Great gameplay and Graphics. Poor presentation and sound.
In what is arguably the biggest release of the year (save Halo 3), EA Sports juggernaut franchise Madden hit the shelves running this year with a stellar effort. While it still isn't the perfect sports experience, it finally feels worthy of being called a "next-gen" game. EA Sports is obviously concerned with delivering the most comprehensive and accurate sports simulation on the market and thanks to their continuing monopoly with the NFL license they have succeeded in bring us the best (and only) pro football experience this year. Why do I bring this up? Because I cant help but wonder what a rival company like 2K Sports would have delivered if given the chance to make an NFL game year after year. It took 3 years to get Madden back up to its fine-tuned form. There really is no place left to go in the gameplay and features department now. EA has made a game that feels just right in terms of control and options.
Gameplay: (9.5) Easily the most important aspect of any game is how well it plays and this year's Madden hits the nail on the head. The passing game is challenging and fun. Big name receivers make some impressive catches that others will not. There are a ton of pre-snap options on both sides of the ball. From audibles, coverage audibles, double-teaming, hotroutes, and previewing miss-matches (which is huge) it really gives you a sense of the possibilities your team can exercise before a play even starts. Then once the ball is in the hands of the quarterback the game takes even more impressive leaps by giving players more options. Receivers can now make aggressive or possession style catches. The new hitstick allows defenders to hit ball carriers high or low. The biggest addition this year is definitely the Weapons feature which lets you see the best players on your team and what they are capable of. Learning how to execute these unique abilities takes time (there are so many of them) but it gives Madden 08 an added dimension or realism and spectacle.
Graphics: (9.0) The graphics are on par, if not slightly improved over last year - which is to say they are amazing. The in game animations are incredible and much more plentiful this year. From bone crushing hits, new gang tackles and show stopping catches there is enough variety to make each play feel unique. The stadiums are once again very accurate. There are a few eyesores that pop up from time to time. A few small lighting issues in close-up scenes and some choppy transitions from cut scene to cut scene show that this game still has a little more polishing to do. The sideline could be a bit more lively and the game itself could use more variety in terms of between play camera angles (which leads me into the next section Presentation).
Presentation: (6.5) This category applies to sports games because it really boils down to the complete sports experience. EA Sports secured the rights to the NFL and ESPN, but have done very little to make the game feel like a televised broadcast. Its hard not to compare Madden with 2K5 because that game which was last gen 3 years ago upped the bar for commentary, pregame, postgame and game analysis. A wider variety of camera angles and some more polish is needed to give Madden players everything we know this game could be. I hope EA wakes up and puts more into the presentation of Madden 09 because this is one area where the franchise has sadly lacked. The addition of Marshal Falk's pregame "analysis" is a great idea that really doesn't achieve the depth and variety that it should. A postgame highlight strip is great, but it could have been better with a little commentary and editing.
Sound: (6.0) What can I say that hasn't already been said the last 2 years. Get rid of the boring and lame radio announcer. With the exact same "commentary" as 06 and 07 it has gotten to a point where its better to turn the announcer off completely because we've heard it all before. Why EA hasn't flexed its ESPN muscle to secure a dynamic commentary team is beyond me. Bring back John Madden and Al Michaels or some other duo that will breathe some new life into this stale sounding game. The sound effects are very good. Big hits are thundering and QB play calling audibles are a nice touch. The fans are fairly reactive to the situation on the field. The soundtrack is your typical football fare. Overall I really enjoyed playing Madden 08. It is by far the best football game on the market and is a definitely an improvement over last year. There are some issues with too many turnovers which can be frustrating, but all in all the game has perfected the gameplay experience. Just as I said in last year's review, EA Sports has to concentrate on the presentation and sound to push their Madden series over the goal line. Final rating: (8.6/10)