Runs against a tight offence give you more of a chance when stiff-arming them. What it all boils down to, though, is how Madden plays, and boy, does it feel good. Not enough is changing, and it would make more sense to keep your team from one Madden game to the next instead of starting again, but hey, it’s just an opinion. We’re getting to a point now where the way MUT is implemented should be approached in a new way, and that the mode itself should be separate from the annual releases as some sort of Warcraft/ Overwatch base game. Apart from a tweak to how the challenges play out, it’s hard to spot anything that makes it feel different from last year. Ultimate Team in almost every EA game fails to feature any big changes with every new release, and Madden NFL 20 is no different. They’re small additions and don’t do much to change the Franchise mode on any great scale, making it more or less the same experience as before.
Also (as in FIFA) players alert you to specific requests, and if ignored can affect their morale. Contract negotiations aren’t as easy to manipulate, with players harder to acquire due to them growing more of a backbone when it comes to signing with you. Sticking with the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ mantra might be OK for some people, but it would still be nice to see some improvements and new features in the mode. By the time you’re in the NFL, you’ve already shaped the type of quarterback you want to be, and having this backstory as such makes the otherwise unchanged Franchise mode worth playing. It doesn’t last for long, and as soon as you reach the bright lights and million dollar contracts of the big time, it becomes more of a Franchise mode, although there’re still some story elements as you play.
I won’t ruin these moments for you, but Madden NFL 20 does retain some of the emotional heft felt in the previous two years, making much of the pre-NFL segments of the Face of the Franchise mode well worth playing. There’re also some nicely implemented story segments that give each game you play and each decision you make a bit of weight. There’s a lot more actual football to be played in the career mode, instead of the repetitive ‘plays’ from last year.
Even though you’re only playing two games in the NCAA, it was cool to see the likes of LSU, Florida State, and Miami available to play for.Īfter you’ve played at college, it’s time to impress at the Combine, and depending on how you do you’ll be drafted onto one of the 32 NFL teams. Face of the Franchise: QB1 sees you start as a custom quarterback picking one of the 10 college teams. After Madden NFL 19‘s lacklustre follow-up to Colt and Wade’s adventures on the Gridiron, it’s nice to see a different approach to the mode, especially with the reintroduction to college football. In terms of this year’s story mode, there’s no more Longshot. Madden often manages to implement a few new features pretty well, and truth be told it has done with Madden NFL 20, but the two main modes fans sink their time into feel untouched apart from a few menial changes, making Franchise and Ultimate Team rather similar to last year. Annual releases within the sports genre either manage to do something drastic to make it stand out from the previous entry, or instead feel like a similar title with a fresh lick of paint. Another year, another Madden, and with it the prospect of some new features completely different to last year.