HHW Gaming Review: EA Continues To Take A Knee With ‘Madden NFL 24’

Three things are guaranteed in life: death, taxes, and another entry into the Madden NFL video franchise. EA Tiburon continues to get into scoring range with their yearly football game but will sadly once again have to settle for three instead of a touchdown.

Making video games is hard, especially one that comes every year. Ask the folks at 2K who develop NBA 2K and WWE 2K video games. But EA Tiburon is always up to the task and hoping to appease NFL fans by giving them the video game gridiron action they want.

Madden NFL 24 is a unique position because it’s the only football video game officially licensed by the NFL, so it’s the only way to get the authentic pro football experience. Every year, a Madden game arrives to much fanfare, but primarily complaints of it being nothing more than a rehash of the previous iteration with roster updates and slight tweaks.

Look no further than Madden NFL 23, which had actual NFL players on X (formerly known as Twitter) bashing the game for its lack of improvements in the gameplay department.

So, does this remain to be the case with Madden NFL 24? The game does have some improvements from last year’s edition, but is that enough to restore it to the glory it once held with Madden fans? Well, that depends on who you ask.

Madden NFL 24 Moves The Chains Thanks To Onfield Improvements

FieldSENSE is the beneficiary of most of the improvements to the game. The Hit Everything system is now combined with new animations that EA Tiburon claims have added over 1,700 tackle animations.

Madden NFL 24 is not a complete fumble. In fact, there are some things developers can proudly hang their hats on and take into next year’s game.

FieldSENSE is the beneficiary of most of the improvements to the game. The Hit Everything system is now combined with new animations that EA Tiburon claims have added over 1,700 tackle animations.

Mostly, that is not tremendous CAP because the onfield action looks exceptionally good compared to previous years. Plenty of new wrap-up tackles, contested catch animations, and others, like defensive players lifting offensive players by the legs for a hard slam, will have you saying wow after you see them.

Landing or seeing a big hit deliver that feel again, like when the “truck stick” was first introduced to the game. There are also redone player skeletons and player models that look like players stepped off the field and into the video game.

A new Skill-Based Passing system also delivers new animations and allows you to be more precise in delivering the football depending on your receivers’ situation.

Tracking in Madden NFL 24 is also improved, so you must step up your game when hitting your receiver at the right spot while they run their routes. Also, new-age quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and this year’s cover star benefit significantly from these improvements. They are likelier to make those ridiculous acrobatic throws we know them for.

These visual and performance improvements easily deliver one of the best-looking Madden games in years in terms of realistic presentation.

It’s All Down Hill Once You Step off The Field

Off the field, Madden NFL 24 doesn’t cut it and wouldn’t make it out of the preseason.

Madden NFL 24’s menu system is a big, clunky mess. Even with more powerful consoles running them, they take exceptionally long to load, and there is a noticeable input lag when making choices.

It stands out even more when trying to choose plays, and on more than one occasion, I accidentally picked the wrong play. It’s not as bad when choosing modes like Ultimate Team or Franchise Mode.

Both modes don’t really offer anything new. Ultimate Team isn’t a complete cash grab and has its fun moments, but it is nothing special, and Franchise Mode continues to chug along. Franchise Mode also sees the return of mini-games, which start off fun but eventually feel like a chore because you need to do them to raise your player’s stats.

Superstar Mode, which used to be called Face of The Franchise, is back and has new features like Ryan Clark and his fellow Pivot Crew, Channing Crowder, and Fred Taylor, providing some cool insight into your budding NFL career. On your journey to NFL stardom, you will cross paths with other NFL legends like Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson” and Deion Sanders.

You can also go through the ringer, compete in the combine, and do many exercises and activities to determine where you land on the draft. You can do each exercise as many times as you want if you’re not satisfied with your grade and are trying to be a top draft pick.

If you can get past the corny dialogue, you might find some fun in the Superstar mode, but in the end, it’s just a mode that exists.

Off the field, Madden NFL 24 doesn’t cut it and wouldn’t make it out of the preseason.

Final Verdict

The Madden NFL video game franchise is in a weird space right now. EA Tiburon does enough to keep the game serviceable to please hardcore players who complain yearly but remain loyal because there are no other options.

Madden NFL 24 is another “just okay” entry into the franchise with some minor improvements for onfield play, but outside of that, it’s all bare bones.

The Franchise and Ultimate Team modes don’t bring anything new or exciting, and Superstar fails to deliver a solid create-a-player franchise mode that honestly wants you to see it through. Also, are we the only ones wondering why the ability to scan your face into a Madden NFL game has not arrived YET?

Just saying.

As of this writing, Madden NFL 24 set a single-week franchise record for most digital units sold and topped Armored Core 6 as the most downloaded game on PlayStation.

With stats like that, there is no incentive to push the EA Tiburon team to shake the table when it comes time to make Madden NFL 25.

Madden NFL continues to benefit from having no competition because EA gobbled up the NFL License, but will there ever come a day when Madden fans say enough is enough and not drop $70 bucks for just a roster update and some graphical tweaks?

That remains to be seen, but for now, Madden NFL 24 is just for those who need video game football.

Buy at your own risk, or you can play it for free this weekend to see if you think it’s with your coins.

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Photos: EA Sports / Tiburon / Madden NFL 24