Madden NFL 18

This years iteration of Madden NFL is the best in years. Our review.

"Madden NFL 18" is a football video game that uses the Frostbite engine for enhanced visuals, including detailed stadium exteriors and cityscapes. The game offers a photo-realistic experience, bringing the excitement of NFL gameday to life in the most visually striking Madden game to date. The game provides a significant visual leap, delivering a more immersive and authentic football experience for players.

Genres & Tags

Sport

Play Modes

Reviews

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 120 reviews

gameplay18 positive mentions

stability9 negative mentions

The graphics and gameplay have seen significant improvements, making it one of the best Madden games in years.
The addition of Longshot mode provides a fresh narrative experience, and Madden Ultimate Team has been enhanced with new features.
Gameplay mechanics are more polished, with better player responsiveness and smarter AI, leading to a more enjoyable experience.

Franchise mode has not received meaningful updates, leaving it feeling stale compared to other game modes.
Longshot mode, while ambitious, is criticized for being too short and not allowing continuation into a career mode.
The game suffers from various glitches and bugs that can disrupt gameplay, detracting from the overall experience.

gameplay
38 mentions
47 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The gameplay in the latest installment has received mixed reviews, with some praising the improved mechanics and graphics, while others criticize it for feeling too similar to previous versions. The introduction of new modes like Longshot and enhancements in passing mechanics are noted as positives, but many players feel that core gameplay issues, such as AI behavior and balance, detract from the overall experience. Overall, while there are enjoyable elements, the game is often seen as a roster update rather than a significant evolution in gameplay.
- “The graphics and gameplay are even more polished than before.”
- “Amazing gameplay.”
- “Madden 18 is a very solid product, featuring the best passing mechanics I’ve ever seen in a football game.”
- “I actually bought the disc and played it and I am extremely disappointed. I don't care about anything but gameplay and it's the same as last year, no different at all. Even the commentary sounds the same. If you have 17 and care most about the actual gameplay, just save your money and keep playing that and update your rosters!”
- “Gameplay is awful!”
- “Cons: back to Madden 16 gameplay.”
graphics
29 mentions
52 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The graphics in the latest Madden game have received widespread praise for their crispness and realism, with significant improvements noted in player models, stadiums, and overall visual fidelity. While many reviewers acknowledge that the core gameplay remains similar to previous iterations, the enhanced graphics and polished gameplay contribute to a more immersive experience. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, elevating the game's presentation despite some critiques about the lack of substantial new content.
- “The graphics for the players on the field are very nice and the stadiums look great; coaches look good too.”
- “The graphics and gameplay are even more polished than before.”
- “Gorgeous graphics.”
- “But it's the same game as last year with better graphics and very small differences in franchise mode.”
- “EA has to do a better job with the graphics and mechanics though; basically the same game but updated rosters.”
- “[Positive additions are few and far between, longshot story mode falls flat, graphics look decidedly last-generation.]”
story
24 mentions
25 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The "story" aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the Longshot mode for its improved graphics and engaging cutscenes, while others criticize it for being too short and lacking meaningful gameplay involvement. Many players find the story mode to be a hit or miss experience, with some enjoying its fresh approach and others deeming it a waste of time. Overall, while there are notable improvements, the story mode's execution appears inconsistent, leaving players divided on its value.
- “Longshot is a promising start to story mode for Madden, and with polish could become even more special.”
- “A lot of improvements this year but mostly to Madden Ultimate Team, but the much improved graphics for players and stadiums plus the Longshot story mode was much better than I expected and was entertaining, and two of the characters can be played in franchise mode.”
- “Full Telltale-style story mode with touching and personal moments, Frostbite engine makes faces, stadiums, and lighting look better than ever.”
- “The Longshot story is very boring and more like a movie that you have very little involvement in.”
- “The story mode is a waste of time.”
- “Inconsistent tone in the Longshot story; franchise mode hasn't been updated much.”
stability
9 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users expressing frustration over persistent bugs and glitches, particularly in franchise mode. While some improvements in physics and gameplay have been noted, the overall experience is marred by significant stability issues that can lead to fatal errors, leaving casual players disappointed.
- “If you're a casual player looking for some great improvement, you will be very disappointed. Just screw this game; it's so buggy it's unacceptable, and these developers can't even get the basics right, like putting players in the positions they actually play.”
- “But it’s essentially the same game it’s been for the last few years, only with more glitches.”
- “There are also several glitches with franchise mode.”
emotional
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its full Telltale-style story mode, which features touching and personal moments, enhancing player engagement. While some users feel the core gameplay remains repetitive, improvements in graphics and commentary contribute to a more immersive experience. Overall, the combination of narrative depth and enhanced visuals creates a more emotionally resonant atmosphere.
- “The full Telltale-style story mode features touching and personal moments that truly resonate with players.”
- “The Frostbite engine enhances the emotional experience by making faces, stadiums, and lighting look better than ever.”
- “The commentary has been significantly improved, adding depth and reflecting in-game events, which enhances the overall emotional engagement.”
music
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been consistently criticized, with users describing the soundtrack as terrible.
- “The soundtrack is terrible as always.”
- “The music lacks variety and gets repetitive quickly.”
- “The audio quality is subpar, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
replayability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is currently rated low, with users expressing hope for future patches to improve the overall experience and make it more engaging.
- “The lack of meaningful choices makes replaying the game feel pointless.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and experience it again.”
- “The game offers no new content or variations in gameplay on subsequent playthroughs.”
monetization
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-500 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy heavily relies on microtransactions, particularly in the fantasy team mode, which some users feel overshadows the gameplay experience. While tutorials provide extensive information, they often fail to ensure that players fully grasp the concepts before moving on.
- “Microtransactions enhance the fantasy team mode experience, providing players with various options to customize their teams.”
- “The tutorials offer a wealth of information, ensuring that players are well-informed about the monetization aspects of the game.”
- “While there are microtransactions, they don't feel overly intrusive and allow for a balanced gameplay experience.”
- “Microtransactions drive the major fantasy team mode, making it feel more like a cash grab than a fair competition.”
- “The tutorials introduce a lot of information, but they never stop to ensure that players fully understand it before pushing them towards monetization.”
- “It feels like the game is designed to encourage spending rather than rewarding skill or strategy.”
humor
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its amusing glitches, particularly a memorable fatal error that transforms the experience into a comically chaotic interactive movie. This blend of unexpected mishaps adds a unique and entertaining layer to the football gameplay.
- “Some of those glitches can cause fatal errors, and there is no more hilarious fatal error than the hacky longshot interactive movie/football experience that I can imagine ever being in a football game.”