Madden NFL 23 has been praised for gameplay improvements and a step in the right direction for presentation, but criticised for not going far enough to fix the franchises long running issues. Bugs also severely hamper the experience.
Critics have been praising the added gameplay tweaks to the 2022 edition of the long running Madden franchise. They have pointed out that the small additions to the gameplay, such as improved passing and the new FieldSense system, are welcome, creating smoother and more refined gameplay. Some critics have disagreed with this however, calling these tweaks minor. There have been mixed comments about the different game modes, Franchise mode has been well regarded, whilst Face of the Franchise has received more mixed response, stating it feels directionless.
Presentation is said to be a step up from previous iterations with added animations being a standout, however, menus have been picked out as lacking refinement and having bugs, with longer load times than necessary. It has been noted that the graphics haven’t made as big a jump in quality as some of the other features have though. Some critics have pointed to the soundtrack as being good, but there are noted issues with commentary not matching on screen activities.
Multiplayer is playable in a number of game modes, however critics have pointed to the lack of cross play with previous generations and other systems, but hope that can be included in the future. Microtransactions in the MUT mode have also been criticised as being more like gambling, however, it has been noted that with patience, the same goal can be achieved without them.