Looking for the next big thing in virtual football?
User Rating: 8.5 | Madden NFL 08 X360
So here we are with the annual Madden game entry. It should come to no surprise to most that this years version offers more polish than the first 2 entries to the Xbox360, however those who are expecting this years offering to offer some sort of unprecedented new gameplay mechanic will be sorely dissapointed. I will tell you up front that I have grown fonder of the NCAA football series in recent years than Madden as the gameplay seems faster and for the most part a tad more fun. So what's new? Well the Owner mode has finally reached the next-gen platform and it provides a bit more replay value for those of you interested in fine tuning the ins and outs of your franchise. My biggest complaint here is that the menu interface seems a bit clunky and navigating through the different screens can be tedious and boring. The game does run very smoothly on the 360 and I have not noticed any significant lag playing online. The graphics are not far different than last years, but the tackling animations have improved and the game moves at a fluid rate. The sound? Well the generic play by play from the announcer is still present from last year. It's ok, but it lacks the authenticity of a real commentary booth. I never thought I would say this, but I sorely miss the madden and sumerall commentary of yesteryear. The achievements are all in game, which is a departure from last years achievements which require you to do certain things in franchise mode in order to unlock them. There are some pretty tough ones here, but if you are a serious madden player, you should have no real problems getting them all. For the most part, this game is a step up from last years version. If you are like me and enjoy Madden, this year will not dissapoint. Just remember, this game is more of the same of last years with only a few improvements. Thats not such a bad thing, it just won't knock your socks off. Maybe next year.... 
