Can Madden 25 Build on the Success of Madden 13?

If you are a fan of football games and have been looking for Madden to do something different since taking on the exclusive license in 2006, then Madden 13 was the game you had been waiting for. Madden 13 dared to be significantly different and changed multiple things to bring you closer to the game with such introductions as the Infinity Engine, presentation additions and better defensive AI which played more like the real thing. The question sports gamers are now debating is if the silver anniversary edition of the game, Madden 25, can continue to build on the success of the popular NFL themed franchise.

If you haven’t read it already, be sure to check out Ryan Bloom’s post about Madden 25 Hitting Shelves in August.

Even with advancements in the last iteration, there is still plenty of room for improvement in order to keep fans happy with the direction of the long running football monopoly. With Madden 25 being crowned as the silver anniversary edition in recognition of the longevity of the franchise, EA and Tiburon need to ensure that last year was no fluke; we here at Gaming Illustrated have a few ideas on how that needs to look.

Madden 13 brought its biggest edition on the field with the Infinity Engine, replicating a unique style of fluidity to the game that hadn’t been seen since Backbreaker introduced the feature where no two hits were alike. While it was a very welcomed edition to the game, it was largely imperfect when it came to both live and non-game action. Players continually tripped over one another, bent strangely, and in some cases looked very unnatural. Talking with Madden Gamers Commish T and Kstarr, hosts of The Madden Voice and being featured as a Major League Pro Gamer and Madden Tournament member on ESPN respectively, they were in total agreement with the same changes. “The infinity engine is great. However, it still needs tweaks,” said both KStarr and Commish T. “Sometimes if the QB is even tapped by a lineman at all he goes flying backwards or to the side, or even falls over.” These are both fixable changes within Madden 25, with another year of the game under the Infinity Engine’s belt.

The second major change needed in Madden 25 should come with the game modes and allowing players to play within a traditional Franchise mode if they so choose. While Connected Careers is great to play with friends, for those that don’t have a desire to play online, the traditional franchise mode was a much better fit. Some people love the ability to play online but others just enjoy their football games for the experience that they get within their own home. For those looking for that personal experience, Connected Careers feels a bit clunky and forced. EA should keep Connected Careers around, but bring back the franchise mode that kept people hanging around for years as another option with a few extra bells and whistles.

Lastly, the focus should be on the field this year and not off. While Madden 13 did a nice job making the game feel more like the action on Sunday was really happening on a console, there were still many holes in the gameplay even with the changes that had been made. Slant routes have never worked right, press coverage is still broken, running the ball is hit and miss with Infinity, and there are other details among those Madden 13 missteps that can be improved upon. Let’s face it, the “game” of football is why we play, while seeing announcers in the booth is more eye-candy; we play the game because we love football.

Speaking as a football fan and video game enthusiast, Madden 13 was the game that I had been most eagerly awaiting since NFL 2K5. Madden 25 must continue this recipe to sustain the 1.6 million units sold that its predecessor enjoyed. If the team at Tiburon can bring their A-game and continue to show that the NFL license isn’t going to waste, there is little doubt that success will happen. Will Madden 25 be the greatest show on virtual turf? Certainly sports gamers hope that in this, its Silver Anniversary year, the popular NFL franchise can take a big leap forward.