The review will cover the upsides and downsides of Madden NFL 23, as well as the overall verdict, to help you make a more informed choice.

Since the changes from one year to the next in Madden may sometimes seem so gradual, it can be hard to discern how much progress is being made, which is apt considering that football is renowned as a game of inches. Madden 23 continues this pattern, improving in some ways while others, like online play, remain the same as previous iterations.

Many of Madden 23's biggest improvements are now accessible in play games' increased emphasis on gameplay. The defense has been reworked extensively, with the goal of having pass rushers swarm the quarterback and defenders playing tighter coverage on receivers in both man and zone schemes.

Here are some of the good points, some of the bad points, and the bottom line when it comes to Madden 23. Let's take a review in detail:

Madden 23: The Good

Added More excitement in MUT Championship: The development and emergence of MUT 23 Champions is the most significant shift. By extending this competitive aspect to every day of the week, this mode improves on Weekend Leagues. Despite the fact that users are still only allowed to play 25 matches each week, MUT Champions continues to give the highest prizes. For the MUT community, this is a significant victory.

Visual update to the character models: The graphics in Madden 23 is stunning, particularly the player models and their facial and bodily details. It was unexpected to see such a significant improvement in visuals since very few sports games released recently manage to shake the pin in this regard.

The Franchise's public face has made a good move: The Face of the Franchise mode will be distinct from the rest of the game thanks to the measures made by EA. For the sake of the position's long-term viability, it was wise to elevate FOTF to the status of a legitimate career path.

Offense and, defense, passing has been bolstered: It's rare to be able to state that a recurring issue in a sports video game franchise has been fixed, but Madden's zone coverage gameplay seems like it finally does. The game has been made better on both sides of the ball as a result of the removal of exploits and the greater intelligence with which defenses play their designated zones.

Skill-based passes make it easier to place a pass in the proper spot, which increases the payoff for doing so. You may learn how to make the right decisions in SBP with the help of this guide from Good Game Bro. It was a helpful supplementary resource when I first began playing the game. Offense and, defense, passing has been bolstered.

Movement in games is closer to reality: Some player motions provide a satisfying physical sensation. This year's quarterbacks have a good mentality, which is why I like them so much. Running throws and cross-body throws are quite challenging. This has improved the game's balance, making this feature more fun.

Madden 23: The Bad

Some key aspects of the franchise mode are still absent: A lot of effort has been put into improving the franchise mode mechanically, but the outside still needs some improvement. There has been no presentation as of yet. We thought the opening tribute game was a great way to honor John Madden, who was a world-famous player. But the same attention to detail and polish that went into that game should be there.

Some very useful and fun elements, such as character customization, are also absent from Franchise mode. The NBA 2K23 Era's mode is set to be the best franchise mode ever made. This virtual ode to the NBA's past is icing on the cake for a franchise suite that already provided practically unrivalled adaptability.

In contrast, Madden lacks even the most basic features—like an expansion, a complete rebranding of teams and the league, or extensive player customization options—let alone a nostalgic mode like Eras, which allows players to use their console or PC as a time machine to play a game of football from the past.

Non-addictive gameplay and immersive physics: As far as collisions go, Madden 23 seems to take a bit of a mashup approach. One segment is animated in the traditional sense, while another appears to be based on physical principles. Those two don't usually mesh, unfortunately. Too often, the contact in a game lead to an incident that leaves you wondering, "How did that happen?"

After all, that discrepancy is a major plot hole. There is a lot of pressure on the other elements of the game to make up for the fact that this crucial part of the game is still in its formative stages. Delivering a hard check in NFL, hitting a long shot in FIFA, making a three-pointer in NBA 2K, and surely not making a perfect contact in MLB The Show are all examples of actions and mechanisms in games that provide a similar level of enjoyment.

All those things are satisfying to do and include some of the fundamentals of any activity. No matter how much I try, I just can't come up with a single football-related activity in Madden that I'd enjoy doing again if it were the centrepiece of a minigame. Madden requires a mechanism for players to enjoy making contact, the core of football gameplay.

Madden 23: The Bottom Line

There is nothing wrong with Madden 23 from a gameplay perspective, but it lacks that one extra thing to elevate it to the standard of excellence that Madden games are known for. Players do not seem to be motivated to continue playing the game since there isn't enough engagement with the core gameplay mechanics. This year, players are expecting it to be another great season, but it's expected that it will be good but not great.

Final Thoughts

While Madden 23 is an improvement over previous years visually and mechanically, it still can't shake the lingering effects of several issues that have dogged the series since its inception. While it should be good fun to deliver a player through his professional football career and connect with others for online games, many problems and bad creative choices in the face of the Franchise impede what should be an enjoyable experience for the player.