Madden NFL 21 Reviews

Madden NFL 21 is ranked in the 25th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Noisy Pixel
Jake Yoder
6.5 / 10.0
Aug 29, 2020

Madden NFL 21 is a strange beast. It is the same fun football experience that millions of players have come to love, yet I still expected a little more from it. While it features refined gameplay and fun game modes, its lackluster story mode and plethora of graphical glitches don’t reflect what a game releasing this year should look like. The online modes will keep you playing through various simulation and customizable options, but most of this is just more of the same in comparison to what has already been delivered.

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6.5 / 10.0
Sep 8, 2020

The first and more notable introduction to the game series is The Yard. When you were a kid, you probably had a nice summer evening or two where you and a group of friends would go outside and play a round of flag football. The rules are different and the way you play is almost more unique, but the heart and soul of the game is very much the same. That is what The Yard is trying to tackle here. You play 6 vs. 6 and depending on where you play, the rules can be pretty different. Like the backyard football I played as a kid, once the play starts, defenders have to call out Mississippis before they can rush the QB. Depending on how you customize your team makes a big difference as well. Honestly, this mode is the saving grace that Madden 2021 has going for it.

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4 / 10.0
Sep 3, 2020

Despite having a unique new game mode in response to the FIFA Tour, Madden NFL 21 has no content to justify its acquisition and the hefty price charged. For new players, who are starting now and do not care about the value, it may even be valid, but for those who came from the previous version the game is just an update.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

Sep 28, 2020

I am always a sucker for sports games. Yes, they are mostly repetitive, but it is precisely that element that appeals to me. I don’t play exclusively in the sports genre, but if I ever want to escape into something, then its sports that I often turn to. It’s like a comfy pair of slippers or a warm blanket on a stormy winter afternoon. You can nestle down and go with the familiar. You know what to do, yet there are still variances, none more so than in an (American) football game.

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7.5 / 10.0
Sep 1, 2020

Madden is the only option in the market for football fans but still it has some improvements over last years edition. The gameplay received a few tweaks with makes it feel somewhat fresh, but nothing to call home about.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

7 / 10.0
May 11, 2021

Madden NFL 21 is completely satisfactory for anyone who wants to learn everything about this sport.

Review in Greek | Read full review

Aug 28, 2020

It'll take years for Madden to truly become a standout sports game again, as the mediocrity has gone on for too long for massive change to happen overnight, but Madden 21 is a promising step in the right direction.

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Aug 27, 2020

Madden 21 takes a few shots down field but ultimately plays it safe - and in some ways, too safe.

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7.8 / 10.0
Aug 28, 2020

Considering that this could be the closest thing we see to "normal" football for a long time, Madden NFL 21 works. However, I can't shake the feeling that more could be done. Some things feel practically untouched. The create-a-player faces are still weird. Why can there be such a discrepancy in head sizes? Why can't I seem to port over the player I created in Face of the Franchise into a regular roster or at least have him available in regular create-a-player? The array of quarterback throwing motions still seems limited, and it pales in comparison to the way players in other sports games are so heavily signaturized. I still feel there's plenty of work to be done with this franchise, and that so-called "next level" we keep looking for can be reached. For now, I might tighten up my Yard skills, see what new decisions I can make in a new career mode, and beef up on my RPO mastery while I hope for more in next year's Madden outing.

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7 / 10.0
Aug 28, 2020

Madden NFL 21 isn’t a bad game. It’s good, in fact. It just feels wholly unnecessary.

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5 / 10.0
Aug 28, 2020

Dedicated players are going to pick this game up no matter what, but it’s tough to justify a $60 purchase on a game that feels too similar to what we’ve gotten the past three-plus years.

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65 / 100
Aug 30, 2020

Marked more by its technical problems than by the improvements made this year, Madden NFL 21 is a clear step back in the franchise. Its news seems empty or just corrections of bad changes made in the past, while its qualities are essentially things that were already present in the previous game.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Sep 7, 2020

On the whole, Madden NFL 21 is an impressive title.

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7 / 10.0
Sep 14, 2020

Madden NFL says goodbye to a generation with more questions than answers and with an uncertain perspective on what may happen in the years to come.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Cubed3
Top Critic
6 / 10
Mar 10, 2022

With beautiful and accurate presentation as well as great gameplay, the basics are done fantastically well. It is such a shame then to see the rest of the package convoluted with endless menus and unnecessary, incomplete feeling modes. Madden 21 is certainly heading the right direction, here's hoping the newest iteration 'pads' everything out.

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3 / 5.0
Aug 28, 2020

Madden NFL 21 is a mix of missed opportunities.

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Unscored
Aug 28, 2020

All that being said, if you understand that and simultaneously understand that Madden 21 offers up a good game of football between the lines, then there is something here for you. If you're looking for Madden to be more than that this year, then just wait until next-gen to see if it's improved, or wait until the game has a big sale/hits EA Play.

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GameZone
Top Critic
6.5 / 10.0
Aug 28, 2020

For Madden NFL 21, the only one that's going to be affected by any sort of Madden Curse is EA themselves. While it can initially get by with some fun gameplay, there's little here to justify playing this for an entire year until Madden NFL 22. For a game that's supposed to be the start of a new-generation of Madden, it lacks severely.

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7 / 10.0
Aug 28, 2020

Madden NFL 21 is as fun and realistic as every Madden game, especially in its new "The Yard" mode and its increased focus on superstars, but its stagnation in gameplay innovation and established modes makes it sometimes difficult to distinguish its improvements over previous games.

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3.5 / 5.0
Sep 1, 2020

Madden NFL 21 is a game that is generally fine.

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