I'm one of the biggest "Madden" fans around, however, the time has come to take a step back and realize it's problems. "Madden" has been a staple of gaming, for my friends and I, for years, but after awhile it grew stagnant and repetitive for us. Introducing game modes like "Madden Ultimate Team" and "Longshot" helped a little bit but were still missing Key elements from our gameplay, or experiencing bugs that have yet to receive a remedy. From lazy playoff building, lousy half-time routines and in-game glitches that don't count scores, or confuses safeties with touchbacks, there are many new things "Madden 19" could fix and Implement but according to fans, this is unlikely.
Half-time, playoff building, and statistics
There have been better half-time events in other NFL games, looking at you "2K5". The half-time overview has become lazy, only showing you a few seconds of big plays, few stats and nothing in the way of describing the events like Chris Berman did in "2K5". Why can't we get this right anymore? What about the Super Bowl half-time show? How awesome would it be to have something different and exciting for that! "Madden" is a big enough deal, use some performers from the music tracks in-game and create a virtual half-time show where they play a song or something. Mix it up, make it a bigger deal than just a few stats and you're done.
I've always found it difficult to view the playoff picture.
If you're playing on all-madden difficulty and truly trying to give yourself the most realistic gaming experience, seeing the playoff picture should be easier than a short snip-it at the beginning of a game or having to manually go to the team lists and look at the division's records. Why can't we have a "Playoff Picture" button that we can go to and see a large bracket image of every team?
Get going on this EA!
Statistics are decent enough. However, I think it would be great, for instance, if you're looking into a player's stats and are able to see which team they played for each year or who they were drafted by. This is not a necessity but would be a very neat feature to have included with individual player stats.
Bugs, glitches, and confusion, oh my!
You did it! You got a safety! Two points for me. Wait. What? Touchback? Are you kidding me? Players encounter these glitches all the time and for a game about football, this should be a non-issue. I've struggled with things like this for years, and it only seems to be getting worse!
Many times, on a forced turnover for a touchdown, it will be reviewed. Which is a very realistic event that would take place. Often though, this will result in a tedious bug. After a review, the play on the field will stand, and boom, you should get your six points. However, even after saying it counts, it will not add your points and you'll be back on defense, playing the same drive.
Confused referee calls are the biggest issues I've had. Called one way on the field, another way in-game. If your opponent catches a ball clearly out of bounds, it will go to review. You can watch the play over with instant replay, and even the referees will call it an incomplete pass. In the next play though, they're on the 19-yard line where he supposedly caught the ball. How are these still issues?
I've been a "Madden" player for as long as I can remember, but it seems each year these errors are getting worse, and it feels like they're not even trying to add new content. Sure, practice squads were a neat feature, and "Madden Ultimate Team" is a fun addition, but what about the core game? We need the ability to play a full game without encountering these faulty glitches and bugs.
There aren't even every issue reported by players. We need change or fans will look to other games to fill their itch. Will EA Games heed the player's cries, or will this be another year of unanswered calls?