Madden NFL 18 Reviews

Madden NFL 18 is ranked in the 86th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
IGN
Top Critic
8.6 / 10.0
Aug 23, 2017

The shift to the Frostbite Engine definitely lets Madden NFL 18 look fantastic, and Longshot makes great use of that to tell a short but powerful against-all-odds story. MUT Squads also opens up a new way to play with more than two players. But beyond that, the underwhelming feel of gameplay improvements and lack of much of anything new within Franchise, Madden NFL 18 sails wide-right in the final seconds. That said, being a much better-looking version of a solid football game with a great new story mode makes it at least a significant improvement, even if it's more incremental than we'd hoped from a new game engine.

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Aug 17, 2017

Madden 18 shines brightest with its new Longshot mode, but the lack of improvements elsewhere makes this year's Madden offering an incremental – but still highly-playable – update.

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8.3 / 10.0
Aug 17, 2017

Madden 18's benefits don't immediately jump out at you, but they are worth exploring

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9 / 10
Aug 19, 2017

An intensely personal story mode, graphical upgrades, and frequent updates make Madden NFL 18 one of the series' best games in recent memory.

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Polygon
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Aug 17, 2017

Madden NFL 18 doesn't shake up its gameplay but the new story mode is a success.

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USgamer
Top Critic
Aug 17, 2017

Madden 18 shines where it matters most: On the field. The transition to Frostbite is seamless, and the balance of the running, the pass rush, and coverage feels better than ever. By comparison, Longshot is a little rougher, but it's an interesting and ambitious first attempt. Between Longshot, the Frostbite transition, the more balanced gameplay, and MUT Squads, there's a lot to like about Madden 18. In a four year march that has seen steady progress with each iteration, this is the best upgrade yet.

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7.5 / 10.0
Aug 31, 2017

Most of the Madden 18 experience is exactly what you expect, but the twist is the new exceptional Longshot mode that proves sports can be an avenue for video game storytelling. Turn off false start, offensive holding, and instant replay; raise catching ability through the roof; and stay away from the slimy Ultimate Team mode. Do that and you'll have a good time with Madden 18. Go Bucs!

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Aug 19, 2017

But really the question should be what does the game add? Madden NFL 18 perhaps marginally improves on graphics that still feel stuck in the past, it introduces an ultimately flawed story mode and a gameplay mechanic that you're better off not using. All the while, it's most notable new addition, the “Play Live Now” feature, feels like you could get the same experience from a mobile phone app. Oh they have one of those, too, you say? Great.

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9 / 10.0
Sep 12, 2017

Madden 18 is the best installment of the series in the last years. Very solid andwith stunning graphics thanks to the Frostbite engine. Great both for the veterans of the genre and for the newcomers.

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9 / 10
Aug 30, 2017

Madden 18 is yet another triumph for the series, and this year's big success story is the game's Longshot narrative. It seems incongruous to be talking about heartfelt, well-acted storytelling in a Madden game, yet it's a perfect fit, hanging some drama off EA's rock-solid mechanics and fantastic visuals.

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Forbes
Top Critic
8.1 / 10.0
Aug 17, 2017

This is a really good football game that you will probably enjoy, but you will also likely still have some gripes. Madden 18 takes noticeable steps in gameplay and depth, but it's still teasing us with true greatness.

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Shacknews
Top Critic
9 / 10
Aug 24, 2017

Madden NFL 18 is one of the best Madden games I have ever played. It's accessible to new players and offers brand new experiences for seasoned video game football vets. There are some years when Madden just doesn't have the right feel, and I usually will be the first to tell folks to hold off on buying the game. But this is not one of those years. 2018 is coming, and Madden is ready to give you hours of awesome gameplay experiences.

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VG247
Top Critic
Aug 17, 2017

Madden 18 shines where it matters most: On the field. The transition to Frostbite is seamless, and the balance of the running, the pass rush, and coverage feels better than ever. By comparison, Longshot is a little rougher, but it's an interesting and ambitious first attempt. Between Longshot, the Frostbite transition, the more balanced gameplay, and MUT Squads, there's a lot to like about Madden 18. In a four year march that has seen steady progress with each iteration, this is the best upgrade yet.

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8.5 / 10.0
Sep 7, 2017

Madden NFL18's gameplay is a small step forward for the series. It's a good football game, but not a masterpiece

Review in Italian | Read full review

8.4 / 10.0
Sep 4, 2017

The best Madden videogame ever created.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Aug 21, 2017

Madden NFL 18 marks a second consecutive year of Madden football in a holding pattern.  Features and additions to this year's game either just don't feel noteworthy, or miss the mark entirely.

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9 / 10.0
Aug 22, 2017

EA Tiburon has improved on last year, and Longshot is one of the finest additions to the series in a long time.

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80 / 100
Aug 21, 2017

Overall, this is a really great Madden release with a few errors that need fixing.

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7 / 10
Sep 5, 2017

Though the new Longshot mode is ultimately a disappointment and the gameplay hasn't changed much, Madden NFL 18 is still an excellent pigskin sim despite its lack of competition. Welcoming for newcomers and deeply detailed for die-hards, this year's edition of the long-running franchise is certainly not a Maddening experience.

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Aug 31, 2017

The question at the heart of a new sports game in an annualized series is twofold: What does it do for yearly players and what does it do for those who may have been away for a while? If you haven't played in a few years, this year's Madden makes for a good time to jump in with the most diverse game modes ever on offer.

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