
In all, the gameplay in this version of Madden 21 is actually pretty strong. Thus, the cat-and-mouse battle you might be trying to create at the line of scrimmage between a pass rusher and offensive lineman is too often negated. Usually, things materialize so quickly that good QBs will already have the ball out of their hands before you’re able to go through your commands. As much as I like the defensive linemen mechanic, it’s still difficult to make line play as much of a factor in the passing game as it should be.I wouldn’t say this is broken, but it should be a little tougher for guys like Herbert who haven’t proven themselves capable of making such throws. Los Angeles Chargers rookie QB Justin Herbert was dotting Keenan Allen on out routes with blitzing safeties and linebackers bearing down on him.


I understand that, but it doesn’t mean I agree with the direction–at least not in every instance. I know EA has pushed things a bit more toward an arcade experience, but at this point, there goal is to walk a fine line that will likely frustrate the hardcore audience, while exciting a more choice demographic. Yet the product at launch is riddled with deficiencies and the incremental additions aren’t significant enough to warrant a purchase recommendation from me.I can hear all the hardcore guys and girls saying, “simulation gameplay in Madden?” Don’t get me wrong. Madden NFL 21 isn’t necessarily a bad game it will improve over time with updates. That said, it feels as though EA Sports has done everything they can with this generation of consoles and is merely on cruise control until they have the technical capacity to do so much more.
#MADDEN NFL 21 REVIEWS UPGRADE#
I have to give EA some credit here as folks who purchase Madden NFL 21 for PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, are able to upgrade their copy to PlayStation 5, or Xbox Series X at no extra cost. A new generation of consoles is right around the corner and the timing couldn’t be better.

While it seems like the Madden franchise is trending in the wrong direction, the future remains bright for EA Sports virtual gridiron game. Zone coverage doesn’t seem as tight right now either, but I imagine this will all be tweaked after launch. Likewise, on the defensive side of the ball, it feels the same while sacking the QB and pulling off interceptions is a little more challenging. Yet aside from getting used to what works well and what doesn’t, Madden’s passing and running mechanics remain safely intact. Corner routes aren’t as dominant as they were and running to the edge ain’t exactly a walk in the park. Some blitzes don’t come in as fast as they did previously. That said, some of the things that worked really well in Madden 20, don’t work as well this time around.
