terms of content and sound quality, and the new team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms works well in that it simply doesn't annoy. Of course there'll be repeated lines and delayed excitement but it's secondary to the on-field action, which is kind of the point. Even a graphical representation of the two chatting before the game is a nice touch, reminiscent of times playing Cineware's TV Sports Football or even fanboy favourite NFL2K5.
This attempt to make the game experience more life-like is replicated in the career mode with Twitter feeds and news stories streaming through each week. This makes questioning your interception-happy quarterback or discussing a hot new prospect in the upcoming draft - which you can then start scouting, looking at the most specific stats for that player and his position - integral parts of play. The career mode does feel a little more like an RPG though. I personally like my sports games to be grounded more in reality than assigning a fictional experience point to increase a player's toughness by 1 point for example. Player progression is an issue for sports titles and this approach at least tries to give you control in shaping your players future, useful when in superstar mode but maybe not as much as you manage a full a team at least it can be simulated. With EXP in mind you can also practice inside the team's indoor training facility setting up any possible scenario to both earn EXP and design game-plans. Career mode will be the most played aspect of the game, whether in player or coach mode, creating your new character or using an existing legend. With this new connected career mode rewarding you for every decision you make, and the great accompaniment of Madden Moments for those quick pick-up-and-play games, it's probably the most in depth Madden to date. How far you dive in is up to you. There is kinect support available but was not tested for review. 
Madden 13 is available now.