Madden NFL 21 Reviews
Madden NFL 21 then, is a lot like a best friend in the time of social distancing: someone I desperately want to see and spend time with, except doing so also recalls how much we’ve actually lost over the past five months.
Although Madden NFL 21 sees some improvements to its gameplay, and the enjoyable The Yard Mode makes an impressive debut, there's far too much that has been ignored. It feels more like an update than a fully blown follow-up, and it sucks that Franchise Mode has been left in the dirt.
A stale series stuck in its own Groundhog Day almost redeems itself with The Yard and will entertain casual football fans, but mediocrity seeps into almost every mode in another backwards step for the franchise.
Madden NFL 21 will not be the game in the series to win a GOTY again for this long-lived sports franchise. Will there be more luck with the new generation versions?
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Madden NFL 21 is stagnant, and while football fans will find things to enjoy, it's not like there's an alternative option available. The Yard is a genuinely promising addition, and we're looking forward to seeing how it evolves over the course of this season – and future games. But an embarrassing story and an untouched Franchise mode mean that it's the only real reason to upgrade. And while Madden Ultimate Team continues to be a time sink, the stale state of the on-field simulation means that this year's game fails to find its intended receiver.
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
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.
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.
At the risk of beating a dead horse, Madden NFL 21 feels very much like the byproduct of a game being developed in a vacuum, devoid of any true competition.
Madden NFL 21 has an excellent new game mode that's great for short spurts, but the series staples don't move the needle.
While the gameplay is in as good of a spot as it’s been for a while, Madden 21 is dragged down but neglected features, stagnant and/or underdeveloped concepts.
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.
The series' most stylish entry ever thanks to The Yard and player customization, but these new features come without the substance required to contend for football glory.
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.
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.
Madden NFL 21 isn’t a bad game. It’s good, in fact. It just feels wholly unnecessary.
Madden 21 is the first time I have found it hard to recommend upgrading. It truly does feel like a roster update in a lot of areas.
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.
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.
Madden NFL 21 is a mix of missed opportunities.