Innovative new gameplay mechanics in Madden NFL 21 deliver advanced levels of control and inspire creativity. Get crafty with the all-new Skill Stick that allows for enhanced precision on both sides of the ball. Push the limits of your legacy in Face of the Franchise: Rise To Fame.
The new playable documentary career mode offers all-out levels of agency and depth throughout your journey to the Hall of Fame. Pull up for a brand-new season of Ultimate Team content as you earn rewards to finesse your depth chart and flex your fantasy roster on the competition. Your favorite NFL teams’ playbooks are updated in Play Now and Franchise based on new schemes and new plays utilized during the real-life NFL season.
Objectively speaking, Madden NFL 21 is not a bad game. It is a realtistic representation of the NFL, maybe even the best American football simulation out there. However, it lacks innovation on so many levels that players, who already own its predecessors, will really struggle to find a reason to pay another 70 bucks for it.
In short, it's a drive where the saga has lost ground.
2020 marks the third year Madden has been back on PC since the franchise's prodigal return to the platform in 2018. The novelty hasn't worn off for me yet. There is still something inherently weird and exciting about playing such a console-targeted franchise on my desktop; to type in my player's name and college with a keyboard. But that won't sustain many players for long. Madden is desperate for some new ideas, so let's hope some of 21's more exotic ventures foreshadow a more substantial rebuild in the future.
The tweaks to the gameplay - including the Skill Stick and slowing down of things in general - are massive improvements, and the inclusion of The Yard and a revamped Face of the Franchise make it so that any player can jump in and have fun. Unfortunately, there are also still many problems, including various bugs and glitches found early on, and in the way that the classic Franchise mode has been handled. Madden NFL 21 is almost certainly a must-buy for fans of the sport, but fans will have to hope that as we move into the future, EA is ready to take things to another level once again.
As I spent my time with the PC version of the game, I’d like to note that EA has once again failed to utilize any advantages provided by the platform to improve the game, outside of support for higher refresh rates. There is still loads of lag and unresponsiveness in menus and during game situations that make no sense. I experienced stuttering at random times across all modes, including hitching during active kick meters or when trying to complete passes. Sometimes, these hitches corresponded to dropped frames and other times not. There still remains loads of visual stutter every time the game swaps between what you control and between-play camera cuts, even when everything is running at 144Hz.
November 23, 2020
Cyberpunk 2077 retail copies already out there, leaks are coming…. Read more
November 19, 2020
iO Interactive unveils its new project called Project 007. Watch video
November 19, 2020
Among Us is getting a new map. Read more
November 19, 2020
Far Cry 6 release date listed as May 26 in Microsoft store. Read more
August 17, 2020
Sony Confirms Work On ‘Next-Generation’ VR Headset That Might Not Be PSVR 2. Read more
August 17, 2020
About 40% of worldwide population plays video games of some form, only 8% on consoles. Read more
August 14, 2020
Ubisoft potentially teasing return of delisted Scott Pilgrim game. Read more
August 13, 2020
Fable job listings suggest game is still a long ways away. Read more