EA Sports is the studio behind the ever-popular Madden franchise. The NFL has granted EA Sports exclusive rights to their name, and as a result, there is a Madden video game that comes about every year. For the most part, EA Sports has done a good job of churning out what is essentially the same game for years, adding and taking away features here and there to try and keep things fresh. The latest entry into the series however, Madden 13, seems as if EA Sports set out to revitalize the series but quit right before getting into the end-zone.
For starters, the new user interface in Madden 13 is a train-wreck. It takes much too long to find things that are nestled away in menus within menus. People should not have to take to the internet for advice on finding things in the menu! Most of the gaming modes have either been given new names or have been greatly revised, but mostly not for the better. The 'Franchise Mode' is now called 'Connected Careers' which has the player choose between being a coach or taking over a single playing position. It's really not much of a choice though because if you choose to play a single position, that's all you'll be doing and the rest of the game will be simulated when your player is not on the field. The online, multi-player aspect of the game remains intact however so Madden fans will have at least some familiarity with the game.
The biggest change in this installment of Madden is the physics engine that runs the in-game action. This change was supposed to be what set Madden 13 apart from all the other games in the series by making it the most realistic when it comes to the interactions between players and the football itself. But the new physics engine falls short of accomplishing this due to the amount of flaws that it creates within the gameplay. The momentum that your player has while running with the football is never consistent when a collision occurs. Sometimes you'll find yourself tripping and falling over the slightest contact with a team-mate. Or that same contact might send you flying on the next play.
The new physics engine in Madden 13 comes at a price. Much of the tight controls and weighty gameplay is lost in this new installment.
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