Game review: Madden 11 - PlayStation 3

Here in the UK it’s a different story.

Proper football (or soccer as our transatlantic friends shamefully call it) is far more popular than the stateside razzmatazz version of rugby.

A new American football game barely causes a ripple.

EA’s Fifa (real) football game rules the roost and Madden gets pushed well down the pecking order in the sports genre.

Gridiron will only ever have limited appeal here and EA’s annual iteration of its Madden franchise will always struggle to gain a foothold in gamers’ affections.

For what it’s worth, Madden 11 is good. Very, very good.

For fans of American football that are out there, this will be the most complete, realistic and sophisticated version of the sport you have played on your consoles.

People who dislike the sport aren’t going to pick this up off the shelf but gamers with just a passing interest in American football might want to give it a spin because this is a great time to jump into the Madden world.

One of the reasons the Madden titles are dismissed by all but the most diehard American football fans is the fear of the game being overly complicated and long-winded.

EA goes a long way to addressing those concerns in Madden 11 with the new GameFlow play selection system.

In previous Madden games you would have to trawl through hundreds of confusing offensive and defensive formations for every single play throughout a match. This was a very daunting process for anyone without an intricate knowledge of the sport.

With GameFlow switched on the computer chooses each play for you – that means 350 plays crunched down to one for every down.

It’s like having an expert coach taking care of all the complex tactical stuff while you concentrate on the action in the field.

As well as simplifying play-calling Gameflow also cuts game time, reducing each match from about an hour to 30 minutes.

Of course, GameFlow can be turned off by hardcore fans who want to choose their own formations. You can also immerse yourselves in designing your own custom game plans.

Credit must go to EA for creating a game which appeals to casual players, like me, while at the same time still accommodating serious fans of the sport who want to lose themselves in all the advanced strategic elements of the NFL world.

The game can be kept as basic as you need it or made as deep as you want it.

On the pitch, Madden 11 plays as you would expect it to – an all-action believable representation of American football.

Controls take some memorising and practice to get the hang of but after a few games they sink in and become intuitive.

The graphics are nothing short of fantastic with smooth animations and spot-on physics. Player movement, ball flight and everything else are totally credible.

Where Madden 11 really excels is in its audio and visual presentation. Watching the game is just like watching the real thing on TV.

Pre-game build-up, in-game flashy segments and replays, and then post-match analysis are all covered in a superb broadcast-style manner with all the music, glitz and polish you’d expect if you were in a sports bar somewhere in America watching the Sunday game on a big screen.

For your choice of games modes, the usual variety of single and multi player options is available.

This includes playing two teams off against each in an exhibition match, jumping straight into the Super Bowl or running a team in franchise mode.

New in the online options for this year is 3-on-3 co-operative mode where each player takes control of a different part of the team.

Madden 11 is a very deep game which offers players plenty of play styles.

To conclude, I realise this is a slightly hollow review because anyone who is into American football will already be familiar with the Madden series and will pick up the new version without needing to read anything about it.

Anyone who is not into the sport will probably just dismiss this game. But if they do they are denying themselves the chance to play an excellent sports game on their consoles.

I’ve only ever had a mild interest in American football and am no more than a novice when it comes to playing the sport in video game form. However, I’ve found Madden 11 to be an accessible and hugely enjoyable game. I wasn’t expecting to like it as must I do.

Verdict: 8 out of 10 - EA Sports has scored a great touchdown with the latest instalment in its long-running American football series. It’s something veterans of the Madden games and newcomers can get equal enjoyments out of.