As the sports world starts to return to some semblance of normalcy following the basically three-month shut down, so too do the sports video games and annual releases that fans have come to love. NBA 2K21 details have finally emerged, as the start of new season of Formula One Racing coincides with the release of F1 2020. And although news of this year’s Madden NFL release has come slower than usual, football fans can take solace in the fact that the game is still on track for its August 28th release.
The Madden 21 closed beta took place over the weekend, and TheGamer was lucky enough to be able to check out what the upcoming game has to offer. Fortunately, Madden fans can rejoice in the fact that this year’s iteration of the annual release already looks poised to outdo last year’s release - which was one of the best versions of the game in recent memory.
Stopping On A Dime
The biggest piece of news surrounding Madden 21 is the inclusion of brand-new player control mechanics. This is, admittedly, a bit of a difficult thing to swallow, as every year seems to feature some sort of “new-and-improved” player control mechanic, only for the game to feel pretty much like it did from the prior year. However, it’s clear that the team at EA Sports has put considerable effort into making small adjustments that will undoubtedly have major impacts on the overall gameplay.
The new player control mechanics are primarily featured for pass rushers, ball carriers, and defensive tackling, and it’s safe to say that while the changes seem small in the grand scheme of things, they do provide significant potential in determining the outcome of each play. For example, while the pass-rushing position is still a great option for new players in terms of ease of use, veteran players can also get in on the action as an “easy-to-play, hard-to-master” type of position.
However, the most noticeable change can be felt in the player controls for ball carriers and defensive players trying to make an open-field tackle. Ball carriers can use the typical spin and juke moves, but can now do so in quicker (and smoother) succession that truly does allow the ball carrier to make highlight reel-level plays by stringing evasive moves together to outmatch defenders.
On the flip-side, tackling feels more weighted and robust. Instead of sashaying towards a ball carrier, defenders now position themselves in a more lucrative way to effectively make a tackle via the tackle button or hit stick. Of course, with the new ball carrier controls, it’s anybody’s game for being successful in a one-on-one matchup, in a chess match that is incredibly satisfying when it goes your way.
Yep, It’s Madden
The Madden 21 beta featured a typical Madden experience. There were the standard issues that almost every previous game has had, such as strafing cornerbacks who (in reality) should be turning and running to keep up with receivers, as well as improperly switching to the wrong player instead of the defender closest to the ball carrier. Otherwise, the Madden 21 beta provided the same excitement I get every year with the annual release. New menus, music, and the overall vibe had me enthusiastically diving into everything that the game had to offer (as limited as the beta was).
Madden 21 feels like a fresh version of a game that is difficult to actually keep feeling fresh on a yearly basis. With the visuals already as crisp as they already are, I can’t wait to see what’s in store when the game releases on the next-gen consoles of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, which is made even better by the fact that Dual Entitlement will make the next-gen versions free for players who digitally purchase the game on current-gen consoles.
