Is Madden 22 better than Madden 21?
In one sentence – yes, Madden 22 is a slightly better game than Madden 21, but not different enough to be considered a must-buy upgrade for casual fans. The incremental improvements are welcome but fail to move the needle in revolutionary ways.
As an ardent football gamer who has analyzed every Madden entry since the ‘90s, I evaluate each new edition with a keen eye. My devotion to the franchise means I appreciate even subtle year-over-year upgrades, while maintaining high expectations that the developers will take bigger risks. Unfortunately, Madden 22 offers more of the former while playing it relatively safe overall.
Let‘s explore the key upgrades and evaluate if they live up to expectations:
Presentational Upgrades Offer Immediate "Wow" Factor
Visually, Madden 22 makes a fantastic first impression that ultimately fizzles out upon closer inspection. The first thing you‘ll notice are the stunning current-gen console graphics rendering players and stadiums with exceptional detail. Player faces and bodies finally have more realistic dimensions – gone are the days of every quarterback having the exact same build!
Granular details like accurate grass textures and helmet reflections showcase the punch next-gen consoles can pack. And dynamic gameday elements like varying crowd sizes, banners, and even marquee cameras based on key matchups do make the presentation package feel more "live". At first glance, this easily seems like the biggest visual leap in years.
However, replay value reveals the improvements are largely skin-deep. Animation variety remains lacking, with too many canned "warped" tackle animations and awkward movements still abundantly present. Sideline players and coaches continue to behave like emotionless mannequins, rarely showcasing any natural reactions. And on-field debris, weather effects, and damage continue to look artificial, with underwhelming texture quality despite the upgraded fidelity elsewhere.
In summary, the visual package impresses out the gate but starts to show its seams upon closer inspection. Casual fans will enjoy the flashier facelift. But animations still fail the simulation test for discriminating football gaming purists.
Presentation and Graphics Upgrades – Quick Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Cleaner overall visual package finally befitting of current-gen consoles
- Sharper player faces and likenesses
- More broadcast camera variety including "marquee matchup" dynamic angles
Cons:
- Canned animations and awkward movements still too abundant
- Sideline players remain lifeless statues
- Weather effects and on-field damage lack polish and refinement
On-Field Gameplay Refinements Good, Not Great
Madden 22‘s marquee gameplay upgrade comes via "Skill Based Passing". After adjustment, the new mechanic provides impressively granular control over ball trajectory, velocity, and receiver positioning. Hardcore players will relish surgically placing corner endzone fades with pinpoint precision. However, the altered passing rhythm can negatively impact gameplay flow until you build muscle memory.
New momentum-driven animations aim to smooth out movements but collision detection remains spotty. Defenders still exhibit magnetism to ball carriers while simultaneously "bouncing" off ball carriers instead of wrapping and dragging them realistically. These legacy issues continue hampering the authenticity of line play and running game physics compared to early 2000‘s installments.
Overall the upgraded passing tools succeed mightily in chasing simulation, but longstanding bugs still rear their head far too frequently. This splits the difference nicely for both hardcore and casual audiences.
Gameplay Enhancements – Quick Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Skill Based Passing allows unprecedented ball control precision
- Momentum animations reduce warping tackles
- Better defensive assignments options
Cons:
- Altered passing rhythm disrupts flow until acclimated
- Linemen still exhibit illogical magnetism and collision problems
- Various legacy franchise bugs remain unaddressed
Franchise Mode Improvements Too Conservative Given Community Requests
The Madden franchise mode community has begged developers for years to restore many legacy features from past editions. While I appreciate some of the steps forward such as staff management upgrades and weekly game strategy, the updates feel too conservative. Teams still cannot fully customize playbooks, the draft lacks intricacy, and contract negotiations remain bereft of detail.
Where are the holdouts, restricted free agents, and fully realized scouting combine? Why can‘t we set hot and cold streaks to mimic real player variability or utilize the out-of-date coaches film to analyze weaknesses? And why does Tony Romo‘s commentary speak to non-existent mechanics like quarterback tendencies when such options got stripped out years ago?
Diehard fans have spent countless hours documenting exactly what‘s missing and offering realistic suggestions to restore immersion. While I‘ll take any incremental improvements offered, it remains frustrating to buy a new version every year lacking key elements present over a decade ago!
| Legacy Franchise Features Still Missing | Initial Removal Year |
|---|---|
| Full playbook customization | Madden 17 |
| Restricted free agents | Madden 12 |
| Full scouting combine event | Madden 12 |
| Contract holdouts | Madden 12 |
The developers at EA Tiburon have proven they can still deliver excellent depth via modes like Ultimate Team and The Yard. Unfortunately, franchise devotees get the short end of the stick despite their vocal requests Landing somewhere between stubbornness and ignorance, the franchise community waits anxiously for their voices to eventually be heard. Madden 22 offered hope but still fails to fully deliver.
Ultimate Team & The Yard Trends Continue
Ultimate Team continues providing card collectors their familiar dopamine rushes with some welcome crafting upgrades to let players directly obtain desired items. Coupled with easily-earned cosmetic rewards and fun limited events like College Football Reunions, it‘s a reliable go-to as always for diehards.
The Yard brings back its enjoyable backyard football premise with an additional campaign mode bringing superstar bosses and recruits to the experience. It succeeds as supplemental palette cleanser to the main simulation, especially for those who don‘t take their digital football too seriously.
Neither mode reinvents their core purpose but both build successfully on past frameworks. Of course, Ultimate Team remains a cash cow so don‘t ever expect EA to stop pushing it hard each iteration!
The Verdict on Madden 22
Like a veteran quarterback struggling with diminishing athleticism but excelling mentally, Madden 22 succeeds more cerebrally than physically. The upgraded passing tools and enhanced defensive control provide new strategic opportunities for hardcore fans. But too many legacy issues both minor and major continue dragging down the moment-to-moment experience.
As a distinguished football gaming analyst, I applaud the developer‘s continued incremental improvements but implore them to take more risks on delivering fans‘ most highly-requested critical franchise features. We saw massive leaps between Madden 04 to 05 and 06 to 07 by implementing visionary new mechanics and modes. It‘s time to recapture some of that lost magic!
I award Madden 22 a rating of 8.25/10 – a good but not spectacular entry well worth playing for hardcore football gamers yet probably skippable for casual fans satisfied with just roster updates. Here‘s hoping Madden 23 takes some bigger offseason risks to get fans excited again! Even veterans need to learn new tricks.
