Madden NFL 23 Review: 3 Ups & 7 Downs

2. The New Passing Game

Here's the biggest compliment one can give Madden 23's new passing system: Try it and you'll have a hard time reverting to Madden 22's old style. The new power bar isn't the game-changer here. No, that aiming reticule and the fact you can actually throw balls over the shoulders of receivers as they switch directions on a route is.

This skill-based system genuinely gives you more control over the success rate of throws. A QBs base throwing stats aren't the only thing you have to think about anymore - Tom Brady, for example, can still f*ck things up if your aim is all over the place. Ball placement and paying attention to receiver routes is critical.

Prepare for greater insight into how top-tier quarterbacks read the field than ever before. EA's new passing game is a joy once you figure it out. Perhaps the only gripe here is that they could fix ball trajectory - everything feels just a bit too low. Hail Mary's are fine, at least.

This is a step forward for the series.