Madden NFL 26 Reviews
Madden NFL 26 finally feels ambitious with authentic presentation, weather realism, and the deepest Franchise overhaul since Madden 17, though Training Camp minigames, Superstar's lack of depth, and Ultimate Team's monetization hold it back from perfection.
When EA unveiled Madden NFL 26 earlier this year, expectations were cautious, but the promised improvements have all materialized. The game surpasses Madden 25 both on and off the field, with major leaps in presentation, gameplay, and an excellent new Franchise mode. While Superstar and MUT still need work, [TITLE] stands as a significant step forward - arguably the best Madden since Madden 17.
Review in Italian | Read full review
EA SPORTS Madden NFL 26 manages to be a solid entry in the football franchise, featuring excellent mechanics and dynamic gameplay. The game modes are ideal for those who are passionate about the sport and its tactics, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to play a full season in a simpler and more direct way. Furthermore, the content depth is lost without the inclusion of our language—which is a shame, as there are many fans of the sport here in Brazil.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
There’s always room for improvement, but it’s hard to overstate what a leap Madden NFL 26 feels like both on and off the field.
Indeed, there's so much to enjoy in the base game that splashing cash just feels unnecessary, and a little grotesque. You won't play Superstar mode for as long as franchise, but fleshing out the folks in your 'Sphere of Influence' – from your agent, to tattoo artists – adds a neat off-field wrinkle, where every decision has a degree of consequence.
Madden NFL 26 finally pairs the series' great on-field gameplay with a destination mode thanks to an impressive Franchise makeover.
Madden NFL 26 drops with major Franchise Mode overhaul, but is it a game-changer?
Server issues at launch aside, and with the loss of cross-play noted, Madden 26 is a very solid port of one of the best outings for this franchise in recent memory. Yes, you'll need to get used to a drop in the frame rate to 40fps on Switch 2, but it's a reasonable downgrade in order to get this type of game running as well as it does on a portable machine. It really is a very close match in all other ways to other consoles.For newcomers, this is one of the best Madden games I've played in terms of teaching you the ropes, and for the returning hardcore, the improvements on the pitch, and with regards to presentation, should impress where its predecessor felt a bit lacking.
Once again, Madden NFL 26 overpromises and underdelivers. The new updates to Franchise mode and the general gameplay are nice, but let's be honest: the core issues are still there.
Madden NFL 26 isn’t the game I’ve been dreaming of, but it’s a meaningful improvement over recent games and actually addresses some of the issues I’ve had with the series for years. I’ll actually come back to this one throughout the NFL season to screw around with rebuilds in Franchise mode, and the Switch 2 version will remain installed for the novelty of playing on the go.
Unfortunately, persistent bugs, inconsistent commentary, glitchy menus, and occasional game logic flaws keep it from reaching true greatness.
Madden NFL 26 from developer EA Tiburon is on the right track thanks to some nearly perfect controls that make for a more immersive experience. On the mode side, there is still some work that needs to be done to improve some aspects of Superstar, as well as balancing out MUT a bit more.
EA Sports Madden NFL 26 is the most complete, authentic and rewarding entry the series has seen in years.
EA hasn't reinvented the wheel, but their latest NFL outing still managed to impress me. Every mode, except Ultimate Team, has been enhanced with more engaging systems and streamlined features. The presentation feels livelier and more dynamic, with a welcome dose of college football DNA. Unfortunately, sluggish load times and a few poor interface choices continue to plague the yearly series.
EA Sports Madden NFL 26 marks one of the franchise's biggest leaps in years, especially in Franchise Mode, which finally gets meaningful depth and realism. On-field gameplay feels smoother and more fluid, with better animations, more responsive passing, and smarter AI. Overall this instalment breathes new life into the series, especially for Franchise fans, delivering smarter design choices, improved gameplay flow, and a more immersive presentation that make it the most exciting entry in over a decade.
Madden 26 may literally be the best Madden game ever, and a must purchase for fans of the pro game. I haven't loved a Madden game this much since Sega Genesis. EA Sports rightly plucked from the best aspects of College Football 25 and 26, and created a world class professional gridiron offering. Don't skip this one.
Surprisingly, Madden NFL 26 finally delivers (albeit partially) on its promises of truly delivering significant improvements over its predecessors, whether in terms of more dynamic gameplay; a visual presentation that better explores what's already established; and the dynamics within its main modes. Despite some technical issues and controversial concepts, it's the best the franchise has offered in a long time.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
But the gameplay, easily the most important part, is not an issue. It's evident to me that the team at EA Sports tried to do what they could to make a solid version of Madden early in the life of the Switch 2. It's rough around the edges, but it's the most feature parity a Madden game has had on a Nintendo platform since the age of the GameCube. I hope that, unlike Madden on 3DS and Wii U, we get to see EA Sports take another crack at bringing Madden to Switch 2 because the initial release captures the fun of the game and future releases could refine and improve all of the technical aspects.
We were this close to greatness in Madden this season, in my opinion. If EA would just bite the bullet and get some of those station/network licenses, pair it with these new presentations and the near realistic graphics, we’ll have something special. Lump those all in with some of the best gameplay Madden has had in a long time as well and you would have something that would make the casual fan second guess whether they were watching a video game or a real NFL game. Kudos to EA for a huge step in the right direction and I’m hopeful to see it improved on for next year. Madden NFL 26 is an absolute win/buy for fans, new and old, of the franchise.
[...]EA SPORTS Madden NFL 26 represents a successful return of the franchise to Nintendo's consoles, featuring dynamism and immersion.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review