MADDEN ’13 Demo Review

   

To be honest, this old ball coach is a little rusty when it comes to the virtual pigskin. Nevertheless, it was like Christmas when I got up this morning to try out the new and improved NFL Madden 2013, demo version.

I won’t bore you with all of the nuances of this game for two reasons. One, there is a lot of stuff added this year than in previous titles and two, I haven’t played a Madden game in over a year, so I’m still getting used to the gameplay myself. That being said, however, I do want to touch on a few points.

First of all, I noticed right away that graphically EA has improved on the aesthetics of the game. With the added motion blur and HDR lighting, this gives NFL Madden ’13 an authentic feel. It’s literally like watching a real NFL game on TV. Having not played in awhile, this is a welcome addition. Adding the familiarity of the two CBS broadcasters, former legendary New York Giant QB Phil Simms and seasoned veteran sportcaster Jim Nantz, it is almost like I am sitting on the sidelines, but instead of my Turtlebeach headset and Xbox controller, I have a clipboard barking plays to the quarterback.

The last point I would like to mention is the fact that executing the plays have gotten a lot tougher, specifically passing plays. In my experience playing past Madden games and for the most part, if you throw the ball pretty much near the receiver, it’s good for a catch. With Madden ’13’s new Infinity graphics engine, however, you have to be extremely accurate with your throws. Like throwing into a small window? Better make sure you have your timing right or it’s as good as going for a pick six the other way. Trust me, it took me three tries to finally get some descent gameplay up WITHOUT an interception. Nevertheless, I was still able to orchestrate a descent drive and ended up with a touchdown.

I added some screen shots of the controls, the three main ones used, as well as some gameplay of the San Francisco 49ers playing host to the New York Giants in a west meets east showdown below. Also, there is a very informative video within the demo hosted by ESPN’s Trey Wingo going into some detail as to what the new Madden experience will entail.

Ball Carrier Controls

Passing Controls

Defensive Pursuit Controls

Madden ’13 Demo Gameplay

Trey Wingo Details Madden ’13

Overall, the Madden ’13 demo was really fun to play and I will definitely be picking up this game on the day it releases, which is on August 28, 2012. With the new additions graphically and the recognizable commentators, there should be no reason an NFL fan should NOT have this game in their library. If all goes well, I’ll be able to drive my beloved Carolina Panthers to a Lombardi Trophy and have it translate into real life. Probably not, but there is nothing wrong with trying!