Madden NFL 19 keeps its focus where it belongs: its moment-to-moment gameplay. This year’s entry comes with the promise of improved player motion, a more intimate franchise experience, and the return of two hometown heroes as the Longshot story continues with a new chapter.

Every IGN Madden NFL Game Review Ever 75 IMAGES

A Beautiful Game

“ Both sides of the ball have gotten a noticeable bump from last year.

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Live Your Best Franchise

“ EA has finally added Franchise customization options to Madden 19.

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An Untouched Gem

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Devin and Colt Return

“ This second slice of the Devin and Colt show feels forced.

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But does Madden ‘19 have the balance needed to stay between the uprights and keep both newcomers and long-time Madden fans happy? In short: Yes, yes it does.In a surprisingly - yet welcomed - straight-forward call, Real Player Motion is touted as the marquee gameplay enhancement and allows more control in game-changing situations. In year two of the series’ move to the Frostbite engine, it’s apparent the development team is learning how to maximize the technology.The feel of the game continues to improve, especially with Madden 19’s enhanced controls. You’ll see your stick talent translate on screen in fluid motions that’ll have you pumping your first in the air while you beat down your friends. And it’s not just what you see while playing on offense juking and spinning your way to a touchdown. On both sides of the ball, player interactions have gotten a noticeable bump from last year. It’s the way a defensive lineman can break off a tackle to crush the halfback in the backfield. The way safeties can track down the ball and pick it off before momentum carries them out of bounds. And the way play action breaks down as the edge blitz catches you off guard, nearly causing you to jump in fear. EA has done a great job capturing the speed, momentum, and impact of football in Madden 19.The power of the engine combined with the PS4 Pro (and likely Xbox One X) is a sight to see. Madden’s visuals and that player movement look better than the series has ever known. The graphical push in this year’s offering is amazing, and player models (for those that are in the game) look more realistic than ever in both the menus and on the field. In short, not only does Madden 19 feel great to play, it’s great to to look at, too.EA has finally added customization options to Madden 19, allowing the Madden community to create their own draft classes. This sorely missed mechanic adds a new layer of realism to the season-long experience. After you advance to week 3 of your season, these draft classes can be saved and shared with the community, encouraging all fans to download realistic classes with some of college football’s most notable athletes. You can even edit players after the draft class has been uploaded.Additionally, Franchise mode has also introduced offensive and defensive schemes this time around. And while diehard football fans may not see the benefit in this, casual players may appreciate the assistance as schemes help highlight the best players in trades, free agency, and the draft for you particular scheme.A simple change from one scheme to another can drastically alter your team’s play. In my Titans franchise, I swapped from a Tamp 2 (42% scheme fit) to a 46 (92%) without needing to alter my roster. Specialty positions such as slot cornerback and slot wide receiver are now included in your team’s depth chart too, giving you more options for fine tuning.Free Agency and the Draft seem largely untouched this year. The Madden series has yet to find a perfect process for keeping free agency engaging, but its draft process is in a great comfort zone which will only get better as the draft class creation starts ramping up.Madden Ultimate Team continues its formula of collecting cards and fielding a roster to compete against opponents online. The biggest new addition in Madden 19 are the solo challenge tournaments that offer up new opportunities to play – this time against teams created by Madden developers, NFL athletes, and celebrities – creating another strong vein of content in the mode. And with a leaderboard system built in, there’s a great opportunity to dabble in an esports-adjacent environment.A new wrinkle in Ultimate Team this year requires you to upgrade players to fit your team’s mold, and the more you play the more you can upgrade. The downside is that this will likely become the new grind of the Madden franchise, however it’s mitigated by the fact you can downgrade those same players to refund resources you’ve invested if you want to go another way. It is cool how you can grow your best player rated in the late 60s up to a potential 90. For those of you who have trouble throwing anything away, this may be the best fit for you.In complete transparency, I’m not a frequent visitor to Ultimate Team, but it’s a mode that rises and falls with gameplay. These new ways to play Madden’s most popular mode will most definitely be a hit to fans of the collectible mode.In Madden 19 EA has doubled down on one the best features of Madden 18 – The Longshot Story mode. It’s a direct sequel to the storyline from last year, this time dubbed Longshot: Homecoming, which follows the struggles of Devin Wade and Colt Cruise as they navigate the NFL and their personal lives.Unfortunately, this second slice of the Devin and Colt show feels forced and cliché. It left me feeling like the opportunity to build something special was wasted. Despite its brisk three-hour runtime, it’s still a few hours I wish I could get back.