Madden does it again. The keyword being again.
Superstar mode is more realistic this time around, as you only have control over your created player. Unfortunately, it is too realistic to be fun. In-game, you have absolutely zero control over the play call, unless your player is either a quarterback or is not on the field, and even then you have to choose between the computer coach's usually terrible play call and one of the few audibles you choose before the game. As an example of how bad the computer is at calling plays, the computer often calls plays which have my QB run the ball. You may ask yourself, "what's wrong with the QB scrambling?" Well, if you have to run the ball with Brian Griese (about 50 speed) you will know how bad of a call that is. The computer's poor choices do not stop there either, it is totally normal for the computer to call a Play Action pass, which commonly results in a big sack, then follow that call with the exact same play. Did the computer really think that a play action pass, at my own 10, right after another failed PA pass was the way to convert on 3rd and 19? Alas, the bad play calls are not the only problem with playing a game as a superstar. One more than one occasion, the computer has messed up on calling challenges. Once, I audibled to a run play, and got about 15 yards, more than enough for the first. My brilliant computer challenged the spot of the ball, which resulted in the wasting of one of my timeouts. It works the other way, too, though. Once the other team caught the ball near the sideline, put both of his feet clearly out of bounds, and gained a crucial first down. My computer coach neglected to challenge this, even though it was obviously not a catch, leading eventually to a touchdown for the other team and a headache for me. While I'm on the subject, why does a video game need replay challenges anyway? They were put into real life football in order to eliminate human error, and to make the game more realistic, Madden added computer ref error, then added more computer ref error for when the refs even blow the challenge. I suggest just letting the computer refs make the right call every time. Unlike real life, the computer does not have to make mistakes.
Madden 07 is realistic in these ways which I have just listed, but too much so. When a real life coach sends his team out on the field with a terrible call, that is bad for them. With the new, "improved" superstar mode, now it is bad for you, too! Sometimes, too much realism really stinks.
Don't start thinking that the game is consistent, either, since in other ways, the game is unrealistic. The main thing which is too ridiculous to believe is the new highlight stick feature. I completely understand that defenders will not make every tackle, but I also (unlike the developers, apparently) understand that Brian Urlacher will not miss a tackle against a 3rd string, bush league running back. Luckily for these poor excuses for running backs, they have the highlight stick which allows tiny little them to brush off Brian Urlacher or Ray Lewis like they were nothing. The stick is a pretty good idea, for good running backs like LaDainian Tomlinson to separate themselves from the pack, but it should not make awful backups as good as any Pro Bowl back. For that matter, when did it become OK for tiny kick returners to break two tackles on every return? I'm not saying they shimmy away before the tackler gets there, but they just straight up plow over every defender twice their size as if the tacklers were baby kittens.
Some features about the game did stick out to me as being good, however. For example, the ability to work your Superstar out before the draft is great, as it allows you to customize them a bit. You can run 40 yard dashes to get faster or hit the trenches to get stronger, depending on your gameplay style. This customization means that you are not totally stuck with the random attributes you inherit from your random parents, as you were in ’06. Also, the “role” feature which is present in both the franchise mode and in Superstar mode is nice, as it helps your team a bit when certain players are in certain situations. In addition to this, some of the little things which eventually ground on people’s nerves from last year seem to have gone away, such as QBs who appear to fumble the ball from all replay angles, but still have it ruled an incomplete pass as well as other minor details. While I would not recommend buying the game just to see those quirks worked out, they are appreciated.
Basically, Madden has taken a generally fundamentally sound football game and made some parts overly realistic while making other aspects similar to a fantasy game in order to maximize the frustration that the player experiences. Other than that, though, the biggest problem with the game is a certain fat, stupid commentator.