Madden NFL 23 Reviews
After playing Madden NFL 23 I finally have a little optimism that the series is on the right path - maybe not an emphatic "Boom!", but clear forward progress for a series that so desperately needs it.
Some fun improvements make this playable – yet Madden still features too much carryover. Not just from last year, but the last decade.
The Madden NFL series has long had a solid gameplay foundation, maintained by small improvements year over year. Madden NFL 23 is the first iteration in a long time that rebuilds that foundation, and that’s where this year's greatest success lies. Some slippery collisions aside, the more physics-based action is a good change, and the control over ball placement from Skill-Based passing is a welcome addition. This comes at the cost of only minor updates to the core gameplay modes, but it was ultimately the right call to make, and Madden is a better game for it.
On the field, Madden 23 is the best the series has been in a long time, but several of the surrounding pieces feel like they're on injured reserve.
Big plays in past Maddens often felt like a lucky (or unlucky) dice roll. If you focus on the 10 yards in front of you, Madden NFL 23 plays almost flawlessly. It’s, again, the bigger picture where the game most often stumbles.
Madden 23 is still Madden, but little more. If you've been wanting an NFL game that offers something wholly new, or one that can match the NBA 2K series for production values, then this isn't the place to find it. However, there's some key incremental improvements happening here which make Madden 23 a tighter, more engaging experience for fans, and one which will happily see you through this year's NFL season.
I believe the problem is that the gameplay, at its core, just isn’t addictive. Can I have fun with Madden? Yes, and I probably will have some solid moments with the game this year, but not enough to make it elite.
At the end of the day, Madden NFL 23 is a poor pro football simulator. It isn't even a fun arcade-style game. It feels somewhat aimless with the development team pulling the game in many different directions at the same time. The changes from Madden NFL 22 are minimal and the PS5/Xbox Series X/S exclusive features still do not address core gameplay problems.
Madden NFL 23 is not the definitive football experience, but it is a substantial step up from the last edition thanks to the new gameplay features implemented by FieldSENSE. The general improvements are noticeable but not so revolutionary, while the graphical imperfections and the problems with the artificial intelligence continue to represent the Achilles heel of the franchise.
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While other years have felt like a fumble, this feels like a solid first down, and we can only hope that they go for a successful Hail Mary the next time around. The spirit of Madden fills this entry in the franchise, and it feels that there is hope that it can reach its roots once more, and become the premier football simulator once more. Are you ready for some football? Because I know that I am.
Madden NFL 23 has refined the matchday experience and improved much of the gameplay to make this year a strong foundation for the future.
From control to innovation, Madden 23 delivered one of its best full game experiences to date. However, a push for creativity has led to stark inconsistencies from year to year, leaving many unsatisfied with modes like Face of the Franchise.
Madden NFL 23 feels a lot like previous entries in the series, although it's a pretty good football game overall.
Building off the momentum of Madden 22; Madden NFL 23 brings fresh looks to both Franchise Mode and Face of the Franchise while keeping the train rolling with The Yard and MUT. While there are still some buggy moments, Madden NFL 23 is worth picking up especially for those who haven't played an installment in the series for a while.
Madden NFL 23 is a step up from Madden NFL 22, which itself was a step up from its predecessor. This continues to show that EA Sports has found a groove for itself when it comes to updating the yearly sports title, and with some new changes to gameplay, Madden NFL 23 feels even more like a brand-new title than it has in perhaps a long time.
EA's latest gridiron sim makes big gains on the field, but barely inches forward off it
The foundation for an excellent entry to the Madden series is here. EA & Tiburon just need to patch up some glaring game breaking bugs. As it stands, Franchise Mode is practically unplayable and for me that is the essential component of Madden. Fans of Face of the Franchise, The Yard and Madden Ultimate Team may find some enjoyment, but it doesn't last long. Under the assumption that the issues get fixed in upcoming patches, Madden NFL 23 has potential to be the best entry in recent memory.
Even with the introduction of the new FieldSENSE technology, and updates to Franchise mode, Madden 23 is a disappointing entry into a franchise that seriously needs to reevaluate everything from the ground up. As a diehard Madden fan since my youth, I desperately wish that EA would straddle down and say enough mediocrity is enough. Sadly, it’s hard to say that day will ever come.
While this year’s Madden will always feel somewhat bittersweet due to John’s passing, I think that it was beyond perfect that the best version of Madden football would be the one that was made to honor the legacy of its namesake. From the factoids that I learned about Coach, to the superb presentation and soundtrack throughout the entire game, to the fantastic on field play; this years Madden as far as I am concerned has finally broken free of the 2K series and has gone all the way!