A little better than last year, but probably not enough to buy it if you already own '06.
GAME PLAY
The big feature in Madden 07 is the improved running game, and EA did a fantastic job with it. The controls allow you to switch to a lead blocker that can push open holes for your running back to jump through. It’s a great idea, and for the most part is implemented well. My only complaint is that when you switch to the blocker, the AI takes control of the RB, and he doesn’t always run to the hole that you make for him. The opponent AI is also as cheap as ever. Even playing on the default settings the AI will never let you blow them out, but will never cut you slack if they’re walking all over you.
There’s also some problems with collision detection as sometimes a player will run right in to the ball carrier, but wont tackle him. Other than that, you can expect pretty much the same game mechanics that have been in past Madden games. And that’s a good thing.
GRAPHICS
The visuals in ’07 are just as good as ’06 if not a little better. The crowds react to every play you make. The players are very well animated, and have high rez textures. The outdoor fields will change over the course of the game, and will even get muddy or snow covered the longer a game goes on. The only downside is the players have generic faces, and aren’t based off the real players. But at least the coaches look their real life counterparts.
SOUND
This is another strong area for Madden. The announcer is easily the best I have ever heard in a sports game. He gives great audio queues, and just sounds very life like. The roaring crowds are nice, and they will even become quiet or boo if you give up a big play. The only thing that’s really lacking is music. You’ll hear some forgettable licensed tunes in the menus, but it would have been nice to import a custom sound track, or play music during a game.
VALUE
The biggest complaint about ’06 was that it didn’t include all the modes that were seen in last-gen games. While there are some features still missing in ’07, they aren’t missed all that much. New this year is the Super-star mode. It’s a great concept, but isn’t implemented well as it could have been.
It basically amounts to a career mode, but you can’t pick your position. The only thing you can do is “re-roll” your stats, and hope the position you want comes up. And since most positions are available, this is needlessly frustrating. Once you get into the mode, it’s laid out like a calendar with things like training, press conferences, and games on the schedule. It would have been nice to simulate some of the events since training gets old fast.
Overall, there’s a lot to see and do in Madden ’07, but you’ve probably done it before in previous editions. The achievements are better balanced out this time, and playing online never gets old. If you’ve played Madden before, ’07 is a step up from last year, but don’t expect anything like a killer feature. Madden still maintains it’s high level of quality, but if you own last year’s version you might not find enough new to warrant buying it this year.