The reviews are trickling in, andMadden 18 looks like another hit for EA Sports.Not that critical evaluationsgood, bad, ugly or otherwisewould do much to sway the retail success of the pre-eminent video game sports franchise.Madden routinely ranks among the best-selling titles year in and year out, and 2017 doesn't figure to be any different.Still, it's worth noting that the latest edition graded out as well as it did. With so many significant changes on the docket, from added modes to a brand-new game engine,Madden 18 clocked in at 79/100 on Xbox and 82/100 on PS4, per Metacritic, which assigns composite scores of reviews from around the internet. That put the PS4 version inside Metacritic's top 25 game releases of 2017 so far, with the Xbox edition landing just outside the top 50.As of this original publish date, IGN's Dustin Toms had yet to register a score forMadden 18, though he did have high praise for the game's changes:Madden is coming out of the locker room with more than an adjustment to its gameplay and story mode; the development team just stormed back onto the field with a new engine, improved gameplay, and a story mode finally worth giving a damn about.GameSpot's Alex Newhouse praisedMadden18's new Frostbite engine for its ability to bring NFL football to life on a whole new virtual level:Overall, Madden 18 marks an unusually large shakeup in a series that, due to its annualized releases, rarely features much more than small, iterative changes. The Frostbite engine allows the game to reach new levels of realism in its visuals, and EA has put a lot of effort into constantly evolving the game to keep it in line with real-world events.Overall, Newhouse gave Madden 18a 9/10.Polygon's Owen S. Goodgave the game an 8/10, and saw plenty of promise inLongshot modethe series' first-ever attempt at a story modefor its ability to bring humanity and emotion to a game known, in part, for its depiction of the stoic roboticism that often defines real-life NFL football:Longshot leans hard on all the archetypes of sports mythology, from beat-up pickup trucks and earnest sidekicks to twangy high school coaches and Hall of Fame cameos. But in its heart is a hero both supremely abled and uncertain of himself. And only Madden NFL, which for 30 years has done more than any other work of sports media to make the jargon-laced concepts of American football concrete and understandable, could make that conflict authentic for the user.As for the new "Target Passing" feature, Sporting News' Bryan Wiedey offered a word of cautionand one of optimismto those looking to venture into more advanced virtual quarterbacking:It's tough to get the hang of it at first, even in simple practice mode without a defense on the field. It will result in a lot more sacks and some errant throws for those who use it. Those who get it down willhave a dangerous weapon at their disposal, however.Overall, Wiedey's review was positive, with Madden 18 earning a 4/5.The jury is still out on Play Now Live, since the 2017 NFL season hasn't kicked off. On the whole, though,Madden 18 looks to be an exciting iteration for this venerable sports franchise. There should be plenty more reaction to come once all the major critics have had their say and gamers have gotten their cracks at the game following its wide release on August 25.
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