A Review of Madden 2010 for the PS3

"Fight for Every Yard", the motto for this year's edition of Madden NFL Football. It might be just a game, but I have yet to experience realism to this extreme. Every down, every yard sucks you further and further into the action. When Adrian Peterson makes that cutback, you feel like you're running off-tackle yourself. When Peyton Manning fires a bullet down the middle to a wide open Reggie Wayne, you feel like you did it yourself. Your shoulder might even twinge a little bit. What your feeling is sheer video game pleasure. No one can bring the realism like EA sports, and once again, they do not fail to disappoint.

The Good: This game is good. Real good. Every single play feels like an NFL game. The developers of the game went to new lengths to make this game the most elaborate Madden game ever created. Some of the more realistic parts of the game come out before the play even begins. The camera has this dramatic effect while the team approaches the line of scrimmage. You have to see it to experience it fully, but its just a little touch that makes this game superior to all others. Like usual, the gameplay itself is pure genius. Every thing flows so smoothly, and each and every button is placed out so perfectly it become so easy to make offensive adjustments. Want to put Calvin Johnson in the slot to create a mismatch on defense? Push the right trigger to the right a few times and you got it. Simple, easy, and effective. What really sets this game apart from the previous Madden games is the realism.

The programmers really got down and dirty and included every single thing they could come up with. From the unusual way Phillip Rivers takes a snap to the sack dance that Jared Allen deploys after he swallows an offensive player, this game is stacked. Even hand towels have gotten an upgrade. The new "Pro-Tak" technology is amazing. This new programming stud allows for large gang tackles, bringing yet another dimension of life like football action to the players. When it comes down to realism, you can't get any better. The only flaw I saw in this department was the field conditions. During a rainy game in Cincinnatti, I noticed that once time expired, the field was immaculate and the jerseys of my team were neatly pressed. Hardly realistic, even for fantasy land.

The Bad: Although there isn't much wrong with this game, there are some small flaws that take away from the game's strengths. Like the aforementioned field conditions, other parts of this game just didn't seem like reality. I'm sorry Ryan Grant, but you can't continuously plow over 5 defenders on your own 10 yard line and run in for a touchdown, it just doesn't happen. Unfortunately, because of the advanced graphical state of the game, there are some lags. The loading is a bit excessive, and can get moderately annoying, but it isn't anything that should shy you away from this amazing title.

When push comes to shove, Madden NFL 2010 is an amazing title. The gameplay, replay ability, online content, and just sheer entertainment value are well worth the standard asking price of $59.99. If I had to put a number on it, I would give it a 9 out of 10. Take my word for it, for any football fan, you can not go wrong with this one.