That said, its impact isn’t as innovative as might be expected, and M Factors haven’t felt like a key difference maker in-game thus far. It’s a concept that is certainly interesting on paper and is a fresh way to introduce homefield advantage within individual games. The mechanic operates in sync with the flow of the game – M Factors are both earned and taken away, depending on which team capitalises on key in-game moments. These bonuses are tailored to individual teams – for example, the home team at the Patriots’ Foxborough stadium gains bonus momentum on touchdowns and third down stops, whereas the away team at Denver’s Mile High can be penalised with less stamina during plays. Madden 22 introduces M Factors as a new feature this year, which gives specific in-game bonuses to players based on swings to momentum throughout a game. This, along with the addition of storylines, gives franchise mode a greater sense of depth and rewards investment. Staff development naturally impacts on player development, and each game is more distinct. The introduction of skill trees for the head coach, as well as the offense and defensive coordinators, means weekly strategizing has more significance. It’s a grind, but nevertheless a grind that remains pretty addictive.įranchise mode is probably the most improved element of Madden 22. That said, MUT is a huge money-maker for EA so there isn’t really any incentive for them to change the model of this game mode. However, it feels like there is even less opportunity for solo progression in Madden 22, which may discourage more casual players. I didn’t care about the people, I didn’t care about the outcome, and I wouldn’t blame players for skipping through all the cutscenes just to get to the gameplay.Įlsewhere, Ultimate team is back – as always, those that pay to play will reap the biggest rewards. Whilst it’s not easy to present an inspired version of this mode year on year, it’s hard to imagine this was the best EA could come up with. Ultimately the story is boring, cliched, and an exercise in patience to slog through. Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PC, Stadia It does nothing to build investment in the player’s journey. It’s a narrative device often used to build tension around how a particular outcome came to pass – but as the player already knows their avatar is a highly touted prospect about to be drafted with a top pick, it’s fairly pointless in this context. It starts out with a trip to Niketown for a pre-draft camp, before dipping back in time to drop the player into the college football playoffs, in order to determine how his college career ended. The plot, such as it is, revolves around the player’s avatar and his two friends – ostensibly his brand manager and agent. Whilst the ‘college-to-pros’ narrative has pretty much been used to death at this point, that hasn’t stopped Madden 22 somehow managing to put together a career mode and story that is historically bad. Here, players can create their own ‘build’ and start an NFL career as a young player vying to be picked number one overall. Let’s start with the game modes on offer. It does a great job of building hype, but does it deliver the goods? Get in the (red) zone. The soundtrack is bold, the presentation is colourful – Madden has a swagger that comes with knowing year on year, the launch of a new title is an event for gamers and fans alike. With it’s new Game Day Atmosphere, Madden 22 aims to fully immerse players into the vibe of the NFL game day experience.
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