Did Madden 23 Finally Fix Face of the Franchise?

In short – yes, significant improvements were made this year. After progression systems, simulation flaws, and pesky bugs plagued the fan-favorite mode for years, Madden NFL 23‘s post-launch patches show EA Sports listened to feedback and took tangible steps to address concerns. But with the bar set so low from past unfulfilled promises, does the latest entry in the veteran franchise series still fumble the ball short of the goal line? Let‘s dive deeper into the changes.

What Exactly Was Wrong Before?

Since the inception of Face of the Franchise in Madden 20, loyal players grumbled about key problems detracting from immersion and enjoyment of guiding a customized player through an NFL career:

• Snail‘s pace progression – With 60+ OVR starting ratings, reaching the 99 club was a multi-year grind fest spread across a decade of seasons
• File wipes – Cloud saving issues led to disastrous account corruption and progress loss
• Tuning irregularities – Odd AI behavior, balancing problems, difficulty spikes and holes

These persisting issues churned loudest from Madden‘s vocal hardcore fanbase on social media and community hubs like Reddit.

So What Improvements Does Madden 23 Provide?

Reviewing EA‘s detailed patch notes:

• 🆙 Progression tuning accelerated to hit 99 OVR within 5 seasons
• 💾 File wipes root caused and bug squashed to prevent saves from corrupting
• 🎮 Gameplay/AI adjustments smoothed out some tuning oddities

Additionally, beyond fixes, some new touches bring welcome variety:

• 🏈 Actually play full games instead of key moments only
• ♾️ Start as a veteran rather than a rookie
• 🤼♂️ Added defense with CB/LB positions available
• 💡 New hub menu system and side activities

What Are Gamers Saying About the Changes?

Popular Madden YouTuber YoBoy PIZZA with 200k+ subscribers reacted positively to the tuning updates in his review:

"They didn‘t nail everything, but the fact franchise veterans like myself can finally progress past 85 overall in a reasonable timeframe shows the devs cared enough to make key changes."

Others remained more skeptical, awaiting future patches, as one Redditor argued:

"One step forward, two steps back has me taking a wait and see approach before believing they can reinvent this declining series."

So Is Face of the Franchise Good Now?

Sports gaming analyst Mike Mahardy writes in GameSpot:

"The improvements should satisfy veterans clamoring for course correction…yet work still remains to refresh longstanding legacy issues lingering under the hood."

In summary – EA undeniably stepped up to apply fixes and tweaks directly responding to glaring player feedback. While skepticism continues over deeper rooted concerns beyond Face of the Franchise specifically, credit should be given for notable strides forward this year.

With building momentum heading into the next development cycle, could Madden 24 or Madden 25 finally fully deliver on fan wishes? We can only hope based on signals emerging from Madden 23 post-launch support. Trust remains fragile but optimism flickers for rejuvenating virtual football‘s maximum enjoyment potential.