Madden NFL 23 Review – Improvements All Around

The NFL season is rapidly approaching and that means it’s time for EA Sports Madden NFL 23. Is this just another roster refresh, or should you get off the sidelines and get in the game?

Read on to find out

Almost every year since 1988 EA Sports has released a new version of Madden Football (they only missed 1989). From its conception until today, the name Madden has been synonymous with the NFL and the video game series. To see him on the cover this year, and to see his face and wavy hair on the sideline in-game, sets the tone for what has turned out to be a pretty impressive addition to the franchise with Madden NFL 23, with just a few hiccups.

Madden NFL 23 Review – Fieldsense Technology

The biggest change in Madden NFL 23 is the addition of a new in-game system called Fieldsense that is only available on the newest generation of consoles (sorry PS4 and Xbox One). The new gameplay system is highlighted in the video below.

If you’re playing on the newest generation of consoles, this system is a game changer. The level of player control is impressive. As a QB, this allows for a very precise throwing mechanic that gives you the ability to put that football right where you want it.

For those that hate change, you can fall back and use the classic passing techniques, but you’ll thank yourself later if you’ll take the time to learn the new system. As a ball carrier, the new system also allows for some serious spin moves and gives you the ability to turn on a dime, based on the skill level of your player. The system also benefits defensive players and allows for better control of tacklers, rushers, and guys covering receivers and tight ends.

Madden NFL 23 Review – Better Animations and Improved Graphics

The new Fieldsense system also improves player animations, and even the older consoles seem to benefit from improvements in graphics and animations, even without Fieldsense. John Madden’s wavy hair looks pretty impressive, but what’s even more impressive is seeing someone like Zeke breaking ankles mid-field with an incredible spin move or seeing Amari Cooper make a mid-field cut to get open and then running 80 yards for a TD. The smoothness of the animations is very impressive.

Madden NFL 23 Review – Face of the Franchise

Another are overhauled in Madden NFL 23 is the Face of the Franchise mode. EA put together some Gridiron Notes on the big changes and it’s worth the time to read through them. The mode is a career mode but instead of starting you out at the college level, you are a 5th year player trying to make an impact somewhere in the NFL. We chose to be a QB out of the five available options, and picked the Browns on a one year contract. No riding the bench here, as the game gave us the QB1 position and we proceeded to own the league. Having Amari Cooper and Nick Chubbs helped, and we were able to lead the Browns to their first ever Super Bowl, and won it all.

We were offered a mid season contract extension but our agent thought we might want to wait and see what other offers came in the off season. We should have taken the deal due to the fact that once we finished the season, the game got stuck in a loop and won’t allow us to accept anyone’s offer. We even went as far as looking up the issue and then posting about it on EA’s Help Center, but haven’t had a response from them yet. We aren’t the only ones with this problem, so we are hoping they issue a fix for this issue soon. The FotF mode is a fun mode and the revamping of it, even without a fleshed out story, is a fun way to play a NFL career, if you can get past season one.

Madden NFL 23 Review – Redesigned MUT Layout

Madden Ultimate Team (MUT) has always been one of our favorite modes and with Madden NFL 23, the menu system got a much needed overhaul. Completing sets has always been a great way to earn packs and unlock great cards, but going through the available sets has always been time consuming and not easy to navigate. The player binder for Madden NFL 23 has now been setup so as to make it much easier to see available sets and to navigate between your available players, available sets, and the auction house.

Madden NFL 23 Review – Conclusion

The Madden franchise has come a long ways since 1988, and Madden NFL 23 is another huge leap forward, for those on the latest generation of consoles. While it’s not without its flaws, the overall gameplay is the best yet, with improved animations, graphics, and the overall look and feel of the game. Fieldsense really is a game changer, but only if you have the newest hardware.

8


Madden NFL 23 review code provided by publisher and played on a PS4 Pro and a PS5. For more information on scoring, please read What our review scores really mean.

Louis Edwards

Learn More →