Nukezilla Review: Madden NFL 13 (Xbox 360)

A new football season is just around the corner, so of course that means it’s time for another yearly release of Madden NFL. EA Sports has made some pretty big promises for this year’s game, including an all-new physics system. So did Madden finally do enough in the off-season for a championship run, or is it in trouble of not even making the playoffs?

This years edition to the yearly franchise marks one of the biggest list of changes for any Madden game. Past years have seen maybe a slight enhancement in graphics or a specific focus on one aspect of the game like blocking or running, but this year there are some impressive changes.

The much-touted Infinity Engine, which allows for real time physics really makes an impact to the game on the field. Instead of canned tackle/catch/jump animations of the previous games now player impacts are more realistic and fluid. It really does make a difference when using blockers or when a back takes a slight hit to throw off his balance.

Total Pass control steps up the passing game a bit by adding receiver awareness so that wide out looking downfield won’t magically catch a 30 yard pass over his shoulder without looking. This is helped by the addition of new ball trajectories so a QB can now lob  pass over the line backer when need be.

360 owners with Kinect can use pre-snap voice commands like calling an audible and hiking the ball. It’s more gimmicky than functional since it doesn’t work all the time, meaning you can burn down precious seconds fighting to make it recognize your voice.

Along with the great on-field improvements, EA Sports has added some worthy additions. Connected Careers lets you join a league of up to 32 players online to either create a player, coach, or even take on an existing player or coaching legend like Jerry Rice or even John Madden. The feature can even be played offline for those without friends or a net connection.

There are some issues with the game however. The Infinity Engine can show off some oddities that’ll have you laughing at the funny mistakes.

Madden NFL 13 is the strongest outing from this long time franchise in quite a while. With the addition of the Infinity Engine, the on the field game feels like a completely fresh football experience that fans have deserved for years. If you’ve felt a bit cheated with the yearly installments of Madden NFL feeling like just another roster update then have no fear, because Madden NFL 13 is truly the new game you’ve been waiting for.