Game Review: Madden NFL '08

I'm just going to come out and say it - I've never been a huge Madden fan. I've always thought that each subsequent game added icing to a cake that really wasn't all that great. Last year, the "Superstar Mode" made that more obvious than ever, and EA made their move.

Enter Madden '08.

First of all, the graphics finally look like the next-gen fare we were promised last year, running at a jaw-dropping 60 frames-per-second. The detail is sometimes astounding, and the extra animations (such as a receiver dragging his feet to stay inbounds) add to the immersion. The AI linemen and opponents also perform considerably better than in the '07 iteration, further adding to the feel. Even the hits look more brutal, thanks in part to the Hit Stick 2.0.

As one of many new features, Hit Stick 2.0 allows you aim low or high during a tackle, creating some truly bone-jarring tackles. The change in control is also a welcome pace for those of us that have been waiting for the "hurdle" function to have merit in a Madden game (now called "Hurdle Control").

On the defensive side of things, you can finally "spotlight" a receiver, ending countless bombs downfield to a star player. While this function keeps a stud player like Marvin Harrison from getting huge plays, it also leaves a receiver like Reggie Wayne wide open for the pass, which keeps things even on both sides.

Another new change is the Weapon system. For those of us that can't tell the superstars from the scrubs, this system categorizes players based on their abilities, and amplifies them. For example, Randy Moss can jump higher than an average player, and certain linebackers can "read" the offense. This makes for more "arcade-style" gameplay, something that I always felt was missing from the Madden series, and is probably something EA will build on for next year.

However, as well as Madden does this year, there are still a few problems. First of all, why can't I have an online league? The feature has been implemented in other sports games (not to mention EA's own NHL '08), so why not here? Also, why is Superstar Mode still in this game? I feel that the memory could have been better spent somewhere else (like online leagues), rather than trying to play the whole career of an offensive lineman. Finally, the audio in the Madden series has never been outstanding, but this seems like a step down. The announcers seem to be mixed poorly and disorganized, and the soundtrack seems to be a random mish-mash of rock and rap.

All in all, though, this is probably the best step forward for a Madden game that I have seen in a long time. The controls are more solid than ever, the immersion level is high, and the arcade-style Weapon system keeps me coming back for more. For the first time in a long time, I can safely say that I'm a Madden fan.