Madden NFL 11

Madden NFL 11 is the latest installment in the “Madden” franchise. Many people feared that with so many new additions and tweaks to the game play, “Madden” was straying from its roots and becoming too complicated. Well, this year things have changed. First, the franchise mode is back and better than ever. You can do all the same things as in years past, such as draft and sign prospects and hire coaches, but now the process is much simpler, and, in my opinion, more fun. There also is an option which would allow the CPU to do all of these tasks… the only thing you need to worry about is playing the game!

Next, there are many improvements to the actual playing of a game, whether it be in franchise mode, play now, or an online tournament. A major improvement is the new “game flow option.” The computer picks all the plays for you and this cuts down the length of the games immensely. However, you can still play the “old fashioned way” and choose your own plays.

The graphics are greatly improved and by removing the sprint button, you can focus more on making cuts and jukes. Also, when running the ball, the ball-carrier is much more precise in his movements and the receivers can now make fantastic catches along the sidelines.

But despite these improvements, there are still a few things that can plague game play, number one being that cornerbacks STILL drop easily intercepted balls! Why this problem has not been corrected beats me, because it has existed in the game for as long as I can remember.

While the online games are fun and the online franchise modes are great, each could stand a “tweaking” to avoid the same feeling as single player. Overall, Madden NFL 11 is a good game. Huge strides have been made toward making it great, but it is not quite there yet!