Madden 20 Review: 5 Ups & 4 Downs

2. Tackling Still Feels Like Luck Rather Than Skill

The same jerky animations on the defensive side of the ball make stopping drives harder than it should be, especially on higher difficulties. Players still occasionally clip through one another, and tackling is more luck than skill when the heat of a key third down stop is on.

This is mildly irritating more than it is game-breaking.

It does need addressed however, and fast. This is hopefully something EA will patch sooner rather than later, because lunging in for a takedown doesn't feel satisfying enough. It's almost like nose tackles are on ice skates at times, such is the haphazard way they stumble over the grass when snaps are made.

Ideally, tackles would come with the same meaty crunch and simplicity hits do in EA's NHL franchise. There, it's gratifying to knock attackers down or smash them against the boards. Madden has that authentic register of human bone smacking human bone when tackles work (sacking the QB never gets old). Sadly, they're a bit fiddly to pull off successfully.