Madden NFL 18

Madden 18 shines where it matters most: On the field. The transition to Frostbite is seamless, and the balance of the running, the pass rush, and coverage feels better than ever. By comparison, Longshot is a little rougher, but it's an interesting and ambitious first attempt. Between Longshot, the Frostbite transition, the more balanced gameplay, and MUT Squads, there's a lot to like about Madden 18. In a four year march that has seen steady progress with each iteration, this is the best upgrade yet.

Madden 18 shines brightest with its new Longshot mode, but the lack of improvements elsewhere makes this year’s Madden offering an incremental – but still highly-playable – update.

Madden 18 is missing a host of fixes, wishlist staples, and improvements, but it doesn't have to appease to have worth. It captures the joy that I find in playing video game football even after all these years. That's not just a love of the sport with a license slapped on it; it's the continuing refinement of gameplay and modes that still has the ability to surprise and excite.

This is possibly the biggest update that a Madden game has ever seen. This is one of those years where the franchise takes a huge turn and it pays off. The tightest and crispest Madden to date, it looks and performs stunningly, all while adding tons of little things to correctly represent the game of football.

Madden NFL 18 places its bets on a tried-and-true tale more than changes to gameplay or new layers in the career suite, and Longshot may not impress more worldly people. Late in the story, Colt makes a dry mention of Tim Tebow, and I couldn’t help but think of how sports blogs today would shit all over Devin Wade if he existed in real life.