Madden 10 review (PS3, Xbox 360) By Sayed Islam Published: 09/06/09 PrintEmail
Any avid football fan had to have appreciated the epic Super Bowl last season between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals. The touchdown throw from Big Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes was certainly an unforgettable play during the fourth quarter. With the release of Madden 10, gamers will undoubtedly attempt to capture that same magic and emulate it using their favorite teams.
Along with the two major additions to the gameplay, Madden 10 is more about tweaks and refinements than a comprehensive overhaul. The aforementioned two major additions are pro tak and online franchise. Pro tak is the ability to fight for every yard just like the commercial endorses. A grand total of nine players can partake in forming a tackle animation and can push the pile like you would see in a real NFL game. Whether the ball carrier is pushed forward or backward depends on their attributes. For example, a strong running backs like the Giants’ Brandon Jacobs and the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson will have a much easier time pushing the pile forward to gain an extra yard or two. Conversely, a finesse running back like the Saints’ Reggie Bush will have a much more arduous time pushing the pile forward to gain extra yardage. The second aspect of pro tak is the ability of the offensive line to create a reasonable pocket that surrounds the quarterback, and this is a feature that has been long overdue. At least now with this pro tak feature, it prevents people from dropping back fifty yards with quarterbacks and launching the football forty yards down the field for a completion. The second of the two big additions is the online franchise mode. For years, Madden enthusiasts have been clamoring for a 32 team playable franchise mode with your buddies. Fortunately, that is finally here in Madden 10 (complete with drafts, schedules, and a ten season life span). There is also a weekly overview of what has transpired in the franchise called The Extra Point, but it is as egregious as the Detroit Lions. The one saving grace about The Extra Point is that there is an attractive host named Alex Flanagan. Everything else in Madden is more about refining and tweaking. For instance, you can actually see a fight for a fumble by participating in a contact sensitive quick time event to recover the football. Moreover, there are fluid drop back animations from quarterbacks instead of just running outside the pocket like a maniac. To go along with those animations, there is an evasive maneuver while you are in the pocket to evade those pesky and relentless pass rushers but be vigilant. This move is only useful for mobile quarterbacks who can buy some time in the pocket or quarterbacks with brilliant pocket awareness. The rosters are up to date with their real life NFL counterparts. Jay Cutler is the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears, Matt Cassel is the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, Tony Gonzalez is the starting tight end for the Atlanta Falcons, Albert Haynesworth is the starting defensive tackle for the Washington Redskins, and team obliterator (Terrell Owens) is a Wide Receiver for the Buffalo Bills. With a roster update, even a certain player like Michael Vick is playable with the Philadelphia Eagles, and Brett Favre is playable as the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. In addition, there are some realistic conspicuous subtractions from the New York Giants and Cleveland Brown depth charts. Most noticeably, Plaxico Burress is no longer with the Giants, and Donte' Stallworth is unavailable for the Browns. However, there is still no word yet from Electronic Arts about a Plaxico Burress shooting mini game or a Donte' Stallworth drunk driving mini game. In terms of the graphics,
Madden 10 is visually stunning. From the grass to the inclement weather conditions, they are done to perfection. Furthermore, the player models are better than last year. This year, you can actually tell the faces of some of the elite players like three time NFL MVP Peyton Manning.
Aside from the music, the audio has been virtually untouched from the previous Madden entry. Music is a blend of rock/pop/rap soundtrack, and it works well for this kind of game. The sound effects are as real as last year, but commentary is exactly the same as last season. Chris Collinsworth is acceptable as the color commentator; however, Tom Hammond does a dreadful job as the play by play commentator. You cannot shake the feeling that Electronic Arts intentionally avoided mollifying this flaw in an effort to make the August deadline.
Overall, Madden 10 is still the most engrossing football game on the market. With the new franchise mode and pro tak, this could be a grandiose stepping stone for forthcoming Madden iterations.
Art direction 10 In terms of the graphics, Madden 10 is visually stunning. From the grass to the inclement weather conditions, they are done to perfection. Furthermore, the player models are better than last year. This year, you can actually tell the faces of some of the elite players like three time NFL MVP Peyton Manning. Audio 8 Aside from the music, the audio has been virtually untouched from the previous Madden entry. Music is a blend of rock/pop/rap soundtrack, and it works well for this kind of game. The sound effects are as real as last year, but commentary is exactly the same as last season. Chris Collinsworth is acceptable as the color commentator; however, Tom Hammond does a dreadful job as the play by play commentator. You cannot shake the feeling that Electronic Arts intentionally avoided mollifying this flaw in an effort to make the August deadline. Gameplay 9 Madden 10 is still the most engrossing football game on the market. With the new franchise mode and pro tak, this could be a grandiose stepping stone for forthcoming Madden iterations. Presentation 8 There is also a weekly overview of what has transpired in the franchise called The Extra Point, but it is as useless as Detroit Lions. The one saving grace about The Extra Point is that there is an attractive host named Alex Flanagan. Replay Value 10 Online franchise mode is enthralling, and the Madden Moments from last season are back. Final verdict 9 out 10
Any avid football fan had to have appreciated the epic Super Bowl last season between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals. The touchdown throw from Big Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes was certainly an unforgettable play during the fourth quarter. With the release of Madden 10, gamers will undoubtedly attempt to capture that same magic and emulate it using their favorite teams. 
